The Spot-Growth Database is slightly misnamed. It isn't a
database in the traditional single binary-file of relational
data accessed through special applications and query languages
sense. What the SharpSpb Spot-Growth Database is, is a
well-defined, using international standards, schema, or structure,
for entomological field and experimental data. Data from
decades of projects on dozens of doctorates from hundreds of actual
infestations stored on floppy disks and web servers and in paper
files can now be collected under one encompassing structure, and
this set of data can be maintained and its integrity verified by
scientists and administrators.
A single source of verified data that can be used to
demonstrate the accuracy of the model, or for other
applications.
The Spot-Growth Database is a set of inter-related data-tables,
the combined ninety or so data-columns defining every possible
datum from a Southern Pine Beetle infestation spot-visit. In
addition to the schema are multiple methods, implemented in C#, for
reading existing, prior, sets of data into the Spot-Growth
Database. A powerful application for the Windows desktop was
also created which provides tools for all aspects of creating,
editing, reading, validating, and referencing southern pine beetle
infestation field (spot) visits as a Spot-Growth Database.
The Spot-Growth Database is ready for the interested parties to
adopt and use, but at this moment there isn't yet a single set of
collected, verified data.
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Diagram of the Schema for the Spot Growth
Database
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How Did the Spot-Growth Database Come to Be?
Memory limitations and no settled upon standard for data
resulted in fractured sets of information. Data from field visits
and experiments takes different froms both hardcopy and electronic.
Result is fragmented dataset, with no relational information, and a
complexity whichs ends up hiding relevant information.
An All-Encompassing Structure for Field Data Was Required
One common electronic file format was labeled with an "spb"
extension. In addition to information included in the file, valid,
important information was also included in the filename (and only
in the filename). A file named ARK1V1.SPB would contain information
about the first visit to the spot with an id, "ARK1". The file
contents:
Another file format was called "asp",
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A desktop application for Windows was created to provide access
to all the various tools associated with the Spot-Browth
Database.
It is important to distinguish with the Spot-Growth Database
between the creation and administration of the database as opposed
to the consumption and use of the information in the SGDB.
The desktop application is for high-level users who will be
reading in electronic file formats or typing in hardcopy, or other
means of creating the data. Verifying this data, confirming
its truth, is left to the scientists, but quite a bit of
data-validation, confirming its logical meaning, is done by the
adminstration application.
Once a unified collection of field data has been assembled, it
still remains to host this information somewhere and regulate
access
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The SpotGrowth Schema utilizes specialized Microsoft namespaces
to enable ADO.NET DataSet creation from the schema, while still
providing a generic description for other, platform independant,
tools.
