Base, connect to map/grid ?

users
#1

Base, can I link a database to a map/grid/spreadsheet grid – not really sure
how to ak this or what is possible, doable or worth attempting so bear with
me.
An explanation of what I want to do.
I like gardening and keep on buying plants and sticking them in around the
garden, most have difficult names and I have a crap memory. At some point
I'll be wandering around the garden see a plant and have no idea what it is.
I'd like to create a map of my garden and record where a plant is and its
name (common and Latin) etc in a database. Possibly such an application
already exists (free) if it does I haven’t found it.

So is it possible to connect a database to a map/grid/whatever to do what I
want

Any thoughts help appreciated

#2

Graham, I'm wondering how the location of a plant is specified. In trying
to imagine how I would do that I thought of GPS coordinates. Decided the
numbers would be too big, not easy to remember, and probably not accurate
enough. Then I thought I could build my own grid around the garden. One
vector would be the X coordinate, the other the Y coordinate.

If you don't mind marking your garden borders with an X and Y coordinate
your database (or spreadsheet) would be as follows.
field (column) 1 : X value
field (column) 2 : Y value
field (column) 3 : common name
field (column) 4 : Latin name

Then, when you want names, look them up by the X,Y value.

What do you think?

#3

MySQL comes with mapping capabilities, I believe.
There is, or used to be, a large section in its manual about how that
works.

I don't know how it works because I've never taken the time to read
those sections, but it might give you an idea on how to implement
something.

Regards
Mark

#4

Unless you're talking about a really BIG garden (ie: hundreds of plants), a true database seems to me like overkill.

I would suggest creating a map (on paper, or however is convenient for you) and overlaying it with a grid where each square equals no more than one square foot (or maybe 25 centimeters, since you're not in the USA). Title the rows & columns just like a spreadsheet would.

Then, ON a spreadsheet, I'd list everything you plant, with column A as the plant description, and column B being the grid location. As you add more plants, you can either re-sort the table to keep the list in alphabetical order, or just insert new rows where they belong on the list. (This provides the added convenience of adding more info in additional columns on the fly, if the need makes itself apparent.)

If that DOES get so large that a true database seems more convenient, this spreadsheet and map will have already given you a good head-start on how to design the database.

Hope this helps,
Tim Deaton

#5

Yes, pencils and paper are the way to go. As for the inventory, I would
always prefer a simple database over a spreadsheet. Databases are so much
easier to handle over the years (but a bit more difficult to start with).

#6

Hello and thanks for the replies
Should have replied a bit sooner but things kept getting in the way

I already do the name tag in the ground to an extent, but they are
unsightly, go missing and are the bare minimum.
Latin names are useful, not all plants have a common name, common names tend
do be non specific.
I'll also be recording things like date purchased, where from, price, life,
propagation.

I looked at the mysql possible way and was left a bit bamboozled, couldn't
find an example that did what I wanted and didn’t want to go down that path
unless I knew it would do what I want and be double by me – i've failed with
sql before, just a bit beyond me. Thanks for suggesting though.
A database I can do though – to an extent.

Looks like for me the way to do it is draw out the area in a spreadsheet
(calc) and use the cell reference in a separate database. Would have been
nice to have something integrated but such is life.

Thanks for the help