This section covers the design specifications for the connector integration capabilities in Sugar called Connectors. The Connector framework allows for various data retrieved through REST and SOAP protocols to be easily viewed and entered into SugarCRM.
The Connector framework is designed to provide an abstract layer around a connector. So, essentially our own database would just be considered another connector along with any SOAP or REST connector. These connectors, in theory, can then be swapped in and out seamlessly. Hence, providing the framework for it and leveraging a small component is a step in the right direction.The connectors can then be loaded in by a factory, returned, and called based on their interface methods.
The main components for the connector framework are the factories, source, and formatter classes. The factories are responsible for returning the appropriate source or formatter instance for a connector. The sources are responsible for encapsulating the retrieval of the data as a single record or a list or records of the connectors. The formatters are responsible for rendering the display elements of the connectors.
