On Wed, 2005-08-10 at 23:21 -0700, Net Virtual Mailing Lists wrote:
> #1. I cannot seem to find a PHP module that works with Swish-E.  I have
> tried to use <http://sourceforge.net/projects/php-swishe/>, but this just
> does not compile on FreeBSD.  I get to the point where I am re-compiling
> PHP

Does your PHP installation support extension modules?  In other words,
why are you recompiling PHP to install the Swish-e module?  In a normal
PHP install you would run the following from the swish_php directory:
  phpize
  ./configure && make && make install

Then you can load the php module in your php.ini or by using the dl()
function within a script.

>  and start getting errors like: /opt2/netvirtu/php-4.3.7/ext/swishe/
> swishe.c:31: syntax error before `*'.

Which compiler are you using?  I seem to recall that I ran into a
similar error using GCC 3.3.  I've just not had the time to look into
it.

> I know this is probably not the place to discuss problems with this
> particular module and I don't mean to do so.  What I mean to say is: an
> "official" PHP module would be a welcome addition.

Well, it's really as good a place as any.  The root of the issue is that
someone who needs an official PHP module (several people have claimed
such a need) will have to somehow write their own module or polish up
the one that's already mostly done.  Then they would have to convince
the PHP folks to include it.  I believe that someone (who was that?) has
put some effort into polishing up the PHP module at least for Windows.
That was the catalyst for the recent Swish-e license modifications.
(ie. We now allow strangely-licensed programs, such as PHP, to link to
Swish-e and then be legally distributed.)

> #3. It would be really nice if it were possible to just output all the
> records without specifying a search of any sort.  The reason for this is:
> easy of integration.  It would be very nice to just be able to go to
> Swish-E all the time without first having to decide if its appropriate to
> find data from the database system or Swish-E and then have to write
> separate queries for each.

I seem to recall PostgreSQL has a very nice procedure language and it
supports extensions written in C.  It seems like one option would be to
create a PostgreSQL extension which does exactly what you suggest.  That
would require a C programmer, of course.  One could just create a new
SQL search statement which does all the hard stuff for you.

> #5. Up until this point, I think, I've been talking mostly about "feature
> requests".  But, all these considerations aside, I am now stuck.  I'm
> hoping someone can help.  It seems I can't find records which have a
> MetaName that is numeric?

I can't imagine why that would be.  Have you posted a simple example
document and configuration that doesn't work for that specific problem?


It's tremendously hard to track a bunch of different problems in a
single email.  I get so many emails each day that I end up skimming the
subjects in the lists for specific questions.  Although I periodically
look at the others if there were no responses.

I suppose we could really use a good bug/feature tracking system.
(Bugzilla?)  I can't stand the thing SourceForge passes off as bug
tracking because it's effectively unusable.  I've tried a few times and
it's just not helpful at all.  I might as well write bugs on post-it
notes and glue them to the bottom of my desk.  I'd certainly see them
more often.  (Bug Tracker: There's a good project for an interested
Swish-e user out there to tackle.)

-- 
 David Norris
  http://www.webaugur.com/dave/
  ICQ - 412039