The Insert Entries plugin lets you to easily insert a row into any database table—whether ExpressionEngine’s or any database to which you have administrator access.

Together with the Update Entries and Select Entries (formerly External Entries) plugins, it’s an easy way to integrate EE with other MySQL-based systems, such as a commerce platform.

For more information, see the docs.

The plugin costs $15 per EE installation. It’s free to download (requires registration at Engaging.net) and try before you buy. Alternatively, if you’d like to insert entries using a form, see the free External SAEF module.

Update: Now compatible with both EE v1.x and v2.x.

These are really interesting, especially for working with external databases, but I’m having a hard time thinking of common use cases for EE databases that aren’t met by onboard tag ‘sugar’.  Can you suggest one or several cases for the Insert Entries plugin?

russlipton - 06 February 2010 06:44 PM

These are really interesting, especially for working with external databases, but I’m having a hard time thinking of common use cases for EE databases that aren’t met by onboard tag ‘sugar’.  Can you suggest one or several cases for the Insert Entries plugin?

The initial request that led to this plugin was someone wanting to be able to add an EE entry using a SAEF, then, once the data is submitted, update another database with some or all of that new content. To accomplish this, the Insert Entries plugin can be placed in the SAEF’s return template, updating the other db with the info just added.

Regarding onboard tags, none of them allow working with external databases, so far as I know. And for working with the EE database, the Query module—which would be the next easiest way to do these things—only allows SELECT; there’s no INSERT nor UPDATE.

The only way that I could see to achieve the Update Entries functionality without the plugin is using PHP in the template that would connect to a database. I haven’t tried this as it seemed to require not much less effort to handle it once than to handle it once and for all in a plugin.

Writ large though, I think the plugin is most useful for enabling EE to interact with other MySQL-based systems.

OK, I have used CSVGrab - who hasn’t? - but stumbled on updating entries. It doesn’t. I’ll bet Update Entries might be just the ticket there. I haven’t thought through updating in bulk (though can’t see why this can’t be ‘looped’ into being); but this could be a simple life-saver for updating specific EE-database entries in (not so ‘edge’) edge-case scenarios.

I agree that it is ideally suited for external databases.

It might be nifty if you sold the group of addons as a package at a discount. I love your allowing us to try the addons first. I believe every developer should do this. Against the very small ‘x’ percent of those taking advantage of devs, it would drive tons more sales overall. We all want third-party developers to succeed, because then we do.

russlipton - 09 February 2010 10:13 AM

It might be nifty if you sold the group of addons as a package at a discount.

Russ, you spoke, I did. Either that or you were reading my mind. I’ve added a new plugin, Select Entries, which does what External Entries did before. And now External Entries covers the functionality of Select, Update and Insert, and is a lot cheaper than buying all three separately.

russlipton - 09 February 2010 10:13 AM

I love your allowing us to try the addons first. I believe every developer should do this.

After pondering this for a bit, I think it really comes down to marketing and where you want to strike the balance—not to mention be seen to be striking the balance—in the long continuum that is “trust but verify”. (Also, in my case, I really really want guinea pigs, er, testers.)

Oink, oink.

This looks like it could really fit the bill for a project i am working on. Thanks! However, all the doc links on the external entries page—http://engaging.net/docs/external-entries—only point to the select-entries documentation.  Do you have any docs on the updates and inserts?

phobucket - 11 February 2010 06:04 PM

all the doc links on the external entries page—http://engaging.net/docs/external-entries—only point to the select-entries documentation.

Sure do, links fixed, thanks Ben for the heads up.