What?
Abby is a console-based information manager, which will eventually be merged into NeoMem.
Why?
In a word, infoglut:
I use 3×5 index cards to jot down thoughts, things to do, things to memorize for school, and then when I get a chance, put them into NeoMem. It’s hard to enter stuff quickly though - it takes a long time to add new classes, navigate around, create folders, etc. So I have this huge backlog of information sitting on 3×5 cards.
How?
Interaction will mainly be through a console interface. add info quickly, tag it, and let the program sort it all out for you. auto copy & paste selected text from browser
Abby should function as an external memory, simple to use, with a semi-natural language interface / fuzzy parser (like an old Infocom game).
Goals
- fast data entry
- tag info quickly, let program sort it all out
- simple console interface (gui later)
- copy/auto paste from web browser
- natural-language-like syntax, handle ambiguity by asking for clarification
- integrate with desktop search programs
- extensible via plugins
- modular code (key for open source)
- open source, free
- cross-platform
- store/view objects anywhere (local, web, etc)
- ability to wrap existing files in obect/xml header, to provide for file-system metadata. eg either by .jpg to .obj, or .jpg to folder with contents containing a metadata file and data file(s). the latter approach would make it ‘easy’ to store multiple resolutions of an image together, comments others have made on a picture, etc.
Questions
- use file system as db? (ie each object in a file)
- search via grep-like commands? (later could add indexing for speed?)
- use xml/rdf to store info? or human-readable version? (preferable)
- just add console view and parser to neomem?
Tools
- Language - Python - easy to write and read, high level
- Project management - Trac
- Version control - Subversion
- Hosting - Python-Hosting - free Trac hosting for open source Python projects
- Unit testing - ?
- Project automation - ?
Sample Transcript
[pare this down and add more command examples]
Welcome to Villa Using Abby (version 0.1) Abby database file 'stuff.abby', 226 objects. > list todo Name Type Description -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- make postcard posterboard Todo upload site and setup.exe Todo > add todo 'get plumbago for patio' Added object 'get plumbago for patio'. > add todo 'get small travel clock for library' Added object 'get small travel clock for library'. > list projects Name Type Description -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abby Project Backpack cooler Project set to 70deg or so, above dewpoint, so no condensation!?... cold water dishwasher Project washing dishes is wasteful of time, water, and heat ener... dsim Project dielectric spectroscopy simulation FileExtension Project rclick file - edit extension. small c window program, us... FolderIcon Project rclick folder, assign icon : choose icon in dialog, copy... Gillan Project finish gillan's hands, put purple sky in background? Home garbage decomposer Project get energy out of all that sugar!! Hydroponics Project grow bean sprouts etc Learn Cygwin Project ie in place of installing Linux. will be very important ... MetabolicSim Project model energy flow, mito growth, glocose, creatine, ATP, ... MicroAquarium Project zoom in on pond scum, 100-300x, pan around, feed with su... moss Project design 3d house and grounds, garden, maze, moss garden, ... NeoMem Project pde Project pde solver. keep it simple - this is for educational pur... ShellSpy Project listen in on windows explorer notifications, build a log... SimCycle interface Project simple serial port interface to get info from simcycle Slanted Mousepad Project to reduce wrist fatigue! SlowBird Project film finches at high speed (with sound) and play back sl... Smart Alarm Clock Project set different times for different days, good for college... Terrarium Project with lots of moss, little mushroom lights > list neomem Name Type Description -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- add a Popular/Favorites ta... Enhancement add button to toggle hidin... Enhancement setup forum Todo > list types Name Altname Type Description -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Advice Type Amino Acid Type Compound Type most general term for a molecule, protein, etc Disease Type Enhancement Type Equation eqn Type Event Type something that happened, or will happen Fish Type Fun Type Get toget Type something to get at the store Language lang Type Library Type Lookup Type Lost Type Movie Type Phrase Type Program Type Project Type Property Type Question Type some question that you want to research and find an answ... Quote Type Reminder Type a future event that you want to be reminded about Subject Type Task Type Term Type Timeframe Type Todo Type things to do Toxin Type Type Type Unit Type Word Type > list fish Name Type Description -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bosemani Rainbow Fish very cool looking, $15, grows to 4 inches, **** Otocinclus Catfish Fish plecy fish this is some description Veil Angelfish Fish > plecy Property Value -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name plecy Type fish Description this is some description Creationdate Sun 22 Aug 2004 10:49:51 PM > list subjects Name Altname Type Description -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Art Subject Biology bio Subject Calculus calc Subject Chemistry chem Subject Electricity and Magnetism em Subject Math Subject Music Subject Numerical Analysis numeric Subject Physics phys Subject Trigonometry trig Subject Vector Analysis Subject Deals with scalar fields, vector fields, and differentia... > add subject Neuroscience aka neuro Object 'Neuroscience' added. > neuro Property Value -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name Neuroscience Altname neuro Type Subject Description Creationdate Tue 24 Aug 2004 01:38:38 AM > save 231 objects saved to file 'stuff.abby'. >
Roadmap
- 0.1 skeleton (in development)
- 0.2 relationships
- 0.3? wrap files and folders in metadata?
- 1.0
- 1.1? merge with neomem gui? (also would like to get away from visual c++/mfc towards wxWidgets or similar)
need to get the existing code sorted out (two slightly different versions), and add to hosting site
Timeline
i’d like to get this working before i start grad school fall 2006, to help keep track of information and manage projects.
Developers
currently just me
4 comments
Comments feed for this article
September 27th, 2005 at 2:08 pm
Pingback from NeoMem Neuroblog » Blog Archive » NeoMem and Infoglut
June 22nd, 2007 at 7:57 am
Demedrol
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June 24th, 2007 at 4:55 am
visitor
Maybe you know of leo, or could give a look at it. It’s a scriptable outliner written in python, not exactly what you want but perhaps can you find something in it. ( http://webpages.charter.net/edreamleo/front.html ; http://leo.zwiki.org/FrontPage )
I am not a developper and just found NeoMem, leo, and others apps when looking for a substitute for treepad… Something to take, (re-)organize and link notes, ideas and external documentation.
July 8th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
Ron
http://www.freewebs.com/mirror9/hall-mirror.html
http://www.freewebs.com/mirror9/hall-mirror.html
http://www.freewebs.com/mirror9/mirror-magic-game.html