[Zope-dev] Transactions support on MySql

[Evan Simpson]

Ping Lau wrote:

> 1. From what I read, Zope supports transactions.  If I
> want to use MySql as my backend database, can Zope
> still support atomic operations since MySql does not
> support transactions?

Zope will still support transactions on *Zope objects*.  Your MySQL
database will not participate in the transaction, so all SQL statements
executed will remain in effect even if the Zope transaction aborts.
You might be able to handle this with explicit logging in MySQL, if the
changes aren't too complicated.

> 2. The project I will work on requires a lot of very
> customized reports to be printed on blank paper as
> well as pre printed form.  I have used Delphi from my
> previous project.  I used the report writter came with
> Delphi to design & print all sorts of report on all
> kinds of papers (blank, pre printed form, labels,
> etc).  How can I produce reports for printing to pre
> printed form?
>
> 3. My project also requires barcode (Code39) printing
> on labels feed from dot-matrix printers.  Where can I
> find barcode module or class for Zope?

Unless you want to generate PDF or Postscript files on the fly, you are
*not* going to get what you want from a browser-based application,
regardless of the server.  Neither Zope nor any other Web App can
control how your browser will print an HTML page (AFAIK).

If you know Postscript well, you could *theoretically* load your
report's Postscript output into a DTML Document and insert variables and
loops in the correct places.  More likely, you want to write a Delphi
program which uses HTTP to ask the server for a nicely formatted hunk of
data (tab-delimited, or perhaps XML) which you can then feed into your
already-written reports.