pcplantdb

["John Schinnerer" <john@eco-living.net>]

Aloha,

Thanks for the beta on

> Ken Fern did most/all of the data collection in the PFAF dataset
...
> Yup.  There is some level of flexibility regarding where the front end
> meets the back as well.  One can describe the API as being how the
> front end interfaces directly with the database and place the majority
> of the responsibility in the front end.  Alternately one can place
> some code between the front end and the database and describe the API
> as the interface of the front end with this glue layer.  This allows
> some of the complex and common operations to be shared among front
> ends and enforces specific interactions with the database.  I favor
> the later

Likewise - that's why I described it the way I did.  DB itself and robust API
as 'back end'.

> ...because I'm paranoid about data-munging

I wouldn't say I'm paranoid but I definitely agree...bad practice, gets ugly
and/or messy sooner or later.  I've seen waaaayyyy too much crappy design -
let's not do it here.

> and I think an
> appropriate abstraction of the back end mechanics will make writing
> front ends flexible, powerful, and easy.

Agreed, definitely.

> I'm partial to cvs (Concurrent Versions System <http://cvshome.org>)
> and am willing to manage it at galatea.org or wherever.

Fine by me.

> I personally am not satisfied with any
> wiki I've seen so far.

I personally can't make much sense, even less any efficient use, of most wikis
I've seen so far, alas including the PC wiki (which is also broken
display-wise, in different ways, on most browsers I've looked at it with -
GIGO...).

Will be a while before I am able to look at the grant proposal but I will when
I can...

I too want this to be a "free (as in freedom)" software project, completely
licensable under the GPL (GNU Public License) or something functionally
equivalent.  I'm not sure what the details are involving PFAF that you refer
to, Chad...

How about soliciting some more community involvement as regards
getting/using/acquiring plant data and images and so on?  This is a pretty
small conversation so far - any lurkers out there with something to say?  Is
that a contradiction in terms...lurkers with something to say...? ;-)




John Schinnerer - MA, Whole Systems Design
------------------------------------------
- Eco-Living -
Design & Technology Services
People - Place - Learning - Integration
john@eco-living.net
http://eco-living.net