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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] Re: Localized Plant DB

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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Re: Localized Plant DB
  • Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2002 12:59:36 -0700

FranksFarm@aol.com wrote:
In a message dated 9/11/02 12:37:31 AM, ScottH@wcig.org.au writes:
How 'bout a system that does take these into account and pretty much
>> ignores zones (except real permie ones). It seems to me that it would be
>> fairly simple to set-up a cross-referencing system like the plants for a
>> future database, but with the necessary parameters set by rigorous debate
>> amongst ourselves; once established, it would be very simple to add to it
>> Wikki-style. You would then just need to know the parameters of where you
>> want to plant and what jobs the plant must perform: enter these details and
>> generate a list of suitable plants. I realise there are already a few of
>> these databases around, but they don't quite get there permaculture-wise or
>> with wikki-wise accessibility that gives them the ability to evolve

Wow...what a fantastic idea, and vision. Just the thing to help us advance and utilize such knowledge! I'd love to be able to just type in my location,objective,local climate info,plant type etc. and then generate a list linked to detailed web pages with pictures,growing advice etc.etc.

That would be a relational database, something we've talked about doing
before.
With Wiki we can collect, store and easily update the same raw data that would
exist in a RDB but the fancy output you described could only be done with a
RDB.
The title search and full text search in Wiki could approximate this. I wrote
this
bit of amateur analysis of our project last night and it would seem to apply
here:
<><><><>
1) Do we (and SOUL) _need_ a relational database to build a plant database
with?
a) if yes then it must be written in MySQL with a PHP front end/user
interface
if it is to be integrated or called from our PC Wiki which also uses
MySQL
and PHP. I see no point in trying to find some other database software
platform.
The reason is that I and others interested may ask developers/users of
PHPWiki
to help with writing or write code for us, unless some DB
programmer(s) in the
list offers to do it. As I said before linking another MySQL DB to
Wiki may not
be that difficult since it was written to use that DB Software itself.
2) Can we create the kind of plant database we want with Wiki alone? Since
the software
is flexible, can be altered by any user and completely reorganized and
refined, made faster
_and_ easily distributed on CD! (not easy with a relational DB) it could
do everything we want
and offer users interactive access to the dataset.
Hmmm ... I just got an idea: we use Wiki as the front end for a separate
relational database written
in MySQL called by the Wiki. Database query results could be reported
directly to the Wiki;
though probably by way of a special PHP script or Plugin called from a
Wiki page. The hope would be
that the raw data entered in the database could also exist in standard
Wiki pages, within a fixed array
organized as a "flat file database" comprised of a superorganized array of
Wiki pages or a
Wiki data tree or information tree. This would mean that we might have the
best of both worlds:
true relational database access to our information, fast and complete with
results presented in a nice
format and the interactive qualities of the Wiki offering public data
input and excellent text and page
searching plus the ability to port the entire Wiki to a CD.

The Permaculture Wiki will encompass _many_ topics as Permaculture is an
umbrella discipline. Agriculture,
landscaping, rural life, renewable energy, social/religions systems,
alternative architecture, gardening,
permaculture are but a few of many that will included. I see it as a giant
information pyramid with permaculture
at the top and information and data trees for all topics sprouting
throughout. The information trees would be
crosslinked within all topical areas.

Anyway, integrating the SOUL database into the Wiki would be a simple matter
of deciding where in the overall
Wiki information tree you want to put it. If you don't like the location you
decide on you can move it
somewhere else. The whole organizational heirarchy of the Wiki can be altered
and improved any time.
From the PermacultureWiki Home Page you would go to Landscaping then to
Organizations then to SOUL.
You could also have Landscaping to Landscape Architecture to the same
Organizations as above;
Landscape Nursery would also be common to Landscaping and Landscape
Architecture and Landscape Gardening.
Arboriculture, Urban Landscaping would be other subtopics. Some of these
pages would be crosslinked to
Farmscaping and Urban Permaculture, and of course, Permaculture.

I'd actually like to see a real relational database Plugin for PHPWiki for us
to interate into our
Permaculture Wiki.

I see one problem already: How do contributors get their pics into the Wiki
and the relational database.
For a serious long term project like the PC Wiki RDB, external linking to
pics won't be a good long term
solution. On the other hand if I have to field uploads by ftp and manually
move them into the Wiki filesystem
this could be a bunch of work and time. The ideal solution would be to allow
file uploads destined for the Wiki,
from within the Wiki with their endfing up in the right location in the
filesystem. I will work on this.
<><><><>
LL
----
L.F.London
lfl@intrex.net
http://market-farming.com
PermacultureWiki
http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/pcwiki/index.php






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