1. Recent Experience using PDAs as Field Data Recorders Peter Gould and Connie Harrington Pacific Northwest Research Station

2. Overview Devices and software. Creating an application for data collection. Examples

3. Range of devices are available ≈$300 - $500 ≈$1500 ≈$2500 - $4000

4. Software: SprintDB Pro (www.kaione.com) What’s good: Easy to get started. Takes advantage of touch screen. Desktop developer version; intuitive development environment. Uses MS Access databases. Extensive macro language. Inexpensive ($75 for desktop + device versions)

5. Software: SprintDB Pro What’s not-as-good: Runs with Windows Mobile (some devices use Windows CE). Still need MS ActiveSync for import/export. Desktop version not exactly the same as device.

6. Parts of an SpDB Application Tables: Store the data Forms: enter, view, edit data using a comfortable interface. –Multiple forms in one app; main and subforms. –macros: reusable code within a form. Queries: Compares, summarizes, and subsets data in tables. Also run queries in forms via SQL statements. Modules: reusable code available to all forms in the application.

7. Creating an Application Open / create database. Create forms. Test. Export to device (if using desktop developer).

8. Creating Forms

9. Adding Objects

10. Recording Data: Edit Box

11. Making Things Happen: Events

12. Example 1: Plot Remeasurement Pull-down menu to select site Custom keyboard List of plots in the site “Conditional formatting” grey- out plots that have been completed. Data recorded on multiple tabs

13. Previous measurements place alongside edit boxes for new ones

14. Copy prism tally from previous plot (plots close together). Copy tree and plot information Enter species codes w/ these buttons.

15. Example 2: DF Budburst Conditional formatting: change color when budburst is recorded.

16. Example 2: DF Budburst Record date from system clock.

17. Example 2: DF Budburst Record “canned” comments; buttons turn red when pressed. Built-in QWERTY keyboard for detailed comments.

18. Link database with analysis for rapid results 30 seconds later…

19. Example 3: Stem Mapping Calculate X-Y Coordinate SetVar(@new_x,&current_x+ sin(&AZ*3.14159/180)*&DIST) SetVar(@new_y,&current_y + cos(&AZ*3.14159/180)*&DIST) SetVar(@new_x,round(@new_x,1)) SetVar(@new_y,round(@new_y,1)) UpdateRecord(MainForm,map1.point_x,@new_x,No) UpdateRecord(MainForm,map1.point_y,@new_y,No) Current location Enter distance and azimuth to new feature

20. Example 3: Stem Mapping UpdateRecord(MainForm,map1.temp_x,(map1.point_x-@x_center)*@scale + 5,No) UpdateRecord(MainForm,map1.temp_y,230-((map1.point_y-@y_center)*@scale) - 5,No) DrawText(map1.temp_x,map1.temp_y,@type,@color,,@font)

21. Other Software (Windows Mobile) vSnap : creates images of “screenshots” on mobile devices (I used it for this presentation). DictMgr: lets you teach your device new words (e.g., dbh) for the autocomplete feature (both vSnap and DictMgr from www.mobile-sg.com). New software is coming out all of the time!