We have a few fields in the database that are absolute values but really should be ranges. Plant Height and Plant Spread are the two main ones. Right now these are simply fields you type a number in. It's very useful information when you're looking at a plant, but completely useless for searching. Plus it has been a headache keeping those fields consistent, since anyone can type whatever they want into them.

What if we came up with a list of possible "Maximum Heights" and "Maximum Spread" options, and migrate the data into that? Then what I can do is update the search page to let you specify a range that will match anything inside that range? It seems like that would be the right solution for this problem. The only downside is that we'd lose a little bit of the freedom that a text box brings. You'd have to select the closest maximum height. We may also need a minimum height since plants can be anywhere inside of a range, and we'd need to specify the lower and upper range on a plant by plant basis.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

So this would be for the generic sections and not genus specific sections right? Iris and daylilies are already set with their registration heights.

Right, I'm proposing just the primary fields.

But if we liked it and wanted to do the same thing in the custom databases we would have that option.

dave said:...

What if we came up with a list of possible "Maximum Heights" and "Maximum Spread" options, and migrate the data into that?
...
The only downside is that we'd lose a little bit of the freedom that a text box brings. You'd have to select the closest maximum height.

Are you saying that the "Maximum Height" field would be a radio button or a list of specific heights?

Why not make it a number, selected with a slider or a numeric input field?

Perhaps the input field could allow feet, inches, cm or meters, then convert to something consistent internally (like inches) for searching? The display could show inches for values less than 2 feet, and feet above that.

Not a bad idea, Rick.

I noticed on medical site where you input you height, they have one box for feet and one for inches. Like this one for BMI calculator.


You could do this for each of the Max. Height, Min. Height, Max. and Spread. If the plants max. height is eight feet they would enter an 8 in the feet box and 0 in the inches or it could be left blank. If it is eight and a half feet they would enter 8 in the feet and 6 in the inches. Repeat that for minimum height and spread.

Dave, does the language you use include the "RUM" instruction?
That would speed up data entry and make it more reliable.

* "RUM" = Read User's Mind

classic Rick!!

Despite his goofiness (which we all love) he always comes up with great ideas from a fresh perspective.

(goofy emoticon)