Dashcode mysql datasource binding

Question

Hi I've got a tricky question (aren't they all tricky?)

I'm converting a database driven site that uses php, to a site being built with Dashcode.

The current site selects data held in a mySQL database and dynamically creates the page content. Originally this was done to reduce site maintenance because all the current content could be maintained and checked offline before uploading to the live database, therefore avoiding code changes.

In dashcode you can work from a JSON file as a datasource - which is fine, it works - except for the maintenance aspect. The client is not willing (and I understand why) to update several hundred lines of fairly structured JS object code when the database holds the data and is updated from elsewhere.

So - What's the best way to get Dashcode to link to the database data?

Answer 1

Where are you getting the the JSON from? Is that being generated from the original MySQL? Could you not generate the JSON from the MySQL and therefore use the original maintenance procedure prior to uploading to MySQL?

Answer 2

For my projects I usually create a php intermediate that when accessed logs into the MySQL database and phrases the results into xml in the body of the page. Just point daschcode to the php file in the data source. Parameters can even be passed into the php script through with GET through the url in the data source.