Just completed the first release of Keyout, software to
automate dichotomous keys like those used in entomology and
botany.
Fixes:
* It's now in 3, 1 meg files.
* Rewrote the best-question and proctor algorithms to
make them faster and better.
* Simplified and rewrote the help files. (Hey! How can
you use it if you can understand the instructions?)
* Improved the sample database.
* Made inumerable fixes to several cosmetic and not so
cosmetic bugs.
=====================================================
Features:
* Designers can include graphics and text to explain what
they mean.
* Since all the data is stored in a database, the size of
the key is limited only by the space on your harddrive.
* Has algorithm to determine the best question to ask.
* Has algorithm to rapidly eliminate choices.
* Easily edited, updated, and modified.
* Takes full advantage of the Windows GUI environment.
* Code is available.
* You get me for tech support: bayers at kaiwan.com
* Comes with a sample database key to adult insect orders.
Downside:
* It's big, 3 meg zipped. Hey! Blame Microsoft. Part
of that is the insect orders database.
* Since the key is on a database, I relied on SQL
statements to manipulate the data. It can be slow.
* The graphics were a bit of a trade off. I wanted
graphics big enough to be usable, but small so that the
database wouldn't be so big.
* I built the graphics editor myself, it's no Correl Draw;
however, you can use the Windows clipboard to import
graphics from other programs.
Requirements:
You'll need a PC capable of running Windows 3.1.
It was tested on a 486DX/66 with 16 meg of RAM, a P100 with
16 meg of RAM and a 486SX/33 with 8 meg of RAM. The first
two were running Win95, the last one had Windows 3.1. It
ran best on the Pentium. :)
Installation:
1. FTP the three files from:
ftp.coast.net/mirrors/SimTel/win3/biology
They are: ko1_1of3.zip, ko1_2of3.zip, and ko1_3of3.zip
If you use the web, you can find them at the following
link:
www.kaiwan.com/~bayers/keyout.html
2. Make a temporary directory and unzip the files to it.
3. If you are updating keyout, deltree the old keyout
directory. Otherwise Windows won't let you install it.
4. Start Windows. DON'T START ANY OTHER PROGRAMS! Click
on the FILE menu item. Then click on the RUN menu item.
Browse for \kotemp\setup.exe. Run it. Follow the prompts.
NOTE! If you're using 3.1 you'll have to exit then restart
Windows to enable the share driver. If you don't, you'll
get an error.
4. Start Keyout and read HELP by pressing the F1 key.
- Jim
--
- Jim
