Hey Scott;

How difficult would it be to modify for access to an external or multiple databases?  Say property data from an external database and agent info from DNN database.  Some kind of "select default database" function for fields?

This would be a huge jump in the variety of ways this module could be applied!

Thanks,

D

We could probably make something like that work.  Since the external DB would most likely be maintained by other means (rets, idx ftp) what is primarily needed is the ability to query it and display the results in a Property Agent atmosphere.  Take a look at how www.cookDNN.com set up the database access for their Universal List Module.  I think what they did is similar to what your suggesting.  Their system is pretty neat but is subject to every record being pretty much identical.  Their are also none of the supporting module frames (featured, search, etc.) that you provide.  They are really more of a detailed "UDT" module.

How difficult would this be to add in?

Thanks,

D

The external queries would populate miscellaneous form fields for display only.  No need to be able to input or edit.  Property Agent would work as the query tool, and manage the display of the results.

Correct.  Here's a scenerio:  Currently hosting 5 real estate websites and soon to be about 20.  While each will have an instance of Property Agent for their individual listings and featured properties, they will also have an instance for new homes search and another for mls search. The individual listings and featured properties won't be that large and will have little effect on DNN.  However, the other two databases are quite large, each about 5GB total between data and linked images.  Obviously I don't want to reproduce 10GB for each portal, especially since they are all identical.  It would not only really drag the system down but be an update nightmare.  Plus, I want a consistant theme for appearance and search.

These databases are auto updated by other software to sync them with central copies.  If I could use Property Agent to query these databases and display the results....  Get my meaning?  Couldn't you do it just my adding an option to select external database which would initialize the connection string, then specify for each field the db, table, field?  It could be an option that is turned on for the instance or the individual fields.

Just the Las Vegas MLS Database alone has 40,000 current listings and several hundred thousand historical ones for research.

What do you think?

D