[python-win32] OT: Syncing routes ...

[Clinton Lee Taylor]

Greetings ...

 Thanks Tim for your reply ...

>> I'm still very new to Python, so please excuss my request ... I have
>> written some very basic Python utils and slowly get my head around
>> Python and com objects in Windows ...
>>
>>   I was hoping that I might be able to bug the list for any pointers on
>> syncing routes, that I could use to sync records from one DB to
>> another ... Basically looking to sync Outlook Contacts into and from a
>> MySQL DB.  Later, would like to extend this to include Windows Address
>> Book, Thunderbird Contacts and maybe any other DateBase.
>
> Well I'm no expert in this area, but since I've not seen any other
> replies I'll have a stab. Your question is quite wide-ranging,
> taking in several major software packages, all of which have
> quite different access methods. You say you're new to Python
> (and presumably to Windows development, if you're coming to terms
> with COM). Do you have any other development experience?
I was hoping somebody had already done some sort of syncing procedures
or functions that other might have tried or worked with ...

> Outlook contacts can be read via the so-called CDO libraries.
> This is the definitive starting point:
>
>   http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms988614%28EXCHG.65%29.aspx
>
> and there's some good resources here:
>
>   http://www.cdolive.com/default.htm
>
> For the most part, CDO is easy enough to translate into Python.
> I have some examples here (altho' not contact-related):
>
>   http://timgolden.me.uk/python/win32_how_do_i/read-my-outlook-inbox.html
>   http://timgolden.me.uk/python/win32_how_do_i/replace-outlook-attachments-with-links.html
>   http://timgolden.me.uk/python/win32_how_do_i/create-an-mhtml-archive.html
>
> and once you've got hold of the terms you need, you can easily
> Google around for more.
 I have got most of the Outlook contacts interface working, reading
and writing contacts.  The same with the MySQL interface, reading an
writing ...

 I am now working on the syncing side of things ... Getting a new
contact, adding into DB, syncing back to client with extra syncing
attributes.  Conflict resolution?  Stuff like that ... Was more a call
for ideas on my part, hoping somebody else might have run into this
before ...

> Then you have the database side. You mention MySQL but you might be better off
> using sqlite, an interface to which is included with Python in recent versions.
> This is, of course, unless you have a truly huge list of contacts, or an
> existing investment in MySQL.
 The reason I am looking at MySQL, is that it would need remote client
access ... I'm not sure that sqlite3 would have that without having to
install a services of some sort ... So I think I will stick with MySQL
for now ...


> There certainly are Python bindings to MySQL altho' I'm not a user myself
> so I'm not sure which ones favoured at the moment. Worth asking on the
> main Python lists.
I already have MySQL read and writes working, so not a problem ...
MySQL been the easiest of all the DB's I have tried, was hoping I
could develop local and then code MySQL last, but it does not seem to
be working that way ...

> Hopefully that's enough to get you started. Feel free to post back with
> more questions or info. If your questions aren't win32 specific you
> might get more answers on the main Python mailing list:
>
>   http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
 Mmm, another list to subscribe to ... Let's see how far I get by
myself ... Thanks.

Thanks
Mailed
LeeT