[schooltool] first impressions

[felis at Safe-mail.net ()]

Hi list,

i'm running a schooltool server on fc7, on python2.4. Used to the ZMI (zope management interface), but in Zope2 versions, i was wondering if there is a management interface in which i can restart/stop the schooltool service? I now kill the server to stop it, but would like to be able to do that in the webinterface.

Is it possible to use Schooltool as a Zope product, install it in the Products directory like other Zope related products?

In the Zope2 setup there is a possibility to use a virtualhostmonster object in order to facilitate rewriting uri's, is it possible to do that in Zope3?

Also i see a lot of ZODB.POSException.ConflictErrors, and was wondering if those are python2.4 related or perhaps still an artifact of the current development issues?

I would like to extend the amount of (relational) information in the database by adding tables, relations, functionality and views, is there a way to do this in the (web)interface? Is it possible to use a database adapter to couple SQL databases to the schooltool db like it is possible in the Zope2 environment?

Why exactly is twisted used? Couldn't a database backend do the same?

Well, a lot of questions as you can see.
I'm testing schooltool to see if i can use it to develop a specific (web)interface for schooladministration.

kind regards,
felix

[Tom Hoffman]

Hi Felix,

Post by felis at Safe-mail.net ()
Hi list,
i'm running a schooltool server on fc7, on python2.4. Used to the ZMI (zope management interface), but in Zope2 versions, i was wondering if there is a management interface in which i can restart/stop the schooltool service? I now kill the server to stop it, but would like to be able to do that in the webinterface.

You can't do that now, but you're right that it is a desirable
feature, and probably pretty easy. I've added a proposal here:

https://blueprints.edge.launchpad.net/schooltool/+spec/web-server-control

Post by felis at Safe-mail.net ()
Is it possible to use Schooltool as a Zope product, install it in the Products directory like other Zope related products?

No, SchoolTool is a Zope 3 application, and Zope 3 applications are
incompatible with Zope 2.

Post by felis at Safe-mail.net ()
In the Zope2 setup there is a possibility to use a virtualhostmonster object in order to facilitate rewriting uri's, is it possible to do that in Zope3?

Yes. Instructions for doing so should be in the README.

Post by felis at Safe-mail.net ()
Also i see a lot of ZODB.POSException.ConflictErrors, and was wondering if those are python2.4 related or perhaps still an artifact of the current development issues?

I think this is an underlying ZODB issue, which does not actually
result in a loss of data. I believe it means that the transaction is
backed out and tried again. Can anyone add to this?

Post by felis at Safe-mail.net ()
I would like to extend the amount of (relational) information in the database by adding tables, relations, functionality and views, is there a way to do this in the (web)interface? Is it possible to use a database adapter to couple SQL databases to the schooltool db like it is possible in the Zope2 environment?

It is possible to use a database adapter in SchoolTool (and Zope 3 in
general), although nobody has tried it (yet). You can't do it through
the web, so it would take some programming.

Post by felis at Safe-mail.net ()
Why exactly is twisted used? Couldn't a database backend do the same?

Twisted is used as a server, so it is a different role entirely.

Post by felis at Safe-mail.net ()
Well, a lot of questions as you can see.
I'm testing schooltool to see if i can use it to develop a specific (web)interface for schooladministration.

Ah. I'd be interested in knowing more about your context.

--Tom

[felis at Safe-mail.net ()]

Hello Tom,

thank you for your quick reply to all my questions.

Post by Tom Hoffman

Post by felis at Safe-mail.net ()
i'm running a schooltool server on fc7, on python2.4. Used to the ZMI (zope management interface), but in Zope2 versions, i was wondering if there is a management interface in which i can restart/stop the schooltool service? I now kill the server to stop it, but would like to be able to do that in the webinterface.

You can't do that now, but you're right that it is a desirable
https://blueprints.edge.launchpad.net/schooltool/+spec/web-server-control

Thanks! I'll read some Twisted and Apache rewrite manuals for the rest of the questions.

Post by Tom Hoffman
Ah. I'd be interested in knowing more about your context.

I'm trying to get some practical insight into the Schooltool workings and i'm trying to elicit some practical feedback from a local secondary education school here.

kind regards
felix

[felis at Safe-mail.net ()]

hi Tom,

Well, okay, have to do some homework on Zope3 :)

Unfortunately (and not to scare you), Zope 3 is pretty hard...

Post by Tom Hoffman

Post by felis at Safe-mail.net ()
In the Zope2 setup there is a possibility to use a virtualhostmonster object in order to facilitate rewriting uri's, is it possible to do that in Zope3?

Yes. Instructions for doing so should be in the README.

I'll read the Zope3 instructions (if that is what you meant, for the instructions included in the Schooltool README seemed not sufficient in my case. Means probably that i have to read the Apache rewrite module's manual again, more homework still :)

What do you need to do?

I have one https (public) address to serve several things. One is a Silva instance, one a local html directory, and now the schooltool test besides. I try to use one default virtual host (but perhaps that's the trouble ...)

Below might work if something like a VirtualHostMonster product were available in Zope3 (but perhaps it is, or i should simply make virtual hosts for different things).

RewriteCond %{SERVER_PORT} ^443$
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/schooltool/(.*)$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^/(.*) http://127.0.0.1:7080/VirtualHostBase/https/%{HTTP_HOST}:443/VirtualHostRoot/$1 [L,P]

RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^.*:443$
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/schooltool/(.*)$
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/catalog/(.*)$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^/(.*) http://127.0.0.1:8480/VirtualHostBase/https/%{HTTP_HOST}:443/silva/VirtualHostRoot/$1 [P]

I'm not sure... on the scale of things to worry about, I'd consider it
a low priority.

:_)

..
..

That's interesting. You are running SchoolTool from subversion, right?

Nope, not yet. I've downloaded the schooltool_0.9.orig.tar.gz, but finding that wasn't strait forward. The download link on schooltool.org has no current items, and i haven't seen svn links anywhere? Perhaps creating one central page for downloading stuff isn't bad for schooltool. But i'm known to be rather ignorant if it's not completely uterly strait forward (lol)

Based on my experience in discussing the project with people over the
past couple years, the biggest factor is whether or not you and/or
your developers can figure out Zope 3. Ultimately, of course, we aim
to have a product that doesn't require that knowledge, but right now
you'd need to do a fair amount of hacking yourself.

Perhaps grokify schooltool? I'm not far from Neanderthal :)

You can also ask questions on #schooltool on freenode IRC. ignas is
the lead developer. He's in Vilnius.

Thanks again,
felix

[Tom Hoffman]

Post by felis at Safe-mail.net ()

That's interesting. You are running SchoolTool from subversion, right?

Nope, not yet. I've downloaded the schooltool_0.9.orig.tar.gz, but finding that wasn't strait forward. The download link on schooltool.org has no current items, and i haven't seen svn links anywhere? Perhaps creating one central page for downloading stuff isn't bad for schooltool. But i'm known to be rather ignorant if it's not completely uterly strait forward (lol)

Yes, a reorganization is in the works... For svn here are instructions:

http://www.schooltool.org/documentation/setting-up-a-development-server/your-development-environment/

Post by felis at Safe-mail.net ()

Based on my experience in discussing the project with people over the
past couple years, the biggest factor is whether or not you and/or
your developers can figure out Zope 3. Ultimately, of course, we aim
to have a product that doesn't require that knowledge, but right now
you'd need to do a fair amount of hacking yourself.

Perhaps grokify schooltool? I'm not far from Neanderthal :)

SchoolTool/Grok is probably something for 2009 or so. I do hope in
the long run Grok makes creating SchoolTool components much more
accessible.

--Tom