Quoting StaNDarD:

Quote:

If DVDP would use a MySQL database to store its data, I could setup my homepage to access that data directly from it without the need of doing an export and import.

That's what I thought. There are a whole bunch of concepts and assumptions mixed in with this request for "DVDP as a service".

You see, DVDP already uses a database technology that is perfectly accessible via a windows client. I mean, how do you think DVDP does it?

The reason that you can't get to it, is that it is PROPRIETARY. Even if DVDP were using MySQL (and it might already be - I don't know), it would still be proprietary and at the very least password protected and also encrypted, and you still couldn't do what you want to do. It has nothing to do with "running as a service."

This is why I was pressing people to say what they were going to use such a facility for. Because I suspected that what some people really want is free, unrestricted access to a proprietary database. Not going to happen. Dream on. If such a facility were provided, I suspect you will have to pay Invelos for it. While some of us, like you and I would probably do it, I don't know how many customers there would be.

There is already a plugin that can keep an XML export current automatically. And other tools that create a SQL database from the XML. If that is really all you need, go ahead and do it. Probably wouldn't take much more than an hour of preparation, then just let it run forever. 

And one more point. Creating a multiuser, multi-access database is a serious technical activity. Did you ever wonder why even DVDP limits what you can do in the shared environment? If Invelos avoided that complexity, there must be a reason. Imagine how many times you would need to run database repair if multiple users could be updating the database concurrently ... 

Quoting mediadogg:

Quote:
That's what I thought. There are a whole bunch of concepts and assumptions mixed in with this request for "DVDP as a service".

Calm down, You asked what people would use it for and I answered. Check this thread and you'll see I never asked for this feature...

Quoting mediadogg:

Quote:
You see, DVDP already uses a database technology that is perfectly accessible via a windows client. I mean, how do you think DVDP does it?

So, how does this help me?

Quoting mediadogg:

Quote:
The reason that you can't get to it, is that it is PROPRIETARY. Even if DVDP were using MySQL (and it might already be - I don't know), it would still be proprietary and at the very least password protected and also encrypted, and you still couldn't do what you want to do. It has nothing to do with "running as a service."

You're right, if it would bring its own server. But Rander talked about a NAS which implied to me (and I might as well be wrong here) that he wants to use a preinstalled database.

Quoting mediadogg:

Quote:
This is why I was pressing people to say what they were going to use such a facility for. Because I suspected that what some people really want is free, unrestricted access to a proprietary database. Not going to happen. Dream on. If such a facility were provided, I suspect you will have to pay Invelos for it. While some of us, like you and I would probably do it, I don't know how many customers there would be.

I don't think we will get this free access too.

Quoting mediadogg:

Quote:
There is already a plugin that can keep an XML export current automatically. And other tools that create a SQL database from the XML. If that is really all you need, go ahead and do it. Probably wouldn't take much more than an hour of preparation, then just let it run forever. 

Never seen this, but I will have a look at it. But I will still have to do a manual import.

Quoting mediadogg:

Quote:
And one more point. Creating a multiuser, multi-access database is a serious technical activity. Did you ever wonder why even DVDP limits what you can do in the shared environment? If Invelos avoided that complexity, there must be a reason. Imagine how many times you would need to run database repair if multiple users could be updating the database concurrently ... 

That's not a good argument against MySQL or MS-SQL - I NEVER had to run a 'database repair' on those...

@StaNDarD,

I like the way you keep me under control. 

And I learned some things. Always good. So now we have some sample code and a couple of ideas on what to do with it. It would be great if a new hot developer would come along and jump on this. I think he/she would get masses of help, and DJ already helped me understand some coding methods. And we need also some more real solid justification to make the effort. I will try to stay calm and wait. 

There is a pony in there somewhere ... so I got excited. (If you don't know that joke, maybe Google has it - I think it was in a movie).

BTW, I don't see why your import would need to be manual, just because the SQL database was created from the XML. How would your web site code know from whence it came?

Quoting StaNDarD:

Quote:
But having my database export automated (thanks mediadogg for that tip), I guess I can build a 'cronjob' to check if the xml-file has been changed and then parse it into my database...

Glad to help. I had a similar plugin on paper, but when I saw that one, I stopped work on it. I may resurrect it someday, cause it was more extensive - something like "OnEvent" - where you could run a command file, or execute a program automatically whenever certain DVDP events occurred. E.g, on "DVD Changed", update the exported XML, or run a program that updates a SQL database or whatever. Would something like that be useful? There are a bunch of events available to plugins that could be exposed to advanced users such as yourself. Just as in LoadDVD and DVDProfileLoop and HTML sections, your script would get access to most of the useful fields from the currently selected profile when the event is triggered. If memory serves, I think CCViewer has a scripting engine that does the same kind of thing.

Something else that could be done easily that way, is an automated build of php files directly from the profile API instead of parsing XML. I have always wondered why somebody hasn't already done this (maybe they have and I missed it?)

I'm following this thread with growing interest ... sadly I understand only half of what is said (if that much).

I have no master table for actors in my database. They are only attached to the profiles. Which means changing birth year will only affect one profile. Cross-linking is done via cross-linking table. So adding a new alias for a common name will affect all profiles though.

Same for studios. Also there there is no master table.

Quoting DJ Doena:

Quote:
Just out of curiosity: When you change a birth year for an actor, are all profiles with that actor triggered or just the one you're editing right now?

What about when you edit a studio via Tools?

Is it possible that a plugin can recognize that I changed an existing database entry and not added a new one? This is impossible with the xml export.

Quoting mediadogg:

Quote:
So, just for grins, please describe what YOU would do with it (that you can't do now with existing tools)? Not trying to pick on you - just hoping I steer the conversation in the direction of describing what is needed - that will definitely increase the chances of getting it, right?

Well, simple:

I am currently running DVDP on my desktop computer, my laptop, my phone and my tablet.

This can cause a few problems, especially with making sure they all have the latest version of the database. Also, if changing a profile on the desktop on another profile on the laptop, you can't just simply do a database backup from one and restore it on the other - one of those changes is going to get lost!

So, what I would like is to have a simple database server. That way, I don't have to worry about keeping the four databases in sync, as there is only one database, which all four clients connects directly to!

Yes, I know the Android devices doesn't do this directly, but with the server, I don't have to worry about powering up the desktop before I can sync them.

True, I could get around some of this by simply placing the database on a NAS and let desktop and laptop connect to that directly, that still requires making sure the desktop is powered up before syncing the Android devices...

Right now, I'm at the point where I'm seriously considering buying a Asus eebox - a 200 USD, 40W small computer, to do nothing but run as a database server for DVDP...