pcplantdb

[Richard Morris <webmaster@pfaf.org>]

Hi Folks,
	There does not seem to have been much feedback on the progress report 
stuff. Its VITAL that we look into this.

Acheivements to date:
        Evaluated systems for the underlying platform. Decided on a     
        system.
        A working database running on ibiblio.
        Issues tracker - nearly there.
        A good design for the home page.
        Mision statement for project
        Building contacts and gaining a critical mass.
	Valuable group discusions on many issues, bringing group members 	up to 
speed, on some of the issues.

Current tasks:
        User input. Getting the system running so that we can start
        accepting contributions. Can break this down into:
                Some form of login/account managment
                Working out database schema to allow user input.
                Decide on what we do, and stick with it.
                Implement.
        Guilds and relationships.
                Work out how to implement these.
                Spec out whats required.
                Start getting some data on Guilds.
                Once we have some data, we can design from there.
        Pull in other datasets.
                Get data from Heidi.
                Examine and work out how to combine.
        Smart front end. Long way to go here.
                Spec out desired features.
                We could use the touch graph plant family tree
                I did a while back.

	Managment structure. Posibly our biggest chalange. managment via an 
email list is tricky. Its very easy for people not to respond to 
important emails. Also easy for lots of spin off ideas (guilty myself)
way beyond whats acheivable in a year. The issue might solve this,
potentially we can use this as a managment tool to prioetrise tasks.
                
> Following is a compilation of Phase 1 discussions.  My comments are in 
> [brackets].
>
> So what *are* we attempting to deliver in Phase One? My own vision of the
> software is this:
>
> An application that assists in identifying new Guilds and exploring
> existing Guilds. This application being a GPL like project can be
> re-distributable and users can have their own local copy for bioregional
> observations. There may be a centralized "master" database of guild
> entities (Creative Commons License), and users may be able to submit
> their own local observations to the master, and/or mirror the master (or
> portions of the master) to their local installation. My thinking here is
> that if I am wandering around with my laptop/PDA, I have a lightweight
> interface to make Guild notations that I observe and upload later perhaps.
>
> Bandwidth issues have a considerable impact on the application, and the
> application should be optimized for dial-up users.
>
> As for the database, whether intially RDBMS or ODB, I would like to see
> more in depth discussion about the schema design and serious effort made 
> towards normalization. I did some initial research to other university
> efforts and it is indeed a complex piece of work. I believe I had posted
> links earlier in the list to those resources.  [This research definitely 
> needs to be done!  Can you refer us to your post with a list of these 
> resources?  This is an area I feel Lawrence would be the most helpful with - 
> since he seems to know a lot about what's available.  Lawrence, would you be 
> willing to take on the task of research what's already out there?]
>
> Another thing I have learned in my experience of software development is
> the concept "good enough for now". So based upon the goals of deliverables for the 
> grant, what would be "good enough for now" with considerable thought put into future 
> extensibility for this application?
>
> Additionally, is the project *just* the database, or is it the front-end
> to the database, or a combination of both? I am thinking if this is a
> re-distributable software application, what would the seed database look
> like?  Would it have one?  [Definitely both!  Perhaps for phase 1, just a 
> database along with specs for the front-end, which could be further developed 
> in phase 2.]
>
> I do have other thoughts regarding the integration of GIS type
> functionality and how to map microclimates, though that is a discussion
> for Phase 2+ probably.
>
> ---
>
> Again, I will loop back to my question, "What are the deliverables for the
> October deadline?"
>
> Permaculture.info web application, phase one, will:
>
> * enable authorized users to create plant entities within the 
> permaculture.info database
Yes
> * enable authorized users to input plant data into such plant entities, 
> in various forms (string, text field, numeric, date, list, image, etc.)
> * enable authorized users to edit plant entity data in various forms (as 
> above)
Yes
> * enable registered users to add discrete information to (annotate...?) 
> a plant entity (narrative comments, additions/suggestions, etc.)
Yes
> * enable anonymous users to search for (query the database on) plants or 
> plant-related information using a variety of search fields including but 
> not limited to:
> - name(s) of plant(s)
> - botanical characteristics of plants
> - functional characteristics of plants
> - location, climate, etc.
> - etc. etc. (I am just giving example of high-level spec - more 
> details needed here)
All should be posible using the current search field. I do think we need 
 a more verbose search form as well, with individual fields displayed.
> * implement initial plant entity creation, input, editing, annotation 
> and searching using css- and xhtml-validated web forms/web pages 
> accessible by all browsers/internet devices
Yes
> * provide an intelligent search that queries all of aspects of the 
> database from a single text box. This is pretty much exactly what
> I had in mind to start doing with one one addition and the questions
> where noted. The addition being adding relationship elements and
> allowing authorized users to create and edit relationships. The
> relationships would possibly be displayed in some text/html way in
> a browser but would much more likely be used by our GBI
> package (TouchGraph/FreeMind/whatever).

I also think it would be good to review the time people have available 
for this project. Paid or unpaid.

Right now I'm very busy doing a teaching course and I will be until end 
of June. Afterthat I should have a lot more time and will be available 
for work at the codeface.

Rich