Specimen Databases for PC

[Amy Edwards]

>Nancy Hensold wrote:
>"I have just finished a manual entitled "Specimen Databases in Research and
>Collection Management: A Practical Guide for dBase and WordPerfect Users."
>.....
>I'm thinking of putting it up on the Net somehow if there is interest, but I
>don't know a) how widespread use of dBase is; b) how adaptable dBase & WP
>protocol might be to other software app's; and c) whether anyone cares."
>
>Karen Wilson wrote:
>Yes, people are interested, Nancy: a lot of people do use dBase III or IV for
>specimen databases either for research projects or for herbarium curation (see
>
I agree with Karen many people use dBase, and use it in conjunction with
other programs.  We have two curators who have PC's and are using WP, so I
would be very interested in the manual Nancy is talking about.

We use dBase IV, but many of the collection managers also use Macintosh
versions of: MS Excel, MS Word and FileMaker Pro to enter data, create
labels and do reports (almost everyone has a Mac on their desk, while the
dBase PC is in a central area).  We have been working on a manual on how to
convert/move files between dBase and the other programs we use.

It would be great to share the information we have each gained with the
rest of the dBase user community.  It would also be nice to have it all in
one place, as Karen suggested.

Amy


****************************************************
   "There is something fascinating about science.  One gets such
 wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment
              of fact."  Mark Twain - Life on the Mississippi
****************************************************

Amy Edwards, Program Coordinator ------- aedwards at museum.ent.uga.edu

Museum of Natural History        --------        phone (706) 542-4137
University of Georgia            --------            FAX 706-542-3920
Athens, GA 30602