Getting Started with CoCore

Welcome to CoCore! This guide is your starting point for integrating and leveraging the platform. Whether you're an administrator setting up the infrastructure or a developer ready to build, this document will point you in the right direction.

The 10,000-Foot View: What is CoCore?

CoCore is more than just a tool; it's a complete operating system for your print production environment. It acts as a central hub that connects your systems, automates your workflows, and gives you a unified, real-time view of your entire operation.

At its heart, CoCore is a powerful data and workflow platform. You can use it to:

• Integrate Everything: Connect your MIS, ERP, DFE, and production equipment into a single, cohesive system using our powerful GraphQL API.
• Automate Anything: Use real-time MQTT messages or our powerful Lua scripting engine to create custom automation rules and workflows that fit your exact needs.
• Build Custom Solutions: Create your own custom applications, dashboards, and operator-facing interfaces that run directly within the CoCore ecosystem.

This guide will help you get the system running and show your development team how to take their first steps.

Initial Setup Checklist

This checklist covers the essential administrative steps to get a CoCore environment ready for pilot work.

1. Request Access: Coordinate with the CoCoCo team at wearecococo.com to arrange licenses and credentials.
2. Provision Infrastructure: Deploy the CoCore services using one of the methods outlined in our Deployment Guide.
3. Connect Your Sites: If you have on-premise equipment that needs to communicate with a cloud-based CoCore instance, install the CoConnect agent for local connectivity.
4. Import Key Data: Sync essential data sets like customers, products, and materials to begin leveraging the platform's features.
5. Run a Test Job: Push a low-risk, simple job through the system from end-to-end to validate the setup.

Once these steps are complete, the platform is ready for your development team to start building.

Your First Steps as a Developer

Once the infrastructure is running, it's time to start interacting with the system. Here’s a suggested path for your development team to get acquainted with CoCore's capabilities.

1. Explore the GraphQL API

The GraphQL API is the primary way you'll interact with CoCore. It's how you'll create jobs, query statuses, and manage resources.

• Get Started: Read our Introduction to GraphQL and learn how it differs from traditional REST or XML APIs.
• Use a Tool: Use an API client like Postman, Insomnia, or Altair to connect to your CoCore instance's GraphQL endpoint. You can find the endpoint in your environment's configuration details.
• Run a Query: Start by running a simple query to fetch a list of devices or media.

2. Send a Test Job via the API

Creating a job is the "Hello, World!" of CoCore. A job is the central object that tracks a piece of work through your facility.

• Learn the Basics: Read the Job Management documentation to understand the core concepts.
• Write a Mutation: Use a GraphQL mutation to create a simple job with a single component. You can start with a PDF that's already accessible via a URL.

3. Subscribe to Real-Time Events with MQTT

CoCore uses MQTT to publish real-time events about everything happening on the platform. You can subscribe to these events to trigger external actions or update other systems.

• Connect to the Broker: Follow the MQTT Connection Guide to connect a client to your CoCore MQTT broker.
• Subscribe to a Topic: Subscribe to a topic like cocore/+/+/job/created to see a message every time a new job is created. This is a powerful way to build reactive, event-driven integrations.

4. Write a Simple Script with Lua

The built-in Lua scripting engine allows you to run custom business logic directly on the platform in response to events.

• Explore the Environment: Read the Lua API Overview to see what's possible.
• Create a "Hello, World!" Script: Create a simple script that triggers on a job:created event and writes a log message using the core.log() function. This is a great way to get started without risk.

Next Steps

Once you're comfortable with these basics, you can explore more advanced topics like:

• Building a Custom App to create a unique user interface.
• Creating complex Workflow Automations.
• Using the Database Module to query external databases from within a Lua script.