This module integrates CollectiveAccess and the Drupal Feeds module, so all relevant content that is coming from your CollectiveAccess installation can be imported into Drupal.

Before getting into the configuration descriptions below, you should first set up a Feeds Importer through the Feeds UI. It isn't necessary to use the "Feeds as nodes" methodology. The "Standalone form" will in most cases be sufficient. After you have created a Feeds importer, you can reach it at /import on your website.
Below you'll find more details on how to actually configure this Feeds Importer with regards to CollectiveAccess. See also Creating / editing Importers in the Feeds handbook.

The Feeds architecture exists basically of 3 parts:

  • Fetcher - this retrieves the data from an external source
  • Parser - this parses the data and prepares it for import
  • Processor - this imports the data into a Drupal object.

See the Feeds handbook pages for more elaborate explanation of these concepts.

The CollectiveAccess Feeds module provides the following Feeds components:

Fetcher: FeedsCollectiveAccessFetcher

Selecting this Fetcher in your Feeds instance will allow you to connect to a CollectiveAccess instance as declared by the CollectiveAccess Drupal module.
The Fetcher provides various options to retrieve the CollectiveAccess data (all, last changed items, items in certain collection).
It is designed to retrieve the objects from CollectiveAccess through a queueing system (on cron), to avoid congestion and timeouts.

Parser: FeedsCollectiveAccessParser

This Parser will provide the necessary mapping fields, so you can map the fields coming from CollectiveAccess to any of the fields of your target Drupal objects (configured in the Feeds Processor). All the necessary incoming data is parsed and provided to the Processor in a usable form.

The CollectiveAccess module itself doesn't provide a processor, but you could use one that's available (e.g. Node processor to make nodes, or Commerce processor to make Commerce products). So from then on the data is stored in a Drupal native object, and you can do with it whatever you want.

As for the actual field mapping proces, you should also check out the Feeds handbook for more information.
On a high level, what you need to do is:

  • Set up a Drupal object / entity that is fieldable. In most cases this would be through Drupal's node system. You'd set up a content type (e.g. ca_object), and add a bunch of fields to that content type through the CCK (D6) or Field (D7) modules.
  • Select the appropriate processor based on the decision you made in the previous step.
  • Go to "Mapping" settings, and map the desired CollectiveAccess fields to the CCK/Field fields you defined earlier for the selected content type.