Connecting external sources

Goal

You bring content from an external source into a data table – with field mapping, preview and schedule.

Prerequisites

• Permission “manage external sources” and the external sources feature (switched on by the network/agency).
• The address of the source (URL) or a file, e.g. an OpenImmo ZIP from estate-agent software.

Step by step

Transcript: every step matches one subtitle in the video.

1. Data › Externe Quellen (external sources): RSS feeds, JSON APIs, XML and OpenImmo as entries of a data table.
2. Visitors never load anything from the source: list, detail page, search and API come from your own table.
3. Templates to start with: RSS/Atom, OpenImmo, JSON API or XML with XPath.
4. The example “Immobilien” (real estate) reads an OpenImmo file from estate-agent software.
5. Source: name, format and address – or upload the file on the right. Credentials are stored encrypted.
6. Fetching: schedule, cache and what happens to entries missing from the source.
7. Mapping: every table field gets a path in the source – with a conversion, e.g. number or date.
8. “Vorschau & Test” (preview & test) shows the first entries as they would arrive in the table – without saving.
9. On the right: status, “Jetzt abrufen” (fetch now) and the log of recent fetches.
10. Imported entries are in “Immobilien” – read-only, because the source maintains them.

Commands & configuration

*/15 * * * * php bin/console sources:sync --all     # Zeitplan zuverlässig per Cronjob

Tips & pitfalls