From: PJ > Bob McConnell wrote: >> From: PJ >> >>> I'd like to get some input on how to deal with recipes. >>> use html pages to store and display, XML or db or... ? And what about >>> clips, like flvs ? TIA. >>> >>> >> >> There are as many ways to do cookbooks as there are cooks. I am familiar >> with half a dozen, without counting the professional packages put out by >> another department here where I work. >> >> RecipeML is one option, but it is seriously incomplete if you need to >> include nutritional information. >> >> Qookbooks, Gormet (Gnome), Krecipes (KDE) MealMaster, Master Cook, >> Recipants, etc. all have different storage formats and display formats. >> Some are well documented, some are buried in the code, and some are >> still kept secret. You can take your pick, or combine them and roll your >> own. >> >> A bigger issue is how to import existing recipe files. I have several >> years of messages collected from newsgroups like rec.food.recipes, >> r.f.cooking, r.f.baking, etc. that I would like to put into a usable, >> and searchable format. But there are too many variations in the formats >> and naming conventions used to be able to write a single routine to >> handle them all. It is much easier just to use those already published >> in MealMaster formats. At least that one is documented clearly now that >> they are out of business. >> >> Bob McConnell >> > Thank you gentlemen. Basically, that's what I figured. But this does > give me some more stuff to mull over. The only thing I'm really > wondering is if it's worth doing anything with XML. > I do have a number of recipes already in HTML; probably will try to > re-use them and modify/or adapt with CSS. > Thanks, again.
A lot depends on what you are actually going to do with them. If you need output in several different forms, then XML/XSLT might be the best way to go. But, I have seen an automated translation of the RecipeML DTD into an SQL schema, and it was not pretty. Unless you are very familiar with XML, or just want some practice, I wouldn't go there. I have been looking at this idea for some time, and have pretty much decided on a Postgres server for the back end with a custom schema. There are several features I want that are not all available in any of the consumer grade packages I have seen; like a web based front end, exclusion of specific ingredients due to allergies and being able to attach dated notes about alterations or substitutions I try each time I prepare a recipe. I just need to sit down with my collected notes and a few days to patch it together. But lately I have been spending most of my time with our grandchildren instead of the computer. Good luck, Bob McConnell -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
