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Post by bugmanbp on Feb 17, 2022 20:30:00 GMT -8
I am planning to create a database with pictures for my growing collection and just curious what other people are using?
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Post by vabrou on Feb 18, 2022 7:29:50 GMT -8
bugmanbp, What does that statement mean? Obviously, by making this statement and asking such a question you are in the beginnings of your activities. What kind of database are you referring to? Your statement implies e.g. that if you collect 100 specimens then your identifications are 100% taxonomically correct. Nothing could be further from the truth. Centuries of our scientific publications are filled with errors, some more so, some less. Any thing published just yesterday is outdated and subject to continued revisions. Next year you will note that the scientific species names on a percentage of your currently databased records have changed due to taxonomic revisions, and again the year afterwards, and the year afterwards, on and on. What first needs to occur in you plans is the need to capture and collect hundreds of thousands specimens, or millions, or billions. Don't be in such a rush to create an error filled meaningless list. That is where your data will be derived from, your accumulated collections. Then, and only then will you realize some of your species (W) are actually 2-3 and more previously unrecognized species (x,y,z), and perhaps included as well are species new to science. You are wanting to create something that no doubt already exists, that would be helpful in collections having large quantities of specimens with useful data, but your your actual collection base is more akin to a shoebox collection kept under your bed. Or in other words, you placed several carts before the horse. Can you manipulate spreadsheet software to document such a spreadsheet. If not, you have years of work ahead of you before you learn how to use such software. The biggest mistake newbies make is thinking that the photograph in a book or on the web is taxonomically correct and truly represents a particular species. The next biggest mistake is taking someone else's unsubstantiated opinions as valid. Just because for centuries the biggest names in entomological history published about certain matters, doesn't make them true, and these individuals all have a dozen acronyms behind their learned names. I can and have exposed such boo-boos numerous dozens of times among my 438 entomological publications. Think you know accurate details about something, just wait a day, or a week, or a year, or even centuries. One of hundreds of examples I could state, e.g., I began a statewide study of the hawkmoths of Louisiana. I collected them using hundreds of various novel traps I designed 24 hours every day of every year, without fail for 30 consecutive years. Then I completed this study, as I had an actual data base of 83,889 captured adult Sphingidae specimens representing 46 species within the state of Louisiana and covered the years (1970-1999). As a side note, we discovered that the scientific literature, past and present (Civil war era to present) contained numerous major taxonomical errors and a considerable amount of improper synonymies and previously unrecognized species. We discovered two new species of hawkmoths in Louisiana, both of which occur right here at our home, one of which (jpg attached, male Lapara phaeobrachycerous Brou) we captured more than 10,000 adults over the past half century. I am not criticizing you for lack of knowledge, but rather my comments hopefully will cause you to better analyze your path to accomplishing tasks, and reaching realistic and useful goals.
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Post by nomihoudai on Feb 18, 2022 11:28:39 GMT -8
There was somebody recently that was talking about a database to store data and images on windows. I can't find the thread and the search function didn't help. In any case it will all depend on your operating system.
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Post by bugmanbp on Feb 18, 2022 17:42:49 GMT -8
vabrou, I am creating a database of what specimens that I currently have like a inventory with pictures and specimen data of my own collection. I know there could be taxonomic revision and I can update my records if needed easily. I am not going to use excel or any other spreadsheet software instead I am going to create a MySQL database with a web front that I can customize of what I want it to do. I hope this clears up of my question.
PS, my collection is not under my bed it is in Cornell drawers.
nomihoudai, I have seen one or two databases that I could use and I do feel that can work perfectly. There are couple of reason that I want to create my own is to customize, including a web front end so that I can access it anywhere. I can generate QR Code for each specimen so that I can search my database and to get more data if needed. And I can print out small labels with the specimen's data using thermal printer from the page. Although thermal printing can faded if expose to heat and UV light but since the labels would be away from heat and UV light I don't think it could be a problem but I can always write down on the back the id number of that specimen. Although the label itself would curl up and would need some type of support so that it would not curl up, I would have print out a blank insect labels on card stock paper with gridlines and then attach that label to the card stock and then be able to pin through the label and remove any excess label if needed.
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Post by nomihoudai on Feb 19, 2022 2:34:43 GMT -8
Well bugmanbp then you have all the choice in the world. I would say that pretty much every programming language has some database bindings available. For web-based stuff you will not be able to get around JavaScript. The common pattern these days is to build a back-end that connects to the database and a front-end displaying the interface. For the back-end I use Python and FastAPI to create a REST-API and front-ends I do in React, but it's a lot of work. Another method is to use something like Django/Flask and create your website server-side rendered. My first public programming project was related to butterflies. It was a lot of fun, but even the most basic version took me 6 weeks to create. Nowadays I am a professional programmer. Making a little CRUD app (create - retrieve - update - delete) is usually my first choice to teach programming students. A comment on your QR codes... they become quite big when they store lots of information (text from the label). The best is if they just store some unique serial number. A QR code should just be an addition to a collection and not replace the data label to a specimen if it has any importance. Labels should only be printed with laser printers or written with pencil on acid free paper if they are any important to you. Anything else fades.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2022 7:50:40 GMT -8
Interesting topic……..btw, future comments/participation from me will be greatly reduced due to what, imho, was over zealous editing on the part of a moderator. Believe me…..I’ve seen much much worse word usage at this site than my one edited descriptor word that was not profane, nor a personal attack. Taking over an hour to post something with facts, advice, and personal experience only to have it edited wo explanation is not conducive to further participation on my part.
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Post by neominos on Feb 19, 2022 17:25:38 GMT -8
bugmanbp,
Go for it! Create your database. I log all my specimens into an Excel spreadsheet so I can use the data however I need it. There is NOTHING wrong with starting a database, even if mistakes are in it. Science is about gather data and being able to use it, fixing errors along the way!!!
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Post by bugmanbp on Feb 26, 2022 20:35:59 GMT -8
nomihoudai, thank you for your feedback I am planning on to use PHP language.
Actually on the QR Codes, I am only using the ID number (serial number) to look up the information, but I would have specimen data on the label. I know that I can print out the label on the laser printer, if you want to print out like 5 labels and then print out another 5 labels on the opposite end then you are wasting some paper that you can use. The reason that I wanted to print out the labels using Dymo printer so that I can print out 1 or 2 labels directly from the website without wasting alot of paper. What I can do, is to pre-print out labels with the QR code or even a barcode with randomly serial number on laser printer and when I need a new label I can scan serial number in the field on that record and print out the label and attach that to the other side of that label. And if it fades I have the serial number on the bottom to reprint out a new one.
neominos, yea planning and been working on it. Yes, I can easily fix if there if are any issues or mistakes.
Also, in addition of the insect collection I want to keep track of all of my PPQ-526 permits and what I can receive and send and be able to upload the permit pdf to review the permit conditions.
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evra
Full Member
Posts: 230
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Post by evra on Feb 27, 2022 13:25:29 GMT -8
I do something quite similar to what you describe. I primarily collect North American moths. I have the locality information in one table, and then I use the prepopulated table from MPG for the taxonomy. Since MS Word has SQL integration, in order to make my labels I populate only a few things, such as Hodges Number, date, locality, and sex and it populates the rest of the data (Genus, species, county, state, latitude, longitude, elevation, collector) automatically into my label which I print out on cardstock.
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