pcplantdb

[Richard Morris <webmaster@pfaf.org>]

> > I believe Rich already indicated how he was planning to use XML - that
> > is, he'd use PHP to generate XML based on data from the DB (the DB
> > itself being MySQL, as I recall, or some open source SQL DB anyhow).
> >
> > Rich, why XML?  As an all-purpose go-between document, or...?

Firstly I'm thinking of using XML as a good way to describe the data
structure
we want in a database. There does seem to be a close link with the way
a XML page describing a plant and the underlying system of tables and
fields
in a database. If we can come up with a good DTD/schema for the data
in the database. This is one of the reasons I'm looking for thoughts on
the
type of data we want to record.

I'm not really thinking of using XML as the database (i.e. not pulling
data out of an xml page) or having the database actually containing
XML data (although it might be an option to consider).

XML as principal output format/exchange format.

As an exchange format is very good, its content centred structure
means its easy to import into other applications. (But I actually
find plain text is easier to parse).

As an output format for reading in web browsers its pretty good.
Readable
in most modern web browsers (but not in the one I'm using!). It's 
also quite easy to transfer to other formats (If we are interested
in converting to html/xml/pdf there is an argument for using
DocBook). 

php could easily be tweaked to produce html/xml/plain text.
 
> Could there be an option to just display output as plain text? This
> is portable and users wanting to create some record of their work
> could cut and paste to text files for future reference.

Plain text is quite easy to do.
XML is just as portable, with a good structure it should
be easy for people to read the xml or write their own xml files
for uploading.

> Is this
> an open source information project wherein doing the previous is
> OK with PFAF or do they want to charge for access beyond just seeing
> output on their screen.

Yes it is an open source project as far as I am concerned. We're
still talking at pfaf, (we take a very long time to talk, about
one sentence a week!) general feelings seems to be in allowing
freedom of use of the data, but if your going to make money out of
out dataset we would like some recompense.

One thought is that someone out there might have already created a
DTD for plants. It would be worth a look to save us reinventing the 
wheel.

                Wishes to all

                        Rich
--
Plants for a Future: 7000 useful plants
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