Build Databases on Palm Device with Pilot-DB
Productivity Sauce
I love the technology of yesteryear. That's why I prefer to shoot with my trusty Nikon F-501 film SLR. Film photography can be a great learning experience, but the lack of EXIF data makes mastering the basics more tricky. After all, knowing what aperture and shutter speed values were used in a specific situation can come in rather handy. To solve the problem I enlisted the help of another vintage device: Sony Clié PEG-NX73V. When launched almost a decade ago, it was mind-boggingly expensive, but I bought mine on eBay for peanuts. This Palm OS-based device from Sony features a swanky design, it runs for weeks on a single charge, and it's reasonably fast. More importantly, there are many excellent open source apps available for Palm OS, including my all-time favorite Pilot-DB database. This is a simple yet versatile database app that can be used for a variety of purposes: from maintaining lists and tracking tasks, to building more advanced databases. I used Pilot-DB to maintain a simple database (I named it RollDB) for storing key information (aperture, shutter speed, focal length, lighting conditions, etc.) for each film exposure.
Pilot-DB is capable of handling several field types, including Interger, String, Float, Date, and Time. In addition to that, the app supports more advanced field types like Calculated, Link, and List. The latter type is particularly useful, as it allows you to specify a list of values the user can select from, which can significantly speed up entering data. In RollDB, lists are used to quickly specify aperture, shutter speed, and lighting conditions from a list of predefined values. Pilot-DB also supports user-defined list views. Each list view can contain selected fields, and you can specify each field's size. The ability to duplicate the currently viewed record is a great time-saver which makes it easier to create records containing similar data. For example, when I shoot several frames at the same aperture and shutter speed, I can simply duplicate records instead of entrering them from scratch.
Once a film roll has been finished and developed, I import the digitized photos into digiKam and use it to add key EXIF values to selected images. I also use the Java Pilot-DB desktop application to view and manipulate data stored in the RollDB database. The application is written in Java and it doesn't seem to work with OpenJDK Java 7 Runtime, but it does run fine under OpenJDK Java 6 Runtime.
For your convenience, I made the Pilot-DB and Java Pilot-DB application along with the RollDB database available for download. You can grab them from https://www.box.com/s/miwqtc8hgjli549zqzdf
comments powered by DisqusSubscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Fedora Asahi 40 Remix Available for Macs with Apple Silicon
If you've been anticipating KDE's Plasma 6 for your Apple Silicon-powered Mac, then you're in luck.
-
Red Hat Adds New Deployment Option for Enterprise Linux Platforms
Red Hat has re-imagined enterprise Linux for an AI future with Image Mode.
-
OSJH and LPI Release 2024 Open Source Pros Job Survey Results
See what open source professionals look for in a new role.
-
Proton 9.0-1 Released to Improve Gaming with Steam
The latest release of Proton 9 adds several improvements and fixes an issue that has been problematic for Linux users.
-
So Long Neofetch and Thanks for the Info
Today is a day that every Linux user who enjoys bragging about their system(s) will mourn, as Neofetch has come to an end.
-
Ubuntu 24.04 Comes with a “Flaw"
If you're thinking you might want to upgrade from your current Ubuntu release to the latest, there's something you might want to consider before doing so.
-
Canonical Releases Ubuntu 24.04
After a brief pause because of the XZ vulnerability, Ubuntu 24.04 is now available for install.
-
Linux Servers Targeted by Akira Ransomware
A group of bad actors who have already extorted $42 million have their sights set on the Linux platform.
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.