Uploading A File

[Nathan]

We have customers that will use a program that I am currently working on to build complex orders. I have that order exporting from an access database to an xml file on the client machine. Now I need to get it to our servers and into the order databases.

I was thinking of using FTP to our servers and then processing it somehow (any suggestions?) or sending it via email to our exchange server and then having an event process the order when it arrives. Any suggestions? How would you recommend doing it? Feel free to suggest another method.

Thanks!

[jim mcnamara]

Assuming the all the pertinent data exists in the client db:

Raise an event when the order is completed on the client machine.
Have the local event handler connect to the server and transmit data on the event. Add a field (or another table)with a timestamp for transmission and some identifying key data to show it was sent.

Why do you want to go thru the exercise of reading in and parsing the XML if the same data exists in a local db? This seems to be what you said you wanted to do.

Or am I missing something?

[jim mcnamara]

Oh, and you can use mailslots to communicate with the server about new data that has been sent. If everyone is on the same network.

Otherwise, FTP is the simplest way to send files. We have a server that checks a special ftp directory every 30 seconds, makes sure the file isn't locked, assigns a timestamp, the copies it over to a working directory. A process runs on the server every hour to suck in data from these files.

To get the data there, create a text file and make it a csv file.
You can copy the file to a share ot FTP. The server reads the filename from the mailslot and goes out and processes it. Or you depend on the timestamped file to let your process know whether it has messed with the new data or not.

[Nathan]

Thankyou for replying. I wish the clients were running on the same network as us but unfortunately they aren't. The problem is that the program with the client database where the program is running will be individual pc's and networks (our customers and dealers) throughout north america. We need to get the data from those computers to ours and then do some translation and error checking etc, to get them into our system. We also want to be able to make changes to our end without having to make them update their programs. That is why we were exporting the orders to xml files and then sending them to us. The biggest thing for us is to figure out which method to use to send these order files to us. We were thinking of having the client program automatically create and send an email that will be intercepted by exchange on our side and then processed immediately and send out a confirmation as soon as the order is approved and loaded into our system.

[THEROB]

You could link the user to a web page where CGI or ASP upload would copy the file to a users computer.

Rob