Version 1.1.0

Usability and Data Portability

Version 1.1.0 focuses on usability, data portability and continued refinement of specimen management.

Highlights

JSON specimen export

Individual specimens can now be exported as JSON, making it straightforward to use Fossil Tracker data in external tools, scripts and computational workflows. This provides a simple interchange format for further analysis, visualisation or integration with other projects.

Improved document and image management

Document handling has been refined, with image and document types now maintained as reference data for greater consistency across collections. General document management has also been improved, making it easier to organise supporting material associated with specimens.

Enhanced related links

Related links have been enhanced to better support references to external resources, helping to build richer contextual information around each specimen.

Storage improvements

Uploaded image handling has been improved by storing relative file paths, making installations more portable across different environments.

Bug fixes and usability

This release also includes a number of usability improvements and bug fixes, including:

• Fixed an issue that could result in duplicated filename prefixes on uploaded images
• Continued refinement of the user interface and workflow
• Updated project documentation and Wiki

This release continues the goal of making Fossil Tracker a practical, lightweight catalogue for managing personal fossil collections while improving interoperability with external tools and workflows.

Version 1.0.1

Docker Image Preview Fix

This patch release resolves an issue affecting the Docker deployment of Fossil Tracker:

• Fixed image preview rendering in Docker deployments, ensuring specimen images display correctly within the application.

No database changes or user action are required. Existing installations can simply update to the latest Docker image.

Version 1.0.0

First Stable Release

Version 1.0.0 marks the first stable release of Fossil Tracker.

This release focuses on polishing the application following real-world use, improving workflow, strengthening the data model, and refining the user interface. The result is a more streamlined and reliable application for cataloguing personal fossil collections.

Highlights

Improved specimen workflow

• Prevent access to editing tabs until a specimen has been selected.
• Remain on the current specimen after edits instead of returning to the search page.
• Reduced interface flicker for a smoother editing experience.

Refined data model

• Simplified the notes model by removing redundant note fields.
• Updated the specimen–taxonomy relationship to a true one-to-one association, better reflecting the application’s intended data model.
• Added maintenance support for licence types.

Better data entry

• Date picker controls added for:
  • Acquisition Date
  • Image Taken Date
  • Observation Date
• Automatically populate the specimen country when a locality is selected.
• Improved formatting of specimen measurements.

Image management improvements

• Enhanced the image upload workflow.
• General improvements to the Images tab.
• Image files are now automatically removed from storage when their associated database record is deleted.

Version 1.0.0

With the core functionality now complete—including specimen management, taxonomy, provenance, geological context, measurements, notes, documents, images, and related references—Fossil Tracker reaches its first stable release.

The application is now ready for day-to-day use as a personal fossil collection catalogue, providing a solid foundation for future enhancements while maintaining a simple, focused design.

Version 0.7.0

Docker Support

This release adds Docker support to Fossil Tracker, providing a simple, repeatable deployment option for running the application in a containerised environment.

The Docker image bundles the complete application stack, allowing Fossil Tracker to be started with a single docker run command while keeping the SQLite database on the host through a mounted volume.

Although this release introduces no major end-user features, it lays important groundwork for the forthcoming Version 1.0.0 by simplifying installation, improving portability, and providing a consistent deployment model across Windows, macOS and Linux.

Highlights

• Added official Docker image
• Persistent SQLite database via mounted host volume
• Simplified deployment with a single container
• Docker Hub documentation and usage instructions
• Continued preparation for the Version 1.0.0 release

Version 0.6.0

Refactoring

Version 0.6.0 focuses on improving the internal structure of Fossil Tracker. While this release contains relatively few new end-user features, it lays important groundwork for future development by making the codebase cleaner, more maintainable and easier to extend.

Highlights

Internal refactoring

The application has undergone a significant internal reorganisation, including refactoring of both the database and user interface layers. These changes are intended to simplify future development, reduce technical debt and make the project easier to maintain over the long term.

Improved test suite

The automated test suite has been migrated to pytest, providing a more modern and maintainable testing framework that will support future enhancements with greater confidence.

Smarter specimen creation

When creating a new specimen, Fossil Tracker can now automatically suggest the next collection reference, reducing repetitive data entry while helping maintain a consistent catalogue.

Improved search workflow

Selecting a specimen from the search results now automatically switches to the edit view, making it quicker and more intuitive to move from searching to updating records.

Removal of legacy functionality

The original CSV import/export functionality has been removed. As the project has evolved, this early implementation no longer aligned with the application’s direction and was contributing unnecessary complexity.

Version 0.5.0

UI Refinements

This release focuses on improving the day-to-day experience of using Fossil Tracker. The underlying data model has been refined, specimen editing workflows have been streamlined, and reference data management is now considerably more flexible.

Highlights

Improved specimen search and editing

Finding and editing specimens is now much smoother:

• Simplified specimen search interface
• Search results are displayed in a tabular format for easier browsing
• Specimens can now be opened for editing directly from the search results

Reference Data replaces Context

The former Context section has been renamed Reference Data to better reflect its purpose as a place to manage controlled vocabularies used throughout the application.

Reference Data has also become much more capable:

• All reference data can now be edited directly from the interface
• New standard Measurement Types have been introduced
• Measurement types are no longer restricted by an “Active” flag
• Existing taxonomy, geological ages, localities, preparation types and measurement types are displayed in a cleaner, more readable format
• Notes have been removed from Geological Ages to simplify the model

Standardised specimen measurements

Measurements are now based on predefined measurement types rather than free-text entry.

This provides:

• Consistent measurement names across the collection
• Appropriate units for each measurement type
• Improved data quality and future reporting capabilities

Specimen editor improvements

Several areas of the specimen editor have been refined:

• Provenance information has been reorganised into a clearer layout
• Observation Notes now have their own dedicated tab
• The former Context tab has been moved to the end of the editor workflow
• Public/private visibility is now managed at the individual note level rather than on the specimen itself
• Acquisition documents have been generalised into a more flexible Documents system, with document upload support alongside image uploads
• Related Links have been internally refactored for improved maintainability

Maintenance

• Updated the application to remove Streamlit deprecation warnings and improve compatibility with newer releases.

This release is primarily about usability rather than major new functionality. It lays the groundwork for richer specimen metadata while making everyday catalogue management faster, cleaner and more consistent.

Version 0.4.0

Provenance and Ethics Layer

This release introduces the Provenance and Ethics Layer, completing the initial vision for Fossil Tracker as more than a specimen catalogue. Alongside recording what a fossil is, the application now supports documenting where it came from, how confidently its provenance is understood, and the evidence available to support that understanding.

Recognising that provenance information is often incomplete or uncertain, Fossil Tracker encourages transparent record keeping rather than unwarranted certainty. The aim is to preserve an honest history of each specimen as it enters and develops within a collection.

New Features

• Structured acquisition records
• Provenance summaries and supporting notes
• Legality status and supporting documentation
• Ethical confidence assessment
• Receipt and document attachment tracking
• Public and private visibility controls
• Updated database schema and migrations

Improvements

• Acquisition information separated from specimen records for improved organisation
• Consistent recording of provenance across the collection
• Better support for documenting uncertainty and incomplete information
• Enhanced Streamlit interface for managing provenance and associated documents

Notes

Many fossils available to collectors have well-established provenance, while others may have only limited documentation or uncertain collecting histories. Fossil Tracker does not attempt to judge individual specimens or prescribe collecting practices. Instead, it provides a structured way to record what is known, acknowledge what is uncertain, and retain the evidence associated with each acquisition.

This reflects one of the project’s guiding principles: good scientific record keeping includes documenting uncertainty as carefully as documenting confidence.

Version 0.3.0

Taxonomy and Geological Context

This release introduces structured taxonomy and geological context to Fossil Tracker, allowing specimens to be organised within their biological and geological frameworks.

Rather than storing this information solely as free text, taxonomy, geological ages and localities are now maintained as structured reference data, improving consistency across the collection while providing a richer context for each specimen.

New Features

• Structured taxonomy reference table
• Geological age reference table
• Locality reference table
• Support for taxonomic classification from Kingdom to Species
• Geological context including Era, Period, Epoch, Stage and Formation
• Confidence levels for uncertain identifications
• Controlled vocabularies for geological periods and specimen preparation types
• Updated database schema and migrations

Improvements

• Specimen records now reference taxonomy and geological context through related tables
• Improved consistency and validation during data entry
• Reduced duplication of common taxonomic and geological information
• Removed duplicate specimen-level context fields after migrating them into related records
• Enhanced Streamlit interface for selecting taxonomy, ages and localities

Notes

With this release, Fossil Tracker begins to model the relationships between specimens rather than treating each as an isolated record. Shared taxonomy and geological context provide a more consistent foundation for organising and exploring the collection while acknowledging that many fossil identifications remain provisional.

The introduction of confidence fields also reflects an important principle of the project: uncertainty should be recorded explicitly rather than hidden. As understanding evolves, specimen identifications and classifications can be refined while preserving an honest record of the collection.

Version 0.2.0

Images and Notes

This release expands Fossil Tracker beyond a specimen register by introducing support for specimen images and observational notes.

Each fossil can now become a richer record of study, documenting not only what the specimen is, but also how it has been examined over time. Multiple photographs can be associated with a specimen, while dated observations provide an ongoing record of identification, interpretation and personal study.

New Features

• Support for multiple images per specimen
• Image metadata including captions and descriptive notes
• Observation records linked to individual specimens
• Dated observational notes
• Markdown support for longer-form notes
• Updated database schema and migrations
• Enhanced Streamlit interface for managing images and observations

Improvements

• Extended specimen data model
• Improved navigation between specimen records and associated notes
• Additional validation and quality-of-life improvements throughout the application

Notes

With this release, Fossil Tracker begins to evolve from a simple collection catalogue into a personal natural history notebook. Rather than recording only the existence of a specimen, the application now supports the gradual accumulation of photographs, observations and interpretations as understanding develops.