As long as you're not using an Access DB (which has a 2GB limit) storing the
pictures in the DB shouldn't present too many problems. I'm stuck using Access
for most of my work (97 no less!). Most all of the functionality is built
using VBA. You should be able to do most wildcard searches and whatnot with
existing Access functions though, namely the Like() function. I've built user
query interfaces with search fields linked to a Like("[Field]") in the query.
People can use any of the wildcard operators they wish directly into the search
field.
It sounds like you know what you're doing though... Good luck!
-matt
-----Original Message-----
From: olympus-owner@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:olympus-owner@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Allan Mee
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2006 8:01 AM
To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [OM] Re: My proposed database fields
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
>
>
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