Re: [mv] SQL backed site exclusively??

[Mark Stosberg <mark@summersault.com>]

******    message to minivend-users from Mark Stosberg <mark@summersault.com>     ******


> What exactly needs to be defined in the catalog.cfg to run a "database"
> 
>  >> Database arbitrary arbitrary.asc dbi:mSQL:minivend:localhost:1114
> 
> I gather this makes a "Database" (table) from the fields delimited in the
> arbitrary.asc file that is in the products directory?

Yes, this does make the database based on the fields delimited in
arbitrary.asc file in the products directory. It uses the first field as
the primary key, and the rest of fields as this default field type
(probaby char(128), unless you have specified the field type explicity
in catalog.cfg. It does _not_ write definitions anywhere for you.  I'm
using MV 4 with Postgres so I can show what my catalog looks like, and
you can see if you can make it work with MySQL and MV 3. My basic
products table definition is included below: 

<paste>
Database	products products.tab  dbi:Pg:dbname=music;host=foo.server.com;port=5432
Database    products USER    	stanley
Database	products NUMERIC	    id,seller_id,cat_id,price
Database	products KEY			id

Database	products COLUMN_DEF	id=serial
Database	products COLUMN_DEF	seller_id=int4
Database 	products COLUMN_DEF	cat_id=int4
Database	products COLUMN_DEF	description=text
Database	products COLUMN_DEF	price=float
Database	products COLUMN_DEF	condition=char(4)
Database	products COLUMN_DEF	sold=bool not null default 'f'
Database	products COLUMN_DEF	title=varchar(64)
Database	products COLUMN_DEF	author=varchar(64)
Database	products COLUMN_DEF	ensemble=varchar(32)
Database	products COLUMN_DEF	maker=varchar(64)
</paste>

Notice that MySQL will have a different DSN connect string, and that
you'll have a different username. Also, these are not the standard
products fields, they are my own. Also note that I don't think MySQL has
a "serial" field. You should use "AutoIncrement" or whatever you need
there. 
 The products.tab file should have a single line with the tab
deliminated field names like
id	seller	cat_id	description 	etc....

So far I can't get the search engine to do what I want-- To make a
results page with the handy minivend tags but based on a SQL query
rather than the all the minivend search tags. So in my first store, I'm
writing the search engines in custom Perl and SQL, which probably runs
quicker without the minivend layer, and is easier to debug. I'm still
using Minivend for session management, the flycat page and the
checkout/order system. 

   -mark

  <<-------------------------------------------------------------->>
personal website                <    Summersault Website Design
   http://mark.stosberg.com/     >       http://www.summersault.com/
-
To unsubscribe from the list, DO NOT REPLY to this message.  Instead, send
email with 'UNSUBSCRIBE minivend-users' in the body to Majordomo@minivend.com.
Archive of past messages: http://www.minivend.com/minivend/minivend-list