EasyScout Python Utils (ESPyUtils)
2004/01/04
==================================

The primary purpose of this package is to provide easy backup and restore
functionality for the EasyScout web-based scout management software. While the
EasyScout software has built-in support for an XML export of its database, it
contains no import support. That lack is what this software attempts to cover.

The EasyScout software is written in Java, while the scripts of this package are
written in Python. I did not write EasyScout, and Java is not a language I know
well. Python is a language I do know well, and is suited to such tasks as
these. Python is a high-level, easy to read and write, yet powerful programming
language. See http://www.python.org/ for details on this language.

This is a companion package to my fork of the EasyScout software, 'rkirkpat.net
EasyScout 2.0'. With the scripts of this package, it is possible to reload the
backup file from the now defunct public Easyscout server (you do have backups,
right? :) into a new (and possibly local) EasyScout server. It does not require
local access an EasyScout server, just web access, as it does all of its work
via the standard EasyScout web interface. The required software for this package
is only Python 2.1.x or better. It was developed and tested on Debian GNU/Linux
3.0, but should also run on Microsoft Windows operating systems provided that
Python is available on that platform. 

The contents of this package are as follows. Please see the documentation at the
top of each file for further details on it, and usage instructions.

  backup.py  -- Backups an EasyScout troop to a local file. Can be used for
                automated, regular backups (i.e. via cron).

  restore.py -- Restores an EasyScout troop from a local backup (XML) file. 

  utils.py   -- Misc functions used by the above scripts.

  xml.py     -- Simple and customized parser to read the EasyScout backup files.

I hope that this package will be of use to troops migrating from the public
EasyScout server to other installations. If you have any questions about
ESPyUtils, or need assistance in using it, feel free to contact me
(scouts@rkirkpat.net). I will do my best to respond to any such queries in a
timely fashion.

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|   "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."                    |
|                                            --- Philippians 1:21 (KJV)   |
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|   Ryan Kirkpatrick  |  Boulder, Colorado  |  http://www.rkirkpat.net/   |
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