Mlspin

[emicarn]

Does anyone have any experience working with the Raw Data IDX from Massachusett's MLSPIN [H3MLS] at all?

I talked to them yesterday and RETS is not an option, they simply don't offer it to agents for the stated reason of "past abuse".

So I'm stuck with having to retrieve Raw Data in .txt files [pipe delimited] and trying ot figure out how to pull down photo[s] that are done in a format that I find, frankly, ridiculous.

Would appreciate any insight from someone who has experience dealing with this.

Rich

[RobertD]

I used to work with MLSPin several years ago. This was at the start of the IDX revolution and MLSPin had not yet converted to their current system. I was downloading data and photos via terminal emulation (KEA for data, Lightning for photos).

I'm not familiar with MLSPin's current data export, but I download from 3 dozen MLS's across the country, so I'm sure I can offer some advice. What specifically do you need to know?

What is the ridiculous photo format?

[emicarn]

RobertD

Thanks for the response!

I'm not familiar with MLSPin's current data export, but I download from 3 dozen MLS's across the country, so I'm sure I can offer some advice. What specifically do you need to know?

Problem is there is no direct way to pull the data at this time. Right now they make raw data with limited fields available in a pipe delimited format. They do not, and I'm told by them probably not in the near future, going to allow RETS.

The data I can pull comes in this format:

PROP_TYPE|LIST_NO|LIST_AGENT|LIST_OFFICE|STATUS|LIST_PRICE|TOWN_NUM|AREA|ZIP_CODE|PHOTO_COUNT|PHOTO_DATE|PHOTO_MASK|SF_TYPE|STYLE|LOT_SIZE|ACRE|SQUARE_FEET|GARAGE_SPACES|GARAGE_PARKING|BASEMENT|NO_ROOMS|NO_BEDROOMS|NO_FULL_BATHS|NO_HALF_BATHS|MASTER_BATH|LIV_LEVEL|LIV_DIMEN|DIN_LEVEL|DIN_DIMEN|FAM_LEVEL|FAM_DIMEN|KIT_LEVEL|KIT_DIMEN|MBR_LEVEL|MBR_DIMEN|BED2_LEVEL|BED2_DIMEN|BED3_LEVEL|BED3_DIMEN|BED4_LEVEL|BED4_DIMEN|BED5_LEVEL|BED5_DIMEN|BTH1_LEVEL|BTH1_DIMEN|BTH2_LEVEL|BTH2_DIMEN|BTH3_LEVEL|BTH3_DIMEN|LAUNDRY_LEVEL|LAUNDRY_DIMEN|OTH1_ROOM_NAME|OTH1_LEVEL|OTH1_DIMEN|OTH2_ROOM_NAME|OTH2_LEVEL|OTH2_DIMEN|OTH3_ROOM_NAME|OTH3_LEVEL|OTH3_DIMEN|OTH4_ROOM_NAME|OTH4_LEVEL|OTH4_DIMEN|OTH5_ROOM_NAME|OTH5_LEVEL|OTH5_DIMEN|OTH6_ROOM_NAME|OTH6_LEVEL|OTH6_DIMEN
SF|30407992|A0000054|A23401|ACT|1150000|200||02043|0|1/1/1980|0|A|A|41364|0.94|3100|3|A|Y|9|4|2|1|Y||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SF|30488193|A0000054|A23401|PCG|1299000|200||02043|1|6/13/2005 3:22:00 PM|1|A|I,P|26889|0.61|4000|2|A,E|Y|10|4|3|1|Y|1|19X21|1|15X18|1|17X20|1|10X20|1|15X16|2|15X15|2|15X15|2|12X17|||||||||||GRM|2|18X23|OFC|1|15X12||||||||||||

What is the ridiculous photo format?

It is less the format but how they have set it up on their server:

Example:
LIST_NO = 30688400
Main photo file: /photo/30/688/400_0.jpg
First addtl. photo: /photo/30/688/400_1.jpg
Second addtl. photo: /photo/30/688/400_2.jpg

So it isn't like there is an easy way to get and pull the photos since they have to FTPed down, and since they cut up the MLS number to create their directory tree, it's just a wierd way to do things in my experience.

Thanks!

Rich

[kyle422]

Rich,
That looks like it would be very easy to have someone program a way to pull the information and put it in a database to display it on your website. PM (private message by clicking on my user name) me and I'll send you my URL for my real estate site so you can check out what I had done to my site. I'm guessing you don't have to pay any money to pull the datafeed, so why do you want to pay someone a montly fee to have IDX on your site? Just hire a programmer to do it and pay one time.

[Boston Condo Guy]

I'm currently getting an mls/idx solution on my site coded, similar formats....once it's finished, I can have you take a look.

[RobertD]

The data file is pretty standard, and it would be very simple to write an ftp script each day to download the needed photos. What kind of database are you using?

[emicarn]

mysql is what I have on there currently... I'm on a linux box.

[RobertD]

I'm a MS SQL Server dba myself, so I'm afraid that I can't help you too much with your actual programming of the database. If it was SQL Server, I could set up the whole data and photo download process in less than a day.

[emicarn]

I'm a MS SQL Server dba myself, so I'm afraid that I can't help you too much with your actual programming of the database. If it was SQL Server, I could set up the whole data and photo download process in less than a day.

Yea, unfortunately My company I use for hosting only uses LINUX with SQL but thanks!

[webmaster]

is there a reason you are hosted on a windows machine? If you are that much more familiar with linux / mysql why not switch servers?