Products.cron4plone 0.2dev-r86589

Product description
===================
Cron4Plone can do scheduled tasks in Plone, in a syntax very like \*NIX
systems' cron daemon. It plugs into Zope's ClockServer machinery.


Installation
============
1. Configure the ticker in the buildout (or zope.conf)::

[instance]
...
eggs =
...
Products.ClockServer
zope-conf-additional =
<clock-server>
method /<your-plone-site>/@@cron-tick
period 60
</clock-server>

2. Configure the scheduled tasks

In the Plone site setup, go to the cron4plone configuration. This form can
be used to enter cron-like jobs.

The cron job should have 5 elements: minute, hour, day_of_month, month and
command expression. For the command python and tal expression can be used.

definition: m h dom m command

Examples:
* 11 * * portal/@@run_me
15,30 * * * python: portal.my_tool.runThis()


3. Wait and see

In the ZMI, go to the CronTool. If a cronjob has run the history is shown.

Rationale
=========
Cron4plone uses the clockserver and allows advanced taask scheduling:

- scheduled tasks at scheduled times. E.g. I want to perform a certain
task at 3 AM at the first day of the month.

- single thread running the task: We don't want 2 threads running the
same task at the same time. With only using clock server this might
happen if a task takes longer than the tick period.


TODO
====
- Day of week is missing in cron-like syntax, add it.
- Improve doc test, currently test has basic coverage.
- Perhaps make a configuration form that allows users without cron syntax
knowledge to enter jobs.

License and credits
===================
Authors: "Huub Bouma", mailto:bouma@gw20e.com
"Kim Chee Leong", mailto:leong@gw20e.com

License: This product is licensed under the GNU Public License version 2.
See the file LICENSE included in this product.

Parts of the code were taken from
"PloneMaintenance", http://plone.org/products/plonemaintenance by
"Ingeniweb", http://www.ingeniweb.com/.

Changelog
=========

1.0 - Unreleased
----------------

* Initial release