Log Book Software

[WillAbbott]

First off, not sure if this is the right place to post this.

But I'm currently (along with my open dive course) taking a class on Visual Basic.Net and as part of my course I have to do a project that is of my own choosing. I was originally doing a chat app that looks like its not gonna work very well so tonight it hit me, why not do a SCUBA dive log app.

So, I'm going to talk to my instructor (whom I'm sure will approve this project) and get started on it, what I'm wanting to know is, what sould I put into it aside from a basic logging part (I will more than likely make it look like my log pages from my PADI Open Water Log book) also, I would like to have some people to test the program and features out once it is farther along, as well... I'd like to offer it to the Dive community (free of charge, free is a great thing) so I'd like to make a good program not only for the grade and class, but that other divers would want to use. Hopefully it will turn out GREAT and we all will have a free alternative for maintaining logs on the computer.

I'm hoping that time willing (and that I can figure out how to do it) I can add such items as a bottom time calculator, and other dive planning features, etc. Maybe not only a dive log, but site log?

Let me know what you think, what I should try and put into it, and if its some kind of calculator that I may not learn about in Open water, where to find info for how its calculated, or just tell me.

Again, sorry if this is the wrong section for this, if it is, Please move it for me.

Thanks

 

[detroit diver]

I personally like the Suunto software that's used for my Vyper. It's a free download at : http://www.suunto.com/pls/suunto/suunto2.pubmainpage.frameset

Click on diving, then on dive manager, and then download.


It does a lot and is very graphical. If you incorporate half of these features, you'll have one heck of a good program-and a good grade!

 

[WillAbbott]

detroit diver once bubbled...
I personally like the Suunto software that's used for my Vyper. It's a free download at : http://www.suunto.com/pls/suunto/suunto2.pubmainpage.frameset

Click on diving, then on dive manager, and then download.


It does a lot and is very graphical. If you incorporate half of these features, you'll have one heck of a good program-and a good grade!

Thx, I just downloaded it, I'll check it out and see what I can do.

 

[JDostal]

Make it somewhat similar to the software that Uwatec has produced for use w/ their computers...

A dive log software should be a pretty simplistic DB app...have a table for locations, a table for gear, one for buddies....on for conditions....and then one table that you could put all of those PK's in to actually create a dive. Based on that, you could also then store air consumption, weight used, temps, time, etc.

It would be good to create a summary section as well. Something that quickly breaks down the dives executed by depth, gas mix used, total up bottom time, etc....

I wouldn't worry about storing dive profiles or anything like that for now - I don't know if the data transfer protocols are real publicly known on a lot of computers....that could get to be a little much. But, most of them do just use a serial connection so it wouldn't be *that* difficult to capture the stream and figure it out if you really wanted to get in depth.

Dang it, now you've got me thinking...argh. Why did you have to put this idea in my head?! I'm going to have to write something now.....

 

[sillygrendel]

I'd be very much intersted in hearing comments as well!

I've been thinking about this and have decided to write some dive log software for Linux. (C++ probably, haven't settled on a GUI toolkit yet.)

I'm currently writing it to interface with the Sensus Pro. I would like to eventually incorperate a deco planner/profile analyser. But that is a bit further in the future. (I'm currently doing research on deco algorithms)

I'd like to GPL it. I just started it last week and so far have an interface up and running for the Sensus Pro as well as a pretty primitive profile viewer. Making it "pretty" (gotta make a decision about GUIs pretty soon. Currently using gnuplot) and adding DB features are next on my agenda. Maybe in a month I want to start coding up a deco model.

 

[chrispete]

I've been thinking about this and have decided to write some dive log software for Linux.

Why don't you post the project to SourceForge - I'll bet that you could get a few developers from there to help out.

 

[JDostal]

Yeah, depending on what language/platform it's done in, I could offer some assistance...although, I moved over to the dark side of Network Engineering a while back so I'm a little rusty on my programming skills.

 

[sillygrendel]

I was thinking about SourceForge. I was planning on waiting 'til the project is a bit more defined and I have a more substantial chunk of code.

I'm trying to decide between doing a cross platform app or a Linux app.

I'm leaning towards a Linux app for two reasons:

1. There is already a lot of dive log software out there for windows.

2. I'm not really a big fan of Java, pretty much the clear choice for an easy cross platform app. There are a few other tookits that _might_ be kind of cross platform but they would be a pain and are mostly ugly. Besides... I've discoverd that for all the hype Java isn't _really_ cross platform. Particularly the UI bits.

Assuming it would be a Linux implementation, (Haven't convinced myself completely yet.) I would be inclined to go with C++. (I like nice, clean OO code even if I don't always write it!

I would also be inclined to go with a reasonably high level GUI toolkit. (I don't want to spend all my time writing UI code & native apps just LOOK better than java)

Something like MySQL would work fine for the DB.

For the deco model -- A library in straight C. Make it completely portable. Assembly could be tweaked on a per-platform basis if needed for speed.

If you guys are interested, please chime in. I'd love to hear suggestions & opinions.

 

[wcharz]

I don't like the Suunto Dive Manager much, but I use it anyway (in addition to my handwritten log book) for the profiles. I wouldn't use a PC-software either, because I do not intend to take a laptop on vacation (hey, I'm a software developer, I'm glad when I don't see a puter for a couple of days...). And I didn't like the programs I've checked so far for my Palmpilot either...

 

[JDostal]

On vacation, no, I wouldn't use a computer based log book. I *like* my log book...I've got the cool Scuba Flag binder, all my logs are in it, dive sight plans, my c-cards....but that wouldn't prevent me from writing one just for the sake of writing one