Okay, so my plant database is getting huge. Looking for some shortcuts and I was thinking using a bar code system would be very helpful. Does anyone know if there's some software out there for that type of usage that isn't too expensive?

Your question got me thinking ... more research needed but this is a good overview of sorts:

http://www.wikihow.com/Create-...

Forgot to add,

I feel your pain.

How would a barcode help you?

We use QR codes here when we want to easily link to a plant in the database.

What is a QR code?
Not sure how a barcode would help specifically but something shorter than a full label?

QR codes are like barcodes but contain much, much more information in them. If you look at a plant in our database, over on the left the black and white boxy graphic is a QR code. Scan it with your smart phone scanning app (if you have one) and you'll see how it works.

So is there a way to print out the QR codes for all the plants in my database so I could put that on my plant labels?

DUH!

QR Codes ... Definitely worth looking into - I desperately need something to better categorize my plant inventory.

@jvdubb you can copy and paste the QR code from each plant in the database here. You asked if there was a way to do "them all" but I'm not sure exactly what you mean by that. There are over 600,000 plants in the database at ATP.

Xeramtheum said:I desperately need something to better categorize my plant inventory.

The plant list system here automatically categorizes your plant list by genus and you can also create additional other categories to further organize them.

@dave I was wondering if I could print out all the QR codes for the plants in my plant list. I don't need to print out all the QR codes for the ATP database! So it seems the answer is yes. But it still requires me copying and pasting each and every QR code.

See, I want to put the QR codes on labels out by my plants.

I can help with that but not immediately since it's Sunday and I'm about to leave my office for a while. Give me til tomorrow and I bet I can give you a really nice "Grab all the QR codes from all my plants" kind of tool.

dave said: Give me til tomorrow and I bet I can give you a really nice "Grab all the QR codes from all my plants" kind of tool.

Dave, It always amazes me what you are willing and eager to help us with!

@dave Wow Dave, that is so super cool! But NO hurry! I have not finished making my plant list yet. It is my winter project. I only have about one tenth done yet.

What I'm talking about is my plant inventory spread sheet here at home .. categorize was the wrong word I guess I meant keeping track of all the plants in the list.

I understand now, Anne.

jvdubb, would a simple table suffice, where it shows the QR code in the first column, then the plant name in the second column?

As long as it is printable, yes Dave, that would be awesome!

@dave I'm not sure exactly how your creation will work. But do you need to know my label size ahead of time or will your creation be adjustable?

I can't make it exactly the size of your labels or anything like that. I can just give you a page with a line-by-line list of your plants with their QR codes on each line. Then you can copy it off and format it to your liking. Ideally it'll be more convenient than going into each plant in the database one by one to get each QR code.

Sounds great Dave!

Again, no hurry!!

Sorry I have been absent. I was traveling. And I originally asked the question for Jen anyway. Seems she and Dave are working on what she needs. Thanks @dave !