Does Power church support any form of database export? I would like to be able to query and export XML data for integration with a web site. Most adventageous would be a live web service / query interface that could be accessed live from the web server.
If there is not specific support for this, can I use an ODBC driver to access the FoxPro database directly? And, if so, is there a database model (preferably UML) detailing the structure of the database?
Export / Web integration
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Zaphod
- Program Development
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RE: Export
Within the software, there are several options for data export, but it sounds like you're interested in something you can automate. FoxPro is ODBC compliant, but you do have to download the driver from Microsoft. Versions 8 and 8.5 were written using FoxPro 6. We recommend using the PowerChurch data as read-only. If you try to write to the database external to PowerChurch, we can't be responsible for the results. For more information on data structures, give us a call.
I do know that our developers are investigating web services for a future release, but that is something that's still on the drawing board. It remains to be seen how that will play out.
I do know that our developers are investigating web services for a future release, but that is something that's still on the drawing board. It remains to be seen how that will play out.
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troyhester
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The Web is eleven years old. Most of the world's information flows over it. I think you guys may be a bit behind the times in getting your product web-enabled.
Ther absence of a web interface to your product is forcing us to re-think the church database question. Can you give *any" kind of timeline when you'll have web interface products ready to go?
Ther absence of a web interface to your product is forcing us to re-think the church database question. Can you give *any" kind of timeline when you'll have web interface products ready to go?
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Zaphod
- Program Development
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Web integration
I think you may have misunderstood my response, I felt it was fairly specific. There is no PowerChurch-specific API, nor does there need to be, since the DBMS is an open standard. The PowerChurch tables can be accessed via ODBC. The ODBC driver is not bundled with Windows, so you would have to download it from their website. Once that is done, the process to query the necessary data, convert it to the proper XML schema for your online application/report/etc, and transfer it to the website is pretty trivial at that point.
I'm not sure I understand your question in the context of the original post. What "web integration" would you like to see? Currently, the research that is going on seems to point to a separate web product from PowerChurch. But, as I mentioned earlier, that could change.
Actually, this would be a good opportunity for a community sounding board. What would everyone like to see in a "web enabled" PowerChurch? We're researching the issue, so now would be a good time to make your ideas and preferences known!
I'm not sure I understand your question in the context of the original post. What "web integration" would you like to see? Currently, the research that is going on seems to point to a separate web product from PowerChurch. But, as I mentioned earlier, that could change.
Actually, this would be a good opportunity for a community sounding board. What would everyone like to see in a "web enabled" PowerChurch? We're researching the issue, so now would be a good time to make your ideas and preferences known!
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jeffkoke
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The benefit of a web-enabled interface to PowerChurch further eases the user's ability to access data. First of all, PowerChurch would no longer require platform specific OS for the user. All that would be needed is a compliant web brower.
I would certainly recommend a secure mode of data transfer between the server and each client.
However, from a development perspective, it looks (to me) that PowerChurch would have to run in a true server environment? Perhaps a webserver front-end serving out data to each web-enabled client and keeping the existing FoxPro back-end?
My $.07,
Jeff
I would certainly recommend a secure mode of data transfer between the server and each client.
However, from a development perspective, it looks (to me) that PowerChurch would have to run in a true server environment? Perhaps a webserver front-end serving out data to each web-enabled client and keeping the existing FoxPro back-end?
My $.07,
Jeff
Jeff
--
Jeff Koke, KK4SN
Great Bridge Church of God
Chesapeake VA
"Every Father should remember that one day his
children will follow his example instead of his advice."
--
Jeff Koke, KK4SN
Great Bridge Church of God
Chesapeake VA
"Every Father should remember that one day his
children will follow his example instead of his advice."
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Zeb
- Tech Support
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There are many other factors that go into getting PowerChurch web enabled. Like Jeff said above in most cases for development it would require the users to have an actual server, taking the P2P setup out of the picture.
Also from an end-user standpoint it would be very nice to have the webfront, but how many churches out there are ready to support a webservice like that and be setup with the necessary bandwidth to output it in a managable state? Or have the trained staff to be on hand to support the network, the server, and connectivity to each client no matter where they are in the world.
I like the idea personally but the logistics don't seem like it would be very smooth very every organization large or small, it may be good for a few but not good on the whole for our client base, in my opinion.
Also from an end-user standpoint it would be very nice to have the webfront, but how many churches out there are ready to support a webservice like that and be setup with the necessary bandwidth to output it in a managable state? Or have the trained staff to be on hand to support the network, the server, and connectivity to each client no matter where they are in the world.
I like the idea personally but the logistics don't seem like it would be very smooth very every organization large or small, it may be good for a few but not good on the whole for our client base, in my opinion.
PowerChurch accessibility for the congregation/from anywhere
Overcoming resistance, and making PCplus usable is one of our objectives this year!
Last year, only the Church Secreatry PC was used -- and we had to swap off having her use it, or the counters use it. Well, a few(3) sluggish PC donations later and we have a simple network usable by anyone inside the church....
But it's hard to keep members interested in keying data or updating lists just after Church, especially in the summer... We now have ADSL/always-on, an itty-bitty server, and I'd like to get our members to use THEIR data (and maintain THEIR data) when it is conveinent to them.
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If you have any recommendations for your users WITH technical background to use, we'd love to hear it.... Or if there are other Churches who already HAVE done this, please share your experiences and a sketch of what you used...
Finally, PowerChurch could do this themselves -- We could log on to YOUR timeshare server, and use the functions. An annual service agreement that combines your service, current upgrades, and backups would be pretty easy to budget for. Are there any plans to do something like that?
Last year, only the Church Secreatry PC was used -- and we had to swap off having her use it, or the counters use it. Well, a few(3) sluggish PC donations later and we have a simple network usable by anyone inside the church....
But it's hard to keep members interested in keying data or updating lists just after Church, especially in the summer... We now have ADSL/always-on, an itty-bitty server, and I'd like to get our members to use THEIR data (and maintain THEIR data) when it is conveinent to them.
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If you have any recommendations for your users WITH technical background to use, we'd love to hear it.... Or if there are other Churches who already HAVE done this, please share your experiences and a sketch of what you used...
Finally, PowerChurch could do this themselves -- We could log on to YOUR timeshare server, and use the functions. An annual service agreement that combines your service, current upgrades, and backups would be pretty easy to budget for. Are there any plans to do something like that?
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Zaphod
- Program Development
- Posts: 834
- Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 12:48 pm
- Location: PowerChurch Software
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At the risk of getting you all excited prematurely, I can say that these things have been discussed in the back rooms and hallways of PowerChurch. However, they're still in the "What if..." stage right now. The problem right now, is we can't really decide on what all "web integration" should entail. If anyone has any feedback on what they'd like to see in "web integration," feel free to let us know. Although only a very small percentage (~1%) of our userbase is active on this messageboard, we figure that you guys are probably the more web-savvy of the bunch, so we'd appreciate your feedback. I do know that in version 9, there is going to be an option to export data to XML, so it could be used in some sort of web reporting if you see fit to set up that sort of thing.
That being said, I do know that some users have had some luck with Terminal Services to run the program remotely. We haven't had the opportunity to test that here, so it's not something we can guarantee, and it's not something we can support, but there's no reason why it shouldn't work. Some users have also set up VPNs and found that to be a usable workaround. If you do try to set up a VPN, you don't want to be trying to run a 10MB executable file across the network-you'll want to have PowerChurch installed locally. If you change your shortcut to point to the mapped network drive (the "Target" will be your local .exe, and the "Start In" will be the remote drive), that *should* work. Again, this is information we've received from other users, and not something we've tested, or that we can support.
That being said, I do know that some users have had some luck with Terminal Services to run the program remotely. We haven't had the opportunity to test that here, so it's not something we can guarantee, and it's not something we can support, but there's no reason why it shouldn't work. Some users have also set up VPNs and found that to be a usable workaround. If you do try to set up a VPN, you don't want to be trying to run a 10MB executable file across the network-you'll want to have PowerChurch installed locally. If you change your shortcut to point to the mapped network drive (the "Target" will be your local .exe, and the "Start In" will be the remote drive), that *should* work. Again, this is information we've received from other users, and not something we've tested, or that we can support.