[Development] An Open Source Parent Gateway

Microsoft released Windows XP with over 10,000 bugs, the were aware of them and they believed that they could fix them before they became a problem. Pretty much every software company does this. OpenBSD is the only people I know that won't release software that hasn't be audited and fix. Let's face it, it's pretty limited - ok you can install on top of it, but it doesn't make insecure software automatically secure.

When you buy software, you buy the fact that when that bug is found someone will be working on it until it's resolved. With open-source software, this may take longer as developers have lives outside of the project - they need to pay the bills like everyone else. You have to weigh-in the fact that you may have to switch it off until it's fixed. That they give you no warrenty, no SLA, just software that may or may not work for you. You should also accept the fact that you may have to switch to another project if they stop developing it.

Still it's the same as buy from a company. Just it's less risky (apart from the money aspect).

Way to derail a thread people :)

Keep it on topic of development of an opensource parent gateway please. You can discuss the rights and wrongs of data use in another thread.

The work I have done is coming along well. I've got a template up and running, managed to get a test user parent logging in and looking at his sons report.

The main problem is the Command Line Report Exporting Utility can only do one file at a time at the moment.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zag

Way to derail a thread people :)

---

Well gave you time to work - so, where can we download it? Have you been submitting to github or such?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by matt40k

Well gave you time to work - so, where can we download it? Have you been submitting to github or such?

---

I've never quite worked out github (I'd love a newbie guide if anyone knows of one?)

I'll make a new thread it in the web development section and host on google code like my other projects. Hopefully then people can start contributing to it.

I'll try and make it as modularized as possible to for example people can change the way they get reports into the system.

The one they do is pretty good to be honest, once you've setup the directory, just use the GUI version to commit. I used subversion before and I did like the whole local repository thing. It's also alot better for forking (lovely word).

Will have a look at what you've done so far if I get a chance.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by matt40k

<snip>
Will have a look at what you've done so far if I get a chance.

---

Don't trust him, he'll subvert your code, then charge schools that use it a bomb to fix the bugs he put in ;)

Shhh.... you'll blow how we're going to cover all our bonuses this year!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by matt40k

Shhh.... you'll blow how we're going to cover all our bonuses this year!

---

Don't forget my 10% for all the help I have been giving you!

ROFL, you'll get a xmas card like the rest and you'll be happy!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by matt40k

ROFL, you'll get a xmas card like the rest and you'll be happy!

---

...... like the rest?

Just how many 'out of your area' schools are supporting you, so that you can support your own schools? No wonder your Team has a good reputation with lots of us guys around!
I bet you buy the xmas cards in bulk too! (or do you get the schoolkids to make 'em?) :D

Na, we have a good deal with Capita. We pay them in xmas cards.

Ooo that's an idea.... could save a few pennies.

Hi,

Thought I'd throw my 2 peneth in, I've been extracting SIMS data for some time now using the command reporter tool. I have a Java RMI server running on the SIMS server (could be a SIMS client) which runs the commandreporter.exe program as and when required, passing the parameters for the reports. These requests have been made by various Java clients, one example, updating Moodle students, staff and classes. The Java RMI server traps the output and sends the data as an object back to the client. I've also, as a proof of concept, created a "Learning Gateway" like site running servlets on a Glassfish server through the same interface. Obviously no write back.

It can be done, the only problem is the speed of running SIMS reports!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bantonia

Hi,

Thought I'd throw my 2 peneth in, I've been extracting SIMS data for some time now using the command reporter tool. I have a Java RMI server running on the SIMS server (could be a SIMS client) which runs the commandreporter.exe program as and when required, passing the parameters for the reports. These requests have been made by various Java clients, one example, updating Moodle students, staff and classes. The Java RMI server traps the output and sends the data as an object back to the client. I've also, as a proof of concept, created a "Learning Gateway" like site running servlets on a Glassfish server through the same interface. Obviously no write back.

It can be done, the only problem is the speed of running SIMS reports!

---

Thanks for this.

I'm glad someone else is doing this with success!

Would there be any interest in a "mass mailing" function.

Basically it would match the student reports to the parent and email them.

Are people doing this in another way already(don't want to reinvent the wheel)?

The umm, SIMS Document Management Server (DMS) - IMHO - is dated and needs Capita to update it. The way Capita deals with it with regards to SLG is the get the end user to upload to SLG. Which you could argue means DMS is pants, or you could say they don't want everything avalible via SLG unless you explictly want it.

Just a thought...