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- 1 Sharing data
- 2 Retrieving data from a site
- 2.1 Via an Active WEBDEV Page
- 2.2 Via a web service
- 2.3 Via FTP:
- 2.4 Via email:
- 3 Performing a replication
12. Retrieving data from a website
A commercial site allows end users to place orders, make reservations and more, ... You can use several methods to retrieve this information. Tip: Process the data retrieved with a back office application developed with WINDEV. The data of a WEBDEV website 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: Advantage: Site data is accessible in real time. Disadvantage: Requires optimal security management, including a secure connection to access data, a specific port to access data (port 4900 by default), firewall configuration, etc. This solution is recommended for a site installed on a dedicated server. 2 Retrieving data from a site 2.1 Via an Active WEBDEV Page WEBDEV allows you to create Active WEBDEV Pages. Active WEBDEV Pages are independent pages that can run processes from the parameters passed as command lines to the page. Active WEBDEV Pages can be used to retrieve data entered on the site. Active WEBDEV Pages on the web server receive regular HTTP requests run by the Back Office application. Data is returned as a string and processed by the WINDEV application. Advantages: - Solution that can be easily implemented.
- Equivalent to a custom web service.
- No additional executable file is required on the server. No additional session is run on the server.
Disadvantage: Data is not updated on the server side. This solution can be used on a shared server. 2.2 Via a web service WEBDEV allows you to create web services. The web service is installed on the server and WEBDEV Application Server allows you to use it. The web service can be used to retrieve data entered on the site. The web service located on the web server is queried 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. Advantages: - Solution that can be easily implemented.
- No additional executable file is required on the server. No additional session is run on the server.
Disadvantage: Data is not updated on the server side. This solution can be used on a shared server. 2.3 Via FTP: WEBDEV allows you to create backups of the WEBDEV website data files on a regular basis. These backups can be transferred by FTP to the company head office. Then, all you have to do is: - retrieve the compressed backup copy of the data files.
- decompress the files (via a WINDEV application).
- process the data in the files.
Advantages: - Solution that can be easily implemented.
- No additional executable file is required from the hosting provider.
Disadvantage: All the data files of the application are retrieved. This solution can be used on a shared server. 2.4 Via email: How it works: - The user places an order on the site.
- The WEBDEV website informs the user that the order was successfully registered. The user is notified that a confirmation email will be sent.
- The WEBDEV website sends an email to the company head office. This email contains the order placed by the user.
- The company sends a confirmation email to the user indicating that the order has been processed.
Advantages: - Solution that can be easily implemented.
- No additional executable file is required on the server.
Disadvantage: Data is not updated on the server side. 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 website and the database of a WINDEV application at the company head office. For example, a database used to enter orders and to manage stocks is used both on a WEBDEV website (online orders) and at the company head office (orders by phone or by mail). The replication is used to: - transfer orders placed over the Internet to the company head office (unidirectional replication)
- transfer orders placed over the Internet to the company head office and transfer stock updates to the website (bidirectional replication).
Caution: Replication constraints must be taken into account right from the project creation. Several rules must be followed when defining the analysis and the data file items. Replication can be implemented by email or via the assisted universal replication. For more details on replication, see Assisted universal replication.
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