Features list for bonsai management software?

meushi

Dear BT members,

I am toying with the idea of making a web application to manage my tree collection. I think this could be useful for other people as well, but I am still new to tree management... so I am starting this thread to gather potential users requirements

At the moment, a short list of my requirements includes:
-Multi users (possibly multi-lingual)
-Species index, with extra information (soil PH, drainage, position, propagation, name in various languages)
-Individual tree history with pictures, annotations and possibly comments
-Calendar (reminders for fertilizer, maintenance, ...)

If the project goes through, the application will be released as an opensource project.

Thanks for your time,
Mike

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bonsaibuckaroo

I was thinking of the same exact thing! Only mine was going to be just a journal I could document with, like when they were purchased, wired, last fertilized, etc...


Great idea! I'd love to see something like that!

420foy

Hey,
Just recently I created an Excel spreadsheet that did numerous things. First you would put in the type of tree, (Maple, Junipers, Olive, etc.) then if it were large/small, young/mature. After this info was put in, it would show what type of soil mixture to use, (how much of what) and what months to best transplant it in, along with some that transplant after defoliation.
It works seamlessly and can easily be added onto and refrenced.
If you would like, I'd be happy to help contribute to your cause.

-420

Alasdair

There is alrey one out there. Somebody on this forum posted it, all i can remember is that it was made by somebody in Italy. I really should have bookmarked it as i wanted to download it when i get a better PC.

Anyone know what i'm on about?

Al

__________________
I can feel another "I wish that was my tree" moment coming on...
Currently studying BSc Plant Biology at the Universty of Wales, Aberystwyth

Alasdair

Here we go:

http://forum.bonsaitalk.com/showthread.php?t=18980

__________________
I can feel another "I wish that was my tree" moment coming on...
Currently studying BSc Plant Biology at the Universty of Wales, Aberystwyth

zen

Perhaps one could preset dates on an "alarm" or "alert" calander, within the program.
This would allow one to choose a date when, the wire should be checked on this tree, or when to check the roots of an air layer, or when to repot, etc. Then the program will alert you with a popup window on the date/s selected, to remind one to perform whatever task one predetermined that this would be close to the correct date to perform said task.
Just my coupla-pennies.

__________________
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~ Alan Watts (1915-1973)

http://www.bonsaiswap.com/

meushi

I am aware of this product, but it depends on something I don't have: Microsoft Windows.

<rant>
For practical, ethical and economical reasons, I refuse to use microsoft products (and haven't used for close to 10 years now).
</rant>

I am therefore more or less reimplementing the same product without any dependency on microsoft products (as long as you have a web browser, you can use it).

rowan57

Meushi, do you use Linux?

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I often talk to myself because i am the only one who truly understands me.

meushi

Progress update:

I had a few minutes free tonight, so I started working on the idea

Database

1. basic db done
2. genus
3. species
4. cultivar
5. tree
6. bonsai

Application logic

1. create/edit/delete genus, species, tree and bonsai
2. link the species to a genus
3. link the cultivar to a species
4. link the tree to a cultivar
5. link the bonsai to a tree
6. search the bonsai list for a particular tree, cultivar or species (genus search should be done tomorrow)

Presentation

1. very basic webpages at the moment, no decorations
2. drop down selection of the genus when creating a species
3. drop down selection of the species when creating a cultivar
4. drop down selection of the cultivar when creating a tree
5. drop down selection of the tree when creating a bonsai

Seeing that most cultivars more or less follow the requirements of their parent species, the care notes will be linked to the species (with possible special note per cultivar, of course).

I think I got the relationship right for the bonsai, but I'm not 100% sure
Let's say I have a Juniperus Horizontalis "Lime Glow" Literati, it is a Literati bonsai made from a JH "LG" "tree", which is a cultivar of the species Juniperus Horizontalis, which is a species of the genus Juniperus, right? Or am I going too far and planning/implementing functionality nobody else will ever use?

Anyways, time to sleep some.

Gnite,
Mike