SCH Client Integration Library

This repository contains a library to interact with the SimpleCampusHousing Integration API as well as scripts which utilize this library to interface with a variety of specific campus ERP systems. Additionally, a pair of scripts for importing and exporting comma separated values (csv) using the SimpleCampusHousing API is also included. Values are transmitted between these scripts and SCH over a secure REST API.

sch_client.py is the core Python library used to interact with the SimpleCampusHousing Integration API

The executable scripts expect a configuration file named config.json to exist in the same directory. All configuration and runtime options are set through this file. Sample config files are included for reference. Optionally, the location of the config file can be passed as the first command line argument to use instead of the default config.json.

Included ERP Sample Scripts

Sample integration scripts for the following ERP systems are included

• Sungard PowerCAMPUS
• Jenzabar EX

Pulling student information from a campus ERP system into SimpleCampusHousing can be accomplished using sync_pull.py. This script can connect to any database available over ODBC and run a custom SQL query. The output from this query is then mapped to a format compatible with SCH and saved to the SimpleCampusHousing web application via our REST API. The database connection string, SQL query, and JSON mapping file are set in config.json

Pushing housing and meal plan information from SimpleCampusHousing to specific ERP systems is accomplished via the "sync_push" series of scripts. A unique script is included for each sample ERP system (e.g. "sync_push_jenzabar.py").

Full integration employs first running sync_pull.py followed by the applicable sync_push script.

CSV Import/Export

A pair of scripts (csv_import.py & csv_export.py) provide the ability to interface with SimpleCampusHousing using comma separated values as a common interchange format without connecting directly to the ERP database. Input/output configuration is done through settings in config.json. Mapping values in the import CSV file to those compatible with SimpleCampusHousing is done using the same JSON format as the sync_pull script.

CSV Calculated Columns

Import Columns

Additional fields can also be calculated when importing csv files by defining the config rule 'calculated_import_columns'. This rule expects an array of dictionaries, where each object defines a new field that will be sent to the SCH API. These dictionaries should define the following keys:

• map - An object of mapping information to pass to the API
• conditions - An array of conditions to check. Conditions are checked as disjunctions (ORs). If one matches, its corresponding output will be returned and subsequent conditions will not be evaluated
• default - The default value to use if no conditions match. Can optionally use python string.Template format for string substitutions. In this case $identifiers are other column names

Each condition is a object with the following keys:

• output - Output value if condition rules match. Can optionally use python string.Template format for string substitutions. In this case $identifiers are other column names
• rules - Array of rules. Each rule is a object. The conjunction (AND) of all rules forms the full condition.

Rule dictionaries for conditions expect the following keys:

• field - The name of the input field to check. This is either the header name (if headers exist) or the value of the 'name' attribute in the import_map
• value - The value to evaluate against the field. (e.g. If field for this record matches value then the rule evaluates to true)
• comparison_field - Name of input field to use in comparison. Use in place of value to compare two fields directly. (e.g. If field for this record matches comparison_field then the rule evaluates to true) If neither value nor comparison_field is defined, field being not empty is considered a match
• operator - Optional operator to specify when evaluating the field value. (e.g. 'NE', 'GT', 'LTE', etc) 'EQ' is the default. In the case of operators that are not commutative, field is the first operand.

Export Columns

Additional output columns can be added to the csv export file resulting from csv_export.py. These columns are defined by the config rule 'calculated_export_columns'. This rule expects an object where each key is the new column name. The value is an object identical to the above definition for an import column with the exception of the map property which is not used.

API Debug Reference

The following JSON can be used to directly test the HTTP PUT method of /resident in the SCH API. Provided a valid token, this data will save sample students to SimpleCampusHousing

{
  "token":"6199$2a$10$Q7epLW2UZwzUhzmfRHJ/DOcpTP/qahLyn1DWXERMYcO9ORPIRoRqq",
  "data": [
      ["0034235", "John", "Doe", "M", "1/1/1994", "123 Awesome Street"],
      ["0063453", "Jane", "Smith", "F", "10/21/1995", "5634 W Grandeur Dr"],
      ["0012345", "Joseph", "Johnson", "M", "2/15/1987", "101 Random Ave"]
  ],
  "columns": [
      {"name": "id"},
      {"model": "Resident", "field": "firstName"},
      {"model": "Resident", "field": "lastName"},
      {"model": "Resident", "field": "gender"},
      {"model": "Resident", "field": "birthDate"},
      {"model": "Resident", "field": "addressPart", "arguments": ["address1"]}
  ]
}