Date: Sat, 17 Jul 1999 19:56:09 +0000 From: Paul Temple <Paultemple@ecologycal.demon.co.uk> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2610$foo@default> Subject: Re: Database
Well, thanks to everyobne for either raising the subject or responding,
especially to Andrew for mentioning my system while potentially
developing his own - very honourable, I'm impressed!
Yes, I was developing a system and announced such here on the listserver
based on previous people's questions regarding the need.
Since last publishing news here, various members of the CP and orchid
world have tested the software. This now means that the software has
been tested by a ide variety of users including those with National
coollections or the equivalent and certainly not just limited to CP's
and orchids.
We are now building the professional installation kit such that the
product can be shipped on CD. We will have a ytime expiring demo
version available and hope to sell the software via Societies at a
discount, hopefully assisting Societies and their members.
I don't want to annoy readers who are not interested by taking up
enormous space with what has to be interpretable as "sales" info.
However, I hope my general silence on the listserver (regarding the
software) demonstrates I'm not abusing it, or likely to. Therefore,
because various peoiple in the CP world have shown interest and asked,
let me just describe a little of the software.
It will come with pre-installed links btween CP Families and Genera. It
is an accession recording tool, i.e. it helps you record when, where,
how and from whom you obtained either a plant, plant material, or plant
information. It contains pre-defined fields to capture information in a
standardised manner but also has addition free text entry fields to
enter relatively large amounts of information of a more general nature
according to the user needs.
Along with standard categorising using Family, Genus, Species,
Subspecies, etc. (i.e. taxa), the syustem also allows records to be
linked into user defined groups of the user's preference. So you can
define a sub-collection of your records as "Pygmy Sundews" or
"Greenhouse plants" or "Epiphytes" or any other name you care to think
of. A record can belong to more than one such sub-collection. So you
can search for records or create plant lists (record lists) based on the
sub-collection or taxa that you are interested in viewing. And if you
can't remember what sub collection or taxa to look at, you can just list
all.
That's all I'm going to say for now. I've no time to build a Web site
until the Installation kit is ready but we will do so at some stage. If
anyone is specifically interested in knowing more, please either await
the formal announcement of availability that will appear here (briefly)
and then via Society newsletters, or you can email to me with any
queries etc. at:
Paultemple@ecologycal.demon.co.uk or Paultemple@bigfoot.com
In the meantime, I'd like to give an interim thankyou to all of those CP
people who assisted in the testing - they will all hear more from me.
Regards
Paul
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