tra-records

Records database generator for Tripoli Rocketry Association (TRA)

Overview

In order to maintain a top-10 list in each category (or top-20 in each category) the database and all records need to be externalized from the TRA Website and the data needs to be ordered and validated separately.

The following record categories are maintained:

• Single
• Complex
• Research
• Handicapped
• Hybrid

The following fields are maintained in each record class in the order specified below. Image and Altimeter file URL's are a comma separated list of values.

• Class (one of the above categories - e.g. Single)
• Type (Record type - Commercial, Staged/clustered)
• Rocket Motor (Motor Designation)
• Total Impulse (Total Newton-seconds)
• Name - Flier or Group name
• Altitude - Altitude in AGL (AGL = Alt MSL - Launch Elevation MSL)
• Altimeters (include GPS model if > 30K) - Manufacturer/Model
• Date - Date in MM/DD/YYYY format
• Location - Launch site location
• GPS URL - Retrievable URL for GPS data (log,nmea,kml,kmz)
• Image URL - Comma separated list of Image URL's
• Altimeter URL - Retrievable URL for Altimeter data (comma separated list)
• Notes - Any notes or additional data, Links to URL's will be converted HTML
• Historical - > 10 years or special record for this clas

Data Entry

Records are stored in sorted order, first by impulse and then by altitude.

In the event of a tie-breaker (multiple fliers for one motor), the altitude has priority and shall be listed in increasing value (top to bottom in the rows) - e.g. the record with the highest altitude comes last in that record category.

URL's and File Names

If spaces are used, the URL will be escaped and have a horrible path string which very few people can copy or use.

Where possible, do not use spaces in your filenames or URL's. Every attempt is made to replace spaces and commas with underscores, but in some cases this may not work. Use dashes (-) or underscores (_) where a space would be used instead.

Accessing the Data

The new TRA records are organized as an online Worksheet. Google Docs data site, visit:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TyOoQozv5HACx6wPa4pjyMuosS_sWBssMZJQsVLkxCg/edit?usp=sharing

There is a sheet for each record class. Data is categorized in the correct record class and then input on the sheet with the data entry rules specified above.

Generating the Website Data

First, each Sheet is exported to a file:

• TripoliRecords2016-Complex.csv
• TripoliRecords2016-Research.csv
• TripoliRecords2016-Handicapped.csv
• TripoliRecords2016-Single.csv
• TripoliRecords2016-Hybrid.csv

Then, the records generator script (records.pl) is run on each file with the string provided for the record class. To do this, simply type "make" and the records generator will be run on each of the datafiles (note the files should be named as above - cases sensitive)

Below is an example of how to update all of the pages/data for each record category.

• ./records.pl TripoliRecords2016-Single.csv single
• ./records.pl TripoliRecords2016-Research.csv research
• ./records.pl TripoliRecords2016-Complex.csv complex
• ./records.pl TripoliRecords2016-Hybrid.csv hybrid
• ./records.pl TripoliRecords2016-Handicapped.csv handicapped

The resulting "records" directory will contain:

• no-image.png - Icon for downloadable link - Missing Image

• electronics.png - Icon for downloadable link - Electronics files

• gps-icon.png - Icon for downloadable link - GPS Files

• single.html - Single record category autogenerated file

• handicapped.html - Handicapped record category autogenerated file

• complex.html - Complex record category autogenerated file

• hybrid.html - Hybrid record category autogenerated file

• research.html - Research record category autogenerated file

• data - Autogenerated data directory (Images, GPS, Altimeter, etc)

• style.css - Configurable CSS Style

• gs_sortable.js - Open Source data sorting Javascript Library

• index.html - Optional Index file

It should be suitable to upload the records directory in its entirety to an HTTP server to see the end product, an example is below:

• http://www.realflightsystems.com/techpubs/data/TRA-Records/work/records/
• http://tripoli-records.org/records/

Source file

• records.pl - Perl script to parse CSV and process to generate HTML and data

Download full Database

The full database may be downloaded below, thi is updated as new records are posted:

• http://www.realflightsystems.com/techpubs/data/TRA-Records/work/records.tar.gz