[support] Create and manage content directly from the database.

[Metzler, David]

I am not suggesting you do data synchronization, but that you implement code that modifies the same mysql tables modified by access, OUTSIDE of the drupal node schema.  You could write a custom module to do this.  Yes you will need to learn the drupal forms api, but that is small compared to the access code you will need to write to get the fields in the node and revisions tables consistent.  

IF you are not programmers, what you are suggesting is not technically feasible anyway, as you will have to do quite a bit of programming to get the data in the node tables correct.  It's not something you can just point an access form at and expect it to work.

I agree with Earnie, the best advice is to hire a developer/consultant to work through this with/for you.   Or to convince your Access users to modify the data in drupal instead of the access. 

Good luck, 

Dave

-----Original Message-----
From: support-bounces at drupal.org [mailto:support-bounces at drupal.org] On Behalf Of Earnie Boyd
Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2012 10:38 AM
To: support at drupal.org
Subject: Re: [support] Create and manage content directly from the database.

On Thu, Jun 7, 2012 at 1:23 PM, Wipe_Out <wipe_out at users.sourceforge.net> wrote:
>>
>> You don't want to update the node tables directly.  You would miss out
>> on the hook implementations.  You need to create a node object and use
>> node_save() to do it.  You could manage this by creating a custom
>> module to push and pull the changes to an external DB for the ms
>> access entries via a hook_cron implementation.  There may be a module
>> already to do this but I don't know.
>>
>
> What are the hook implementations you mention specifically??

I can only point you to the technical documentation.
http://api.drupal.org/api/drupal/includes%21module.inc/group/hooks/7

>
> If the data tables are all updated correctly will drupal not see it as a
> node?
>

I doubt that you'll be able to update the tables correctly but not all
that is Drupal will not know that you created the node so "correctly"
is suspect to begin with.

> As mentioned we aren't programmers so this seemed like the easier option..
>

Then please hire someone to do it.  See consulting at drupal.org and
http://groups.drupal.org/jobs for posting an opportunity.

> My concern with trying to write something to keep two sets of data
> "syncronised" is managing the whole syncronisation process and issues with
> changes happening on both sides causing a "split brain" scenario.. If both
> access interfaces are editing the same data this is reduced.. No different
> to why MySQL replication is not often attempted as master-master because the
> sync is not easy to do reliably..

But the syncing scenario is the only reliable way to do it, IMO.  Or,
teach the administrators to use the Drupal interface to do their
changes instead of MS Access.

-- 
Earnie
-- https://sites.google.com/site/earnieboyd
-- 
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