12. Retrieving data from a site

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1 Sharing data
2 Retrieving the data from a site
2.1 Via an interrogation AWP page
2.2 Via a Webservice
2.3 By FTP:
2.4 By emails:
3 Performing a replication

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12. Retrieving data from a site

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A commercial site allows the Web users to place orders, to make reservations, ...

Several methods can be used to retrieve this information.

Tip: Process the retrieved data in a "Back Office" application developed with WINDEV.

1 Sharing data

The data of a WEBDEV site can be directly shared with the data found in the Back Office application used to process the operations performed on the site. Simply use an HFSQL Client/Server database.

The principle is as follows:

Benefit: The site data is accessible in real time.

Drawback: Need to manage security in an optimal way: using a secured connection to access data, opening a specific port to access data (port 4900 by default), configuring the firewall, ...

This solution is recommended for a site installed on a dedicated server.

2 Retrieving the data from a site

2.1 Via an interrogation AWP page

WEBDEV allows you to create AWP pages. WP pages are independent pages that can run processes from the parameters passed in command line to the page. AWP pages can be used to retrieve data entered on the site.

AWP pages on the Web server receive regular HTTP requests run by the Back Office application. The data is returned in string format and processed by the WINDEV application.

Benefits:

Solution that can be easily implemented.
Equivalent to a custom Web service.
No additional executable is required on the server. No additional session is run on the server.

Drawback: Unidirectional data retrieval: no data update toward the server.

This solution can be used on a shared server.

2.2 Via a Webservice

WEBDEV allows you to create Webservices. The Webservice is installed on the Web server and the WEBDEV application server allows you to use it. The Webservice can be used to retrieve the data entered in the site.

The Webservice found on the Web server is interrogated on a regular basis by the HTTP requests run by the Back Office application. The data is returned in XML format, as strings (or other) and processed by the WINDEV application.

Benefits:

Solution that can be easily implemented.
No additional executable is required on the server. No additional session is run on the server.

Drawback: Unidirectional data retrieval: no data update toward the server.

This solution can be used on a shared server.

2.3 By FTP:

WEBDEV allows you to regularly save the data files of WEBDEV site. This backup can be transferred by FTP to the company headquarters. Then, all you have to do is:

retrieve the compressed backup of data files.
decompress the files (via a WINDEV application).
process the data found in the files.

Benefits:

Solution that can be easily implemented.
No additional executable is required at the hosting company.

Drawback: All data files found in the application are retrieved.

This solution can be used on a shared server.

2.4 By emails:

How it works:

The Web user places an order on the site.
The WEBDEV site informs the Web user that his order was successfully saved. The Web user is informed that a confirmation email will be sent to him.
The WEBDEV site sends an email to the company headquarters. This email contains the order placed by the Web user.
An email is sent by the company to the Web user to inform him that his order will be processed.

Benefits:

Solution that can be easily implemented.
No additional executable is required on the server.

Drawback: Unidirectional data retrieval: no data update toward the server.

This solution can be used on a shared server.

3 Performing a replication

The replication is used to keep the remote databases of identical structure updated. A replication can be performed between the database of a WEBDEV site and the database of WINDEV application at the company headquarters.

For example, a database used to enter orders and to manage stocks is used both on a WEBDEV site (online orders) and at the company headquarters (orders by phone or by mail).

The replication is used to:

transmit the online orders to the company headquarters (unidirectional replication)
transmit the online orders to the company headquarters and transmit the stock update to the Internet site (bi-directional replication).

Caution: The replication constraints must be taken into account during the project creation. Indeed, several rules must be followed when describing the analysis and the file items.

The replication can be performed by email or via the assisted universal replication. For more details on replication, see Assisted universal replication.