hardware/software for museum labels
Julian Humphries
jmh3 at CORNELL.EDU
Tue Mar 2 11:42:25 CST 1993
1993
>2) Does anyone know of any widely used collection management programs other
>than BioQuip's FilemakerPro-based Collection Manager?
>
>
I am including a blurb on MUSE. We support almost all printers with a
powerful label formatting script language. For samples, check out the fish
division over at the Museum. They use MUSE.
Julian Humphries
The Vertebrate Collections and The MUSE Project, Cornell University
Building 3, Research Park
83 Brown Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
Voice: 607-257-8143
Fax: 607-257-8109
Email: jmh3 at cornell.edu
MUSE information
User friendly, data management system for Natural History Collections
Based on industry standard database engine Btrieve, a Novell product
Relational data structures insure data integrity and maximum efficiency
Data compression maximizes disk efficiency
Customizable files, fields and forms
Complete loan management system
Highly flexible, user specified reports and labels
Support for hundreds of printers
Context-sensitive help system (users can add new help information)
Full ASCII and extended ASCII character support
MUSE Features
Designed for CollectionsMUSE is designed explicitly to manage natural
history collections and is
based upon the experience of curators and collections
managers. Built in
taxonomic dictionaries are available for several
taxonomic disciplines.
Loan Management Loan management with MUSE is a simple way to control even
the most
complex loan transactions including gifts, partial loan
returns, specimen
preparation conversion and specimen loss. To make a
loan, simply enter
the name of the person borrowing the material and the
list of catalog
numbers. MUSE provides automatic invoice printing, a
data file of
loanee addresses and lists of outstanding loans. Returns
can be handled
merely by entering the loan number to be returned.
Labels and ReportsMUSE can produce a wide variety of reports and labels
for specimens,
jars, drawers, etc. A user-editable form description
file allows flexible
formats and fonts. In addition, a number of third party
products support
MUSE data files and can be used for generating reports
(see "Other
Software" in the Technical Requirements section below).
Help System The help system is context sensitive and available by a
single keystroke for
menu items, fields, files and actions. Users can add
additional help
information appropriate to their collection.
Database Engine Btrieve, a Novell product, is fast, efficient (in disk
usage), and safe
(survives power crashes, disk failures, etc.) and is the
basis of an increasing
number of software products on the market. Btrieve is
available in stand
alone, client (workstation) based and network server
based configurations.
Relational StructureThe data model behind MUSE closely parallels the basic
relationship
between specimens (or lots) and collecting event
information. This
insures that changes to one set of collection's data are
applied to all
relevant records.
"Data Driven" MUSE is a "data driven" program, that is, all the data
structures, forms,
menus, etc. are read from MUSE description files (MDF
files) at run
time. This allows easy changes to field prompts, data
views (forms),
configuration information and optional data structures.
The program
which manages this information (MSETUP) is a powerful database
generator which will accompany MUSE version 3.4 and above.
All Data Types: MUSE supports character, integer, floating point, date,
logical and note
fields. Multiple display formats are also available.
International Features:All 256 ASCII characters, and alternate character
sets (e.g. International
Set 850), can be used.
MUSE Labels and Reports
Printer Support Through the use of the Slate printer database, MUSE is
able to support
hundreds of printers, including dot-matrix, Postscript
and HP LaserJets.
Downloaded or scalable fonts are supported.
Customized LabelsLabels specifications occur in a user editable
description file. This allows
complete flexibility on label format, field arrangement,
content and paper
size. Versatile label formats are supported with up to
four labels across a
sheet and any number down a page.
Data Lookup Data on labels can be printed from multiple data files or
from "look up"
tables of related data (e.g. family name from a taxonomic
dictionary file).
Text Formatting MUSE contains many text formatting features including:
multi-line fields
with "smart" word wrap, justification (left, center,
right), deletion of
empty fields with static formatting characters (e.g.
latitude), date
conversion (to spelled out months), headers and footers,
automatic
pagination, and multi-column reports.
MUSE Technical Requirements
Hardware MUSE is a text mode
application that runs on Intel architecture
computers using DOS, Windows or OS/2.
MUSE requires a minimum of about 512K of
free memory, however, expanded memory, if
available, is used by both Btrieve and MUSE.
As a character mode application, all popular
video systems are supported; color monitors
provide the most efficient use.
Disk Space Because MUSE uses data
compression, disk requirements are very
reasonable. To calculate necessary disk space,
plan on approximately 5 megabytes for MUSE
and other static files and then allow about
300-400 bytes per catalog number. Double
this number to estimate space for temporary
conditions such as data conversion, updates or
file maintenance.
Software Network ready Btrieve is
provided free of charge with all MUSE
installations. You may wish to purchase a
text editor for editing various configuration
and label description files.
Other Software A number of third
party products can be used for accessing, or
generating reports from, MUSE data files.
For example, Xtrieve and XQL from
Novell, Objectvision from Borland, Forest
and Trees from Channel Computing, and
Insight Report Writer from First Choice
are commercial front ends which will access
MUSE files. Most MUSE users purchase
Xtrieve (approximately $600), however,
other competitive products are regularly
being released.
How to Obtain MUSE
Costs Because the MUSE Project is supported by the National Science
Foundation (DEB 9209099) we are able to make MUSE
available for the
nominal fee of $75. For this charge you will receive
MUSE, assistance
with customizing the program for your institution, MSETUP
(database
customization program), all future updates to the MUSE
program, and a
complete manual (with tutorial) which documents all the
features of
MUSE and provides assistance with the computerization
process. The fee
can be waived if local resources are limited.
Application ProcessInformation about your collection, hardware, labels,
etc. is necessary to
produce a customized version of the program. To obtain MUSE
complete the enclosed application or write to:
The MUSE Project
83 Brown Road
Building 3, Research Park
Ithaca, New York, 14850-1247
U.S.A.
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