Re: [Phpgroupware-developers] Adding a new app.

[Peter]

Looking through the existing applications, there are a few in RC2 that still 
need integration. I am thinking about use of 
common tables like the history log. Where is the design page that says 'this is 
were you use the history log and why'? 
There is a list of things in phpGW that look like they should be used but I do 
not know their intended long term usage.

The templates are weird but livable. I think I could convert most application 
bit by bit so the phpGW templated pages 
can live with the other type of pages.

Going back to PHP3 compatibility would be hard. Was === added to PHP3? Even if 
PHP3 gains all the features of 
PHP4, Is there a target to say you have to be compatible with these releases of 
PHP3 and these releases of PHP4? I 
think there could be a design goal listed somewhere to say 'the apps are tested 
with PHP4 from 4.0.6 to 4.1.1'. That 
would avoid situations where one app works with 4.0.4 but not 4.0.6 while 
another works with 4.0.6 but not 4.0.4.

An alternative might be to publish a list of troublesome PHP functions and 
agree to one person maintaining 
compatibility. There are posts about database compatibility issues. Is there an 
accumulated list so I can see what 
changes I need to make to my MySQL SQL so it works with PostgreSQL? I know some 
of the problems and I know there 
is a database abstraction layer but I could not find the point where the 
abstraction layer says 'I am responsible for this 
and you have to do that'.

There are two apps I would like to move to phpGW so they can appear in the same 
menu as the TTS. They may have 
to share data with TTS in the future. Both apps are in part maintained by other 
people so I need to have a list that says 
'read these pages before changing code'.

I think I could convert any application but it would not be maintainable by 
someone with less knowledge of phpGW. 
Some existing phpGW apps look like they have not kept up with improvements to 
phpGW. One of my concerns about 
using phpGW would be the ability of the phpGW population to maintain a less 
popular application if I converted it but 
could not maintain it. Perhaps there could be a list of apps proposed for 
porting so people could say 'if that was ported, I 
would use it, test it, and perhaps contribute to updates'.

I will put forth as a first suggestion: http://www.raxnet.net/products/cacti/
There are about 5 PHP based SMNP user interfaces with a variety of background 
code bases. If I ported cacti or one of 
the other apps to phpGW, would it get maintained or fall by the wayside. Would 
the developer of cacti be interested in a 
phpGW version? If so, to what level of integration?

I want the SNMP app to open trouble tickets for problems and trouble tickets to 
contain links to the display that shows 
the problem. That means the SNMP app has to call the tts code that create 
tickets then pop up a page with a ticket entry 
form that has some fields filled in. In fact some tickets would be created out 
of hours so would be created without 
displaying a form.

For the sort of things I would like to integrate, the real advantage of 
integration is letting the new app talk with existing 
apps, share data, and have links from the middle of one app to the middle of 
another. I am looking through the code in 
tts, projects, and addressbook to see what they share and how they share it.

I would like to use the time sheets app could link in direct to tts and 
projects so I will look at that next. ideally the creation 
of a new trouble ticket would automatically put the ticket creator in to the 
timesheet as working on the project identified in 
the ticket.

I do not know how much of that has happened, how much is planned, and what, if 
any, I could contribute as I am installing 
this stuff but will not be maintaining the site. My own long term use of phpGW 
may be mail and CK-ledger but not 
addressbook, projects, tts, or timesheets.

Peter

4/6/02 6:09:14 AM, Jason Wies <address@hidden> wrote:

>Depends on your app and how familiar you are with phpGW and it's parts.
>
>Making it appear in phpGW: minutes - 2 hours
>Switch to database class: minutes - 1 hour
>Switch authentication: < 1 hour
>Switch to templates: hours to days (depends on if you think as ass backward as 
>the template authors :)
>phpGroupWare integration: priceless
>
>Really though, any app, now matter how badly written, can be made to _work_ 
>inside phpGW in a couple of hours.  To 
make the app really integrated (phpGroupWare Certified (tm)(c)(r)) takes much 
longer, but isn't necessary to have it 
work.  It is necessary if you plan on distributing it, or want it to pervade 
through new releases, and in any case it makes 
future development much nicer and more productive.
>
>Jason Wies aka Zone
>
>On Fri, Apr 05, 2002 at 01:09:09PM -0600, Steven Wright wrote:
>> In the experience of all you developers out there, how long does it take
>> to take your old web app and merge it into phpGW?  In hours, say.
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> Steve
>> 
>> -----                        address@hidden                        -----
>> When I could find voice,  I shrieked aloud in agony,  "Either this is madness
>> or it is Hell."  "It is neither," calmly replied the voice of the Sphere, "it
>> is Knowledge."                                 _Flatland_, by Edwin A. Abbott
>> -----                                                                   -----
>> 
>> 
>> 
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