AVSA First Class Database on Mobile Devices

Transcription

1 Page 1 of 15 AVSA First Class Database on Mobile Devices Contents 1. Introduction Hardware and Software Requirements Exporting the First Class Database Android Devices Preparing the External microsd Card Importing the CSV File into Memento Database Accessing First Class Database in Memento Database ios Devices Importing the CSV File into Private DB Accessing First Class Database in Private DB Introduction First Class is a commercial computer program developed by the African Violet Society of America (AVSA) that allows quick and accurate lookup of species and cultivar names and descriptions found in the Master List of Species and Cultivars. It also includes over 8,000 plant photographs. Although First Class is only available on Windows-based systems, its ability to export data allows the entire database and the associated plant photographs to be imported into other systems including mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. While this does not readily provide other First Class functions such as label generation/printing and database update via the Internet, it will provide a selfcontained, portable and searchable First Class database on mobile devices. This document illustrates how to make the First Class database and its associated photographs available on Android and ios mobile devices. Aside from the First Class software, the entire process is accomplished using only free apps. A similar process can be used to port the First Class database over to MacOS running database software such as FileMaker (commercial). All trademarks, trade names and product names appearing in this article are the properties of their respective owners. Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved.

2 Page 2 of Hardware and Software Requirements The following hardware and software are required for the process: A Windows-based computer equipped with a legal copy of First Class Version 2 software (Version or later with AVML Database Jan 2014 or later). For Android devices: Smart phones and tablets running Android 2.2 or above An external microsd card compatible with the Android mobile device An SD card reader attached to the computer or an Internet file hosting service such as GoogleDrive or DropBox to transfer files between the computer and the mobile device Android app Memento Database (free) on the mobile device Android app OI File Manager (free) on the mobile device For ios devices: iphones, ipads or ipad Minis running ios 7.0 or above Apple itunes installed on the computer ios app Private DB (free) on the mobile device Two different apps are used, each for a different operating system platform, because Memento Database is only available for Android and Private DB is only available for ios.

3 Page 3 of Exporting the First Class Database 3.1. Run First Class Select the "Print" tab and then the "File Options" tab on the right Select option "CSV File for Mobile Devices (see instructions)" Under region "Type of Mobile Device", select one of the options depending on the type of mobile device. This specifies the location where the photos will be stored in the device as shown in the table below: Type of Mobile Device Android with images stored on internal SD card Android with images stored on external SD card ios Device Other (type in photo storage path below) Photo Storage Path file:///mnt/sdcard/memento/files/first%20class/ file:///mnt/extsdcard/memento/files/first%20class/ (empty) User-defined location Users who do not wish to import photos with the database can select any one of the above options. It is recommended that plant photos be stored in an external microsd card for an Android device whenever possible since the entire photos folder takes up more than 110 Mb of storage space Left click once on button labeled "Save..." and then left click once on button "Save" to generate the CSV file. The default file name is "avml_yyyy-mm-dd.csv" (e.g. avml_ csv) which indicates the name of the database (AVML) and the date which the file was created Select File/Exit to exit First Class.

4 Page 4 of Android Devices There are several ways to transfer the CSV File created in Step 3.5 from the Windows-based computer to an Android device, among them include: the CSV file as an attachment, open the using the Android app (Gmail) and save the attachment to the device upload the CSV file to a file hosting service such as GoogleDrive or Dropbox and download it to the device using the corresponding app on the device transfer the CSV file to the device via an external microsd card The following instructions described how to transfer the CSV file to the device via an external microsd card since it does not require installing additional apps or creating additional accounts. Furthermore, for those who wish to transfer plant photos with the database, it will take time and storage capacity to transfer over 8,000 photos over the Internet. Thus it is highly recommended that photos be stored in an external microsd card Preparing the External microsd Card Remove the microsd card from the Android device and insert it into a card reader (built-in or external) in the computer where First Class is installed. A microsd-to-sd card adapter (usually comes with the microsd card) may be required Create the following folders and subfolders in the main folder of the microsd card: memento memento\files memento\files\first Class Copy the CSV file created in Step 3.5 to folder memento in the microsd card Copy all files in the First Class "photos" folder (default location is C:\First Class\photos) to folder memento\files\first Class in the microsd card Users who do not wish to import photos with the database can skip this step Insert the microsd card back to the Android device Importing the CSV File into Memento Database Download and install the Android apps Memento Database and OI File Manager from the Google Play Store Tap on the OI File Manager icon to start the app. (Figure 1) Select mnt/extsdcard/memento. (Figure 2)

5 Page 5 of 15 Figure 1 Figure Tap and hold to select the file name created in Step 3.5. (Figure 3) Tap the three-dots icon on the top right, then tap on Copy. (Figures 4 & 5) Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure Select mnt/sdcard/memento. (Figure 6) Tap on the Menu Key (area to the left of the home button) then tap on Paste to paste the CSV file to mnt/sdcard/memento. (Figures 7 & 8)

6 Page 6 of 15 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure Users who selected to store images on the internal microsd card in Step 3.4 can repeat Steps to to copy all the files from mnt/extsdcard/memento/files to mnt/sdcard/memento/files Exit Ol File Manager Tap on the Memento Database icon to run the app Select + Add Library. In Memento Database, each database is known as a library Select Custom Enter First Class as the library name Tap on the icon then select a different icon or select Choose your own icon. Select Photos and select an image from the photo gallery for the library Select ADD next to LIBRARY ENTRY FIELD to add the following fields. Select DONE after completing each field. For all the following field entries, leave options Default value and Dependencies of the field untouched (i.e., no default value and no dependency) and leave option Required unchecked. Field name Field hint Field Type Autocomplete Display in the list as Display field name Photo Photo Image N/A Thumbnail Unchecked Name Name Text Checked Entry name Checked Alias Alias Text Checked Regular field Checked Registration No. Registration Number Text Checked Regular field Checked Date Date Date Checked Regular field Checked Hybridizer Hybridizer Text Checked Regular field Checked Blossom Blossom Description Text Checked Entry description Checked Foliage Foliage Description Text Checked Regular field Checked Type Type Text Checked Entry status Checked Additional Info Additional Info Text Checked Regular field Checked Note Personal Notes Text Checked Regular field Checked Photo2 Alternate Photo Image N/A Thumbnail Unchecked

7 Page 7 of Select DONE to save library structure and complete the library entry Tap on library First Class on open the library Tap on the Menu Key (area to the left of the home button)) and select the First Class library Settings Tap on Import from CSV and tap on the.csv file displayed Tap on Import to start the import. This may take up to 30 minutes depending on the speed of your Android device. Tap OK once the import has been completed. It is recommended that you set the Screen Timeout in Settings/Display of the smart device to maximum (30 minutes) before starting the import as Memento Database will restart from the beginning when interrupted Tap on the Back Key (lower right region) to exit Settings Tap on the Back Key again to go back to MY LIBRARIES Tap on the Menu Key and select the Memento Database app Settings and configure the following options: Menu Option Database location File Storage File storage folder Copy to storage Delete originals Font size Entry name Entry description Entry status Field name Field value Auto-backup Directory for auto-backup Selection SD Card /mnt/extsdcard/memento/files (or mnt/sdcard/memento/files depending on choice in Step 3.4) Unchecked Greyed out Checked /mnt/extsdcard/memento/files/backup (or /mnt/sdcard/memento/files/backup depending on choice in Step 3.4)

8 Page 8 of Accessing First Class Database in Memento Database Tap once on the Memento Database icon to run the app. The following screen will appear (Figure 9). Figure Tap once the First Class entry to open the First Class database. This may take a few minutes depending on the speed of your device. What you will see is the screen in Figure 10. Once the complete database is loaded, it will look like the screen in Figure 11. The primary photos will appear on the left for entries that have photos. Figure 10 Figure 11

9 Page 9 of Tap once on the desired entry to display all the information pertaining to that entry like the example below (Figures 12 & 13). Swipe up and down to scroll and view all information. Figure 12 Figure To search the database, swipe from right to left and tap on Search then enter the search string (Figure 14). Use of wildcard character (*) is allowed. Press and hold the Menu Key will also invoke the Search function as shown in Figure 15. Figure 14 Figure 15

10 Page 10 of ios Devices 5.1. Importing the CSV File into Private DB Download and install the ios app Private DB from the Apple App Store Run itunes on the PC Locate the ios device on the left menu under DEVICES and left click on it once to select it. If WiFi sync is not enabled on the ios device, connect the device to the PC via a USB cable On the right top menu, left click once on menu item Apps Scroll down to the bottom section named File Sharing On the left under Apps, scroll down to locate item Private DB and left click once to select it On the right under Private DB Documents, scroll to the bottom and left click once on the button labelled Add Select the master CSV file created in Step 3.5 and left click once on button labelled Open to upload it to the device. The file will be listed under Private DB Documents once uploading is completed Repeat Step and select all files in the First Class "photos" folder (default location is C:\First Class\photos) and left click once on button labelled Open to upload them to the device. Apparently, itunes cannot handle selection of 8,000+ files all at once (the selection window will simply disappear but nothing gets transferred). To overcome this shortcoming, select approximately 500 files at a time and repeat this multiple times until all photos have been transferred. This may take some time depending on the speed of the device and the type and speed of the connection between the device and the PC (via a USB cable or WiFi) Once all photos have been transferred to Private DB Documents, select File/Exit to exit itunes. Figure 16

11 Page 11 of Tap on the Private DB icon to run the app. A No Tables warning will appear (Figure 16). Tap Close to remove this warning Tap on button labeled Tables on the upper left corner and tap the Files icon (shape of a folder) at the bottom of the window (Figure 17). Tap once to select the file selected in Step (Figure 18). Figure 17 Figure Tap once on field 1st line and change Data to Field Name (Figure 19) and tap once on field Delete all rows first and change NO to YES (Figure 20). Figure 19 Figure 20

12 Page 12 of Tap on the button labelled Import. A window will pop up showing the progress of the import (Figure 21). It is highly recommended that Auto-Lock be set to Never under Settings/General in ios temporarily as Private DB will abort the import when interrupted Once the master CSV file has been imported successfully, an entry avml_yyyy-mm (e.g. avml_ ) will appear when tapped on Tables (Figure 22). Select that to display the First Class database (Figure 23). Figure 21 Figure Tap on the Settings icon (shape of a gear) and selected Definition (Figure 24). Figure 23 Figure 24

13 Page 13 of Move the Photo field to the very top, delete field Photo_Num and change the type of fields Photo and Photo2 to type Photo. Then tap once on Done (Figure 25). For those who do not wish to import photos, delete fields Photo and Photo2. Figure 25 Figure Tap on the Lock icon (shape of a pad lock) underneath the Settings icon (Figure 26) and adjust the column spacing to display the primary photo thumbnail and the name properly. Tap on the Lock icon again to lock the setting. The display should look like Figure 27. Figure 27

14 Page 14 of Accessing First Class Database in Private DB Tap on the Private DB icon to run the app. Tap on the top middle icon to switch to split screen display (Figure 28). Swipe the bottom list up and down to browse and tap on the desired entry to view the details on the top half. Figure Tap on the full-screen icon (two arrows pointing outward, Figure 29) to expand the single entry display to full screen. Tap on the shrink icon (two arrows pointing inward, Figure 30) to revert back to spilt screen display. Figure 29 Figure 30

15 Page 15 of Tap on the Search icon (shape of a magnifying glass, Figure 31) to invoke the search function. Tap on a particular field and enter a search string (Figure 32). Figure 31 Figure 32