[schooltool] first impressions

[Tom Hoffman]

Hi Felix,

On 11/5/07, felis at safe-mail.net <felis at safe-mail.net> wrote:
> 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

> 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.

> 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.

> 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?

> 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.

> 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.

> 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