Proper handling of product data imports?

[Jabouty]

One of my suppliers gives a daily updated XML of their available inventory (including new and discontinued products), and I'm trying to conform this XML into a PHP cron job that can run daily about an hour after they do their daily updates.

 

That said, is there a proper method within Prestashop's backend that I can look at to do the import and ensure that everything is attached to the product as it should be (Updates, new adds, deletes, images, and what not). I looked at the database and code last night and couldn't really make out the schema very well in that what I thought was tied together ended up not being so, and something else being tied together and in the process managed to break the DB, requiring a restore from backup.

 

So if there is a block of code that I am blind and missing that I could look at, or if someone has a snippet that I can bastardize for my use to properly import using PHP / Presta as the backend I would be greatly appreciative.

 

Thank you in advance for any help that can be given!

 

Bubba

[phrasespot]

Check out the WebServiceXXX classes in /classes directory, also the doumentation.

[Jabouty]

Awesome sir!

 

Thank you kindly for this, you just saved me months of product updates (literally, am working with over 8,000 products here) for a few hours of work!

 

-Jab