Adding a custom application?

[siuda]

Hi All,

Hopefully topic will match to this category. I running my own store on zen-cart for last 3 years and I have few solutions that I want to implement in daily operations. I'm wondering if that will be a wrong way if I'll create new php application which will be on the same server and will be using zen-cart database for pulling data for reports and store management, or it's a dirty way and that should be implemented in zen-cart itself (accessible from admin). If it has to be implemented I need to learn how to create zen-cart addon, so if you know any tiny addon where I can learn from that please let me know it name.


Regards,

[fairestcape]

The zencart database is just that - a database, like any other...

In general, simply PULLING data out of it is probably very safe. But things can get a bit sticky if you intend WRITING TO the database - expecially into existing ZC tables. You need to tread carefully if there is any WRITING TO the dbase.

It is possible to use a single dbase for more than one application, and this is where table PREFIXES are needed. Of course, the more processing a database is required to do, the slower it will run...