Hardware.

Each specimen has a bar-code label attached so that it is individually identified. You can find more information about the use of these labels here. If an institution already has such a system of unique identifiers in use, we make use of that and not burden the specimen with more labels! The bar-code labels are small, about 10 x 15 mm. The code itself simply translates into OSUC and a number. The same information is also printed on the label in a human-readable form.

The computer currently being used is a Silicon Graphics Indigo running IRIX 5.3 (a variety of UNIX). The machine has 32 MB of RAM and three hard drives with a total of approximately 14 GB of storage space.

Software.

We are using Oracle as our database system; it is equipped with the Cooperative Development Environment for developing applications, e.g., our data input form. The distribution maps are now created using ARC/INFO geographic information software from ESRI to create the underlying base maps and the dots for the localities added using fly 1.41 (The University of Melbourne and the Quest Protein Database Center, Cold Spring Harbor Labs). The data for the base maps are from the Digital Chart of the World. The color 3-D graph is created using Corel Chart and the simple bar graphs are made on the fly using Gnuplot and the pbmplus library. The CGI scripts (Common Gateway Interface) linking all these pieces are written in Perl4.

Here are some useful on-line sources for geographic information:

U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System

For finding coordinates for localities in the United States and its possessions

Canada's Geographical Names

For Canadian localities

U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Mapping Agency's GEOnet Names Server

For localities in countries around the world

The Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection

OSU Insect Collection home page.