I can, as you say, do third form normalisation and link and cross-reference
all manner of tables (useful for having drop-down combo boxes where the info
can be easliy chosen from a drop-down list - which can save typing and
reduce typos for the user). I can make the image storage in the database
itself optional. The advantage of storing the image in the database is that
the image itself wouldn't get moved and/or lost so easily. It would also
permit you to work on one version with you knowing you maybe have a backup
version. Apart from the size of the database itself, it would make
transferral of all the images to another computer easier - you just
copy/transfer the whole database over. Storing the images makes for slightly
faster loading (not really an issue on modern PCs) - and heavy storage
penalties. BUT, I could implement some security on the database so that only
someone who knows the password(s) can view the data/images held in the
database.
One advantage of writing your own software is that you can do pretty much
whatever you want. I think, for me, the main advantage of the program would
be the flexible search facilities - I can build queries from any info that
the user can type in and look for matching records - including using parsed
wildcard searches - e.g. for subject looking for "*sun*" would find any
image with the letters sun anywhere in the subject heading - e.g. would
match with sunset0010, morning-sun, sunglow, rising-sun, two suns, sunspots,
fun in the sun, etc. etc.
Or I could list all photos taken with a Nikon d2h, etc. etc.
Or all images taken with a Nikon d2h and having the letters sun in the
subject heading - thus narrowing the search to more specific targets.
I can write parsing routines that can deal with just about any criteria or
levels of sophistication that the user wants to use (and include wildcards,
such as ? and * and other criteria such as less than a certain value or
greater than a certain value). The * wildcard will be a bit more flexible
than the DOS one, so for example, "*<123" would match with images having
anything before the number but finishing with "0" up to "122" after - e.g.
sun0, sunspots10, jane27,mum122 would all be found - but mum baking and
mum123 wouldn't. Note that '<' and '>' wouldn't be allowed as part of the
text stored in the field on the database (although I could modify that as
unless prefixed or suffixed by some kind of special modifier - perhaps a
character with an umlaut, say, such as ü" - or whatever character/means, if
any, I choose to implement). Some other characters my be disallowed - e.g.
quote marks and commas where they can interfere with the workings of the
database. But any sensible front end includes a parser which 'validates'
(and verifies) user input before committing it to the database or search
engine etc.
Must as I would like to talk more about this, I gotta go out now.
Laters,
Allan
PS No trees were harmed in the sending of this message and a very large
number of electrons were asked their permission to be terribly
inconvenienced. (And threw a party for them afterwards for being really cool
about it).
Disrupting the unnatural balance that you, as a conscious human being and a
confused mass of energy, have created.
-Disturb the mind -
>From: "Matthew Bristol" <bristolm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Reply-To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxx
>To: <olympus@xxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: [OM] Re: My proposed database fields
>Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2006 07:00:06 -0600
>
>
>I would do a bit of normalization. I would store camera and lens info
>in different tables. Then one could store more information about each
>of those and link to the entries in your pictures table. You also might
>want a table of film types as well that you could link to. Also, why
>would you need to store both the link to the picture AND a copy of the
>picture? It seems once you started editing pictures, it might be hard
>to keep straight which copy is the most current.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: olympus-owner@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:olympus-owner@xxxxxxxxxx] On
>Behalf Of Allan Mee
>Sent: Sunday, December 10, 2006 1:22 PM
>To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: [OM] My proposed database fields
>
>
>Here's my first thoughts regarding database fields for the database I'm
>going to write in VB - with a couple of made up examples of records.
>Any thoughts? Have I missed anything obvious?
>Allan
>
>Fields:
>RefNo: 000001 (Auto-generated by access)
>FileSpec: C:\MyDocuments\MyPictures\DSC001.JPG
>Date/Time: 12/12/2006 18:59:00
>Subject: Roxie the cat
>Shoot Desc: Rulers Of The Roost
>Location: Home
>Shot By: Me
>Edited: No
>Camera Make: Canon
>Model: EOS DIGITAL REBEL 300D
>Camera Type: DLSR
>Flash Used: No
>FlashType: Built-in
>Lens Used: 18-50mm EFS
>Focal Length: 70 mm
>Exposure Time: 1/500 sec
>Aperture: f/5.6
>ISO: 200
>Exposure Bias: -1/3
>White Balance: AWB
>Metering Mode: Matrix
>Image Format: JPEG
>JPEG Quality: High/Fine
>Exposure Program: Aperture Priority
>Focus Distance: 5m
>CFCardRefNo:0001
>ImageWidth: 1024
>ImageHeight: 768
>ColourInfo: 32-bit RGB+Alpha
>Scanned: No
>Image: (copy of actual image stored)
>
>RefNo: 000002 (Auto-generated by access)
>FileSpec: C:\MyDocuments\MyPictures\DSC002.JPG
>Date/Time: 12/12/2006 20:04:17
>Subject: Ben the dog
>Shoot Desc: Rulers Of The Roost
>Location: Garden
>Shot By: Me
>Edited: No
>Camera Make: Canon
>Model: A1
>Camera Type: 35mm
>Flash Used: No
>FlashType: None
>Lens Used: 28mm Cosina
>Focal Length: 28 mm
>Exposure Time: 1/250 sec
>Aperture: f/4
>ISO: 200
>Exposure Bias: -1/3
>White Balance: NA
>Metering Mode: Centre-Weighted
>Image Format: JPEG
>JPEG Quality: High/Fine
>Exposure Program: Aperture Priority
>Focus Distance: 10m
>CFCardRefNo:NA
>ImageWidth: 800
>ImageHeight: 600
>ColourInfo: 16-bit RGB+Alpha
>Scanned: Yes
>Image: (copy of actual image stored)
>
>
>
>
>PS No trees were harmed in the sending of this message and a very large
>number of electrons were asked their permission to be terribly
>inconvenienced. (And threw a party for them afterwards for being really
>cool
>about it).
>
>Disrupting the unnatural balance that you, as a conscious human being
>and a
>confused mass of energy, have created.
>-Disturb the mind -
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>It's Hotmail's 10th Birthday! Come and play Pass the Parcel
>http://www.msnpasstheparcel.com
>
>
>==============================================
>List usage info: http://www.zuikoholic.com
>List nannies: olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
>==============================================
>This message (and any associated files) is intended only for the use of the
>individual or entity to which it is addressed, and may contain information
>that is confidential, subject to copyright or constitutes a trade secret.
>If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any
>dissemination, copying or distribution of this message or files associated
>with the message are strictly prohibited. If you have received this message
>in error, kindly notify us immediately by replying to the message and
>deleting it from your computer
>==============================================
>List usage info: http://www.zuikoholic.com
>List nannies: olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
>==============================================
_________________________________________________________________
Be the first to hear what's new at MSN - sign up to our free newsletters!
http://www.msn.co.uk/newsletters
==============================================
List usage info: http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies: olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================
|