CiviCRM Entity module port? (RE: CiviCRM contact <--> Backdrop Entity sync)

[laryn]

As mentioned in https://github.com/Backdrop4Good/blm2020/issues/7#issuecomment-360690593 I think it's worth exploring a port of CiviCRM Entity and using that in the sync between CiviCRM and Backdrop. I chatted with @jackrabbithanna a bit on the CiviCRM Mattermost chat and he agrees that it seems to be a good use case, and is potentially interested in Skvare pitching in on the Backdrop port if we decide to go that route. (Conversation below).

Anybody else want to second the motion to look into CiviCRM Entity?

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laryn:

@jackrabbithanna Question for you. The Backdrop4Good team is working on our first site together which will actually be a Backdrop/CiviCRM site that allows people to submit info to a directory. That seems perfect for CiviCRM, but we'll need the ability to also do ratings, ownership of CiviCRM contacts for edits, etc. at some point so it seems like we might need to also have the info in Backdrop as a content type or entity. Does this seem like a good fit for CiviCRM-Entity (assuming we can port it to BackdropCMS?)

jackrabbithanna:

I do think that is a good use case for CiviCRM Entity

I had thought about a Backdrop port at some point, I haven't looked at the state of Backdrop in a while, but it did seem possible, because Entity API had been ported

laryn:

I think I had also asked you about it in the issue queue at one point.

jackrabbithanna:

oh ok, I remember

laryn:

Does CiviCRM Entity handle duplicate checking, etc when creating entities?

jackrabbithanna:

so everything CiviCRM Entity does as far as load/save/delete runs through the CiviCRM API

it does not be default run the 'duplicate_check' action, but could be made to do so, or a custom module coudl do something extra along those lines

Think of CiviCRM Entity as a big wrapper around the CiviCRM API

laryn:

Okay. I'll post back to the group that this could be an option to explore for that type of integration. Thanks!

jackrabbithanna:

see here in the entity controller.

Commented on laryn's message: Okay. I'll post back to the group that this could be an option to explore for that type of integration. Thanks!

ok let me know, Skvare might be happy to partner up to make it happen

laryn:

Thanks, I will let you know if the conversation ends up there but it does seem a great option! And I appreciate the (potential) offer of partnering up on it for sure.

[laryn]

I was going to try to run Coder Upgrade on the civicrm_entity module, but it crashes and I haven't been able to track down why.

https://github.com/laryn/civicrm_entity

ParseError: syntax error, unexpected ''elements'' (T_CONSTANT_ENCAPSED_STRING), expecting ']' in coder_upgrade_cache_info_hooks() (line 10 of /app/www/modules/coder_upgrade/conversions/begin.inc(139) : eval()'d code).