Any way to pull information from a CMS site?

[dniezby]

I currently use a CMS system (xoops.org) for managing my website.

I'm trying to redesign a site that uses the CMS system as it's backend.

For example, the site I'm trying to redesign is www.nssclan.org

I want to be able to load - say - the forums into a content box.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? I mean, I know I could load the entire page but I'm more interested in loading just the specific sections.

[Chris_Seahorn]

You most likely couldn't pull a single page of that into a Contentpane.

Remember, Flash only supports certain html tags and very little else. The forums would not load. From what I see visiting the link no page there would as they stand.

At best you can use the database structure that exists now and interface a Flash frontend to it but you would also be required to hand code the server side backends (normally PHP or other method) to tap into the MySQL tables. Can it be done? Sure. Is it going to be an easy ride? No way.

It definitely would be a labor of love :)

[dniezby]

Long time no see Chris.

I thought you might be the one to respond. LOL.

Well, here is what I was thinking of doing. I'm not so concerned about the CMS but what I would like to do is figure out how to read and write to the database.

With this, I'm sure I would be able to design a forum for the site. I know most of the information will probably be static anyway. Except for things like news and such.

Has anyone listed commands for reading and writing to the database?

[Chris_Seahorn]

The mechanics of connecting to a MySQL database are at least part of the MySQL submissions I've made to the Exchange (like the forum and some others). Once you are comfortable with inbound and outbound data from the DB, it will make more sense when you start tapping those Xoops tables.

Xoops (I used to make flash objects for Xoops) uses an associative table structure that is a little more difficult since you have to associate things from more than one table to accomplish any given task (since the php backends it uses has a rather complicated abstraction method...and the worst part is none of it's included backends are useful to the flasher...you end up constructing your own) but it can be done.

[Chris_Seahorn]

Re-reading your post...feel free to tear apart my forum submission (I really have to get the V2 version submitted since it's less of a resource hog) and make whatever forum you wish from it. It's meant to be a start towards exactly what you want. Screw Xoops if you can...it's really a waste of time (especially since their GNU license is rigid).

Even if you want to toss my Koolmoves front end...examine the backends. That is how MySQL data is manipulated and sent in and out for use in a Flash enviro. Compare that to say a php forum and you will see that they are completely different in mechanics. This was one of the biggest hurtles for me years ago when I started because almost no mysql/php backends from php based forums were of use to Flash and had to be coded from the ground up. I supply this stuff so nobody ever has to go through what I did.

[dniezby]

At your website?

[Chris_Seahorn]

KoolExchange (http://www.koolexchange.com)

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[dniezby]

Aah, that's new since my last visit here...Boy I've missed a lot.
Thanks Chris.

BTW, are you doing anything at your site? It's just a place holder right now correct?

[Chris_Seahorn]

Aah, that's new since my last visit here...Boy I've missed a lot.
Thanks Chris.

BTW, are you doing anything at your site? It's just a place holder right now correct?


Yeah...it's just a static page for the moment. I bought Flex Builder 2 this week and my server is being reconfigured to support that platform :)