Re: Returning a recordset to a desktop app

On 3/7/2011 7:19 AM, Richard Quadling wrote: > On 5 March 2011 13:48, Ken Watkins <kwat@atlanticbb.net> wrote: >> On 3/5/2011 4:30 AM, Richard Quadling wrote: >>> On 4 March 2011 23:48, Ken Watkins <kwat@atlanticbb.net> wrote: >>>> Hi All. >>>> >>>> I have a Windows desktop app that I created using Visual Foxpro (a database app). >>>> I want to write a PHP script that I will call from my desktop app. The script will >>>> simply >>>> query a MySQL database on my web server and return the recordset to the desktop >>>> app. >>>> >>>> My question is simply this: What is the preferred method for passing this recordset >>>> back >>>> to the desktop app? I'm assuming that there's no reasonable way to send a >>>> recordset back >>>> without converting it to an array or XML or an object or something? How do I return >>>> the >>>> data in the recordset to the desktop app? >>>> >>>> Thanks for your advice. >>>> Ken Watkins >>> In general terms, the output of a PHP script is going to be text >>> (html, xml, csv, etc.) or binary (images). >>> >>> Getting a PHP script to communicate natively with FoxPro is not going >>> to be trivial task. It MAY be able to be done, but hopefully FoxPro >>> has the capability of running a PHP script via the command line ... >>> >>> C:\PHP5\php.exe -f script.php -- script_arg1 script_arg2 >>> >>> PHP can either output the result set (in an appropriate form) directly >>> and FoxPro could read it from STDIN (if it has that support) or PHP >>> can write the answer to a file and FoxPro can use normal file and >>> string functions to read the data. >>> >>> If FoxPro has XML support, then use it. It will be much cleaner in the >>> long run if the data changes. If not, then a tab separated data file >>> (rather than a CSV file). This assumes that your data does not contain >>> tabs. If so, choose another separator. >>> >>> Richard. >> Richard, >> >> Foxpro does have XML support, so you answered that part of my question, thanks. >> And it is capable of calling any other executable on the local machine through the >> local OS shell - which seems to be what you are advocating. But I'm not sure how >> I would do that over the internet. I just discussed this issue with Larry, and I assume >> that I would use HTTP? Or is there a way to call a command line script on a remote >> web server without using HTTP? Sorry if this is a stupid question. >> >> Thanks for your help! >> Ken > So, what you need to have is an HTTP Request from within FoxPro. > > http://www.example-code.com/foxpro/http_post_form.asp > > gives an example, but it seems to use a third party ActiveX component. > > If FoxPro can load any locally resident/installed ActiveX component, > then maybe ... > > http://fox.wikis.com/wc.dll?Wiki~ReadUrl > > has better examples. > > > So, using something from that to get the data (XML) and then using > FoxPro's native support for XML and you should be on your way. > > But at this stage, I'd be looking to ask for further help in a FoxPro > forum as this is really nothing to do with PHP. > > Good luck. > > Richard. Richard, Thanks for your comments. I ended up taking the simple approach - I installed an ODBC driver for MySQL and let Foxpro query the database directly from a remote workstation. I suppose that what I wanted to do originally was to introduce PHP into the mix just to have another option, and to gain more experience in PHP. Probably not a good idea anyway. Thanks again for the help. Ken Watkins