Newbie architecture Q: EOF / Cocoa / Java?
Newbie architecture Q: EOF / Cocoa / Java?
- Subject: Newbie architecture Q: EOF / Cocoa / Java?
- From: Ken Tabb <email@hidden>
- Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2003 17:04:31 +0100
Newbie alert...
Hi,
I'm developing a student coursework submission system here at the Uni,
i.e. a system logging all bits of coursework handed in by students.
There are 4 bits to this system:
[1] PDF cover sheet generator - this takes a list of "module ID
numbers" (a module is a set of lectures on a given topic) and, for each
module, generates a 1-page PDF containing the info for that module,
including a scannable barcode representation of that module's ID
number. The list of module IDs is stored centrally in the Uni on an
Oracle database (which is not under my control but which is accessible
via JDBC). We have over 1,500 modules (i.e. > 1,500 x 1-page PDFs, each
including a barcode)
[2] PDF portal - this is a website where students type in their ID
number, and are presented with only those PDF cover sheets which make
sense for them (i.e. all 2nd year Artificial Intelligence, or whatever,
covers rather than all 1,500 of them). This will check the student's ID
number against the "who's on which course" info in the Oracle database.
Student is meant to print out the PDF and attach it to their coursework.
[3] Front desk coursework receiver - a manned machine which barcode
scanning the student's badge, scanning the barcode on the cover sheet
(which is stapled to the front of the student's work) and recording the
time that it was handed in. This triplet of info (name, time, module)
will get stored in a networked Postgres database (which is under my
control).
[4] WebObjects reporting system - this lets the admin bods (who receive
the coursework using [3]) see who has and who hasn't handed the
coursework in for a given module / year, as well as "what has student X
handed in this year, and was any of it on time", and finally things
like peak traffic measurements, so they know when the majority of
students typically hand stuff in (my guess is: 1 minute before the
deadline, or not at all), so that they can plan their manhours more
easily on the reception desks.
At the moment, [3] is an Objective-C Cocoa app, but doesn't yet link to
the Postgres database to store its stuff. It doesn't have to be Cocoa,
or even Cocoa/Obj-C, the only reason it is is that's what I'm most used
to for developing client apps. Also it has to be a client app, rather
than a web portal, so that we can keep macs on the desks (politically,
that is).
I have a couple of questions about this:
* Would I be better off doing [3] as a Cocoa/Java app? I've never done
Cocoa/Java yet, only Cocoa/Obj-C, and Pure Java.
* Would doing at least the database-y bits of [3] in Java give me
advantages, such as the ability to talk to the WO server, rather than
talk directly to Postgres? This way WO (or rather EOF) could be doing
the database logic, rather than me have to worry about the JDBC (or
ODBC in Objective-C) and SQL logic. Bearing in mind I'm a WO newbie,
would this give me benefits do you reckon? FYI the Postgres and
WebObjects servers are the very same Xserve.
* Would I be better getting WO to link to both the Postgres database
*and* the Oracle database (which both contain different info), or
should I channel WO -> Postgres -> Oracle? Which is less work, and
would there be any speed advantage?
* Can WO fire up an Obj-C Cocoa app (that's also on the server)?
Thanks in advance for any wisdom you can give,
Ken
- - - - - - - - - -
Ken Tabb
Mac & UNIX Technical bloke (C, C++, Obj-C, Java) - Health & Human
Sciences
Machine Vision & Neural Network researcher bloke - Computer Science Dept
University of Hertfordshire, UK
http://www.health.herts.ac.uk/ken/
Certified non-Microsoft Solution Provider
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