[Zope] How do I start ?

[Curtis Maloney]

On Mon, 04 Sep 2000, Willem Oudyk wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have just discovered Zope and am interested in developing a web based
> application but I don't know where to start.

Hi!  Welcome to the group! (o8

> While I am going through the documentation, which will be of help no doubt,
> I hope these initial questions attract some replies.
>
> Here are some of my starting requirements;
>
> 1) I need to create a small DB retrieval(mainly) system with only 000's of
> records and possibly 00's of users.

Zope has interfaces for many popular DBs, and a very easy way to use them.  
If you check http://www.zope.org/Products  you will see adapters for DBs like 
Oracle, Postgressl, MySQL, Sybase, and many others.

By using SQL Methods (Documentation at 
http://www.zope.org/Documentation/Guides/ZSQL-HTML/ZSQL.html ) you can easily 
insert and extract from any connected DB.

As for your user base, I would advise you try one of the alternative user 
management tools ( http://www.zope.org/Products/user_management )

> 2) Only a few nominated users will have update rights to the data.

Zope makes it easy to use fine grained access control to documents for 
various 'roles', which you can create and name yourself.  Just attribute each 
user with the appropriate 'roles', and they have all and only the access you 
give them.

> 3) The user needs to be able to search for all occurrences of any of the
> data items presented to them

I'm not entirely sure what sort of 'data items' you have in mind here, but 
afaik, ZCatalogs are a very powerful search tool provided as standard with 
Zope.

http://www.zope.org/Documentation/How-To/ZCatalogTutorial

> 4) It seems the users have a UNIX infrastructure with an existing DB that
> is ODBC compliant and has data items which  I need to retrieve and update.

There is at least one, possibly two Unix based ODBC interfaces for zope.  
ZmxODBC being one of them.

> 5) Re: this last point, I'm not sure of yet if my app also needs to be
> hosted by the UNIX server or whether it can have it's own server and simply
> make ODBC calls to the UNIX box. I also don't know what would be
> preferable. I guess having it all on the same box is more efficient.

Well, Zope can run anywhere you can run Python.  I personally have run Zope 
on Solaris (Sparc), Linux (i386) and  MS Windows 98.

6) I am based in Australia and if anyone is in the same timezone (ie.
> Melbourne) it would be great to make personal contact.

I live in Melbourne.

> I hope someone out there can point me in the right direction.
>

Always willing to help another Zopista. (o8

> -------------------------------------------------
> Willem Oudyk
> 14 Fortescue Grove
> Vermont Sth. Victoria 3133
> Australia Ph/Fax: +61 (3) 9887 9121
> mailto:willem@pangaea.nu
> Web:www.pangaea.nu
> -------------------------------------------------
>

Pangaea?  Hmm.. I know some people from Pangaean.net...  small world, hey? (o8

Have a better one,
	Curtis Maloney.