Accessing the SIMS database and querying it to retrieve information

Hi all,

Looking to develop a system (using PHP, which I'm confident with) which queries the SIMS database to retrieve attendance information.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I can start? A tutorial, or the like? Or is it simply a case of finding the DB that SIMS is running on, getting a username&password, and querying it as you would with any other DB?

Cheers,
Duncan

You will need to use command reporter.

generate an xml file that has the data you want to query attendance on.

Code:

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commandreporter.exe /user:USERNAME /password:PASSWORD /report:"REPORT NAME" /PARAMFILE:"XML FILE WITH DATE" /output:"XML OUT"

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You can then use php to import it to mysql.

Yer, going straight into the database would equal death in my book. Attendance data isn't the sort of stuff you want in real-time (assuming we're talking parents) so @chris_uk is right on the money.

It is doable - our old Moodle integration system did this. The problem comes if Capita unexpectedly change the database. You would be better off using commandreporter, or a SIF agent ( see SchoolsICT - enabling 21st century learning if you want to report data to parents), groupcall to do this. Also capita have made a complete mess of the database so it would be an uphill struggle.

If you create the correct reports it's so easy to pull data out overnight. We have student timetables, attendance, contact details. It all updates nightly into MySQL for some web apps that we have in school. Pulling the data out as XML makes it even easier over pulling it out as a CSV. If you contact your support provider for SIMS you can get an additional help file that includes all of the commands for command reporter.

If the command reporter doesn't give exactly what you need, you can combine views. PM sent.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jinnantonnixx

If the command reporter doesn't give exactly what you need, you can combine views. PM sent.

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PM sent include details about creating a limited user account for it to use?

Thanks for the help gents. E-mail system was down all day yesterday so I didn't realise I had so many replies :D

I'll look into the PM you sent jinn, and the solution you've suggested chris - many thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chris_uk

You will need to use command reporter.

generate an xml file that has the data you want to query attendance on.

Code:

---

commandreporter.exe /user:USERNAME /password:PASSWORD /report:"REPORT NAME" /PARAMFILE:"XML FILE WITH DATE" /output:"XML OUT"

---

You can then use php to import it to mysql.

---

Hi again chris,

I've set up my attendance report; found CommandReporter.exe; run the line you gave me and it works insofar as the XML is displayed in my CMD window, but it doesn't generate an XML file.

The exact line I was using:

Code:

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C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net>CommandReporter.exe /user:Duncan.Wraight /passwo
rd:password /report:"100% Attendance" /output: "g:\test.xml"

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The exact line I was using:

Code:

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C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net>CommandReporter.exe /user:Duncan.Wraight /passwo
rd:password /report:"100% Attendance" /output: "g:\test.xml"

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You got some extra white space between /output: and the file name. Use

Code:

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C:\Program Files\SIMS\SIMS .net>CommandReporter.exe /user:Duncan.Wraight /passwo
rd:password /report:"100% Attendance" /output:"g:\test.xml"

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Wow, what a noob :D Thanks very much Richard!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chris_uk

... If you contact your support provider for SIMS you can get an additional help file that includes all of the commands for command reporter.

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Does it contain any more than you can get from running it with the "/?" parameter?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by vikpaw

Does it contain any more than you can get from running it with the "/?" parameter?

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Maybe ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by matt40k

Maybe ;)

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Take that as a yes then? I've tried getting this from my local support but they have no clue what I'm talking about, very frustrating.

To be fair to them, it's one of those areas not many people use and unless you've used it, you won't know about it.