sry for typos :) also not an exhaustive list of stuff ---

Native-Plant-Gardens

A Google Sheets API driven site that displays native plant information from around the Friends School campus. Sources data from this Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1v6i3MFlBfTom7p_WZHs-hK850D2pTg2kk4XJbrLlkd8/edit#gid=1998663239

Knowledge needed

plz learn from w3schools. It makes things a lot faster: https://www.w3schools.com

• PHP
  • Basics - variables, loops, objects
  • Special functions - explode(), levenstein()
• HTML / Javascript / CSS
  • Knowledge on how to send/receive/interact with data with forms and PHP files
  • Just a ton of design knowledge using these languages - this is mainly what the site needs (to be beautified)

Software required/recommended

• Some knowledge of Github (and how to connect it to VSCode so you can work as a team and upload edits)
• VSCode - the code compiler you should be working with. I do not recommend Eclipse for a project like this. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjg2om6jejmAhUkvFkKHe67Ax8QFjAAegQIDxAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcode.visualstudio.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw15O90sm1ios8AUpw56hCml
• MAMP - basically a program that lets you set up a local webserver on your computer so you can test the website https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiKv6TujejmAhVtw1kKHT6uAR0QFjAAegQIEBAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mamp.info%2Fen%2F&usg=AOvVaw3drr3u1bhleqOKYGpy8sOp

Core file breakdown:

These are essentially intermediary programs - they talk to the Google API stuff and are controlled with some simplified methods. Additionally they are the backbones of the site and are basically the only files (aside from the DNCs below) that need to be kept should you decide to delete other stuff (though you can (carefully) edit these files).

• arrayDownloader.php - object that has functions which return the plant chart info (planting log and plant characteristics)
• getImage.php - functions that fetch the requested image from where they are stored and if the image is not found searches and downloads it from Google.
• searchObject.php - object that contains a number of search functions as well as the site Search Engine

General site hierarchy:

• MAIN-FINAL.html - simply the main page of the site with the following links to other files on it
  • MAIN-FINAL.html - a link back to itself
  • http://tide.friendsbalt.org - a link to the TIDE website
  • contactUs.html - a link to the contact us page
  • HowItWorks.html - a link to a page explaining how the site works
  • siteSearch.php - when the drop down menu/search bar data are entered it is sent here and this program displays the searched for info by using:
    • searchObject.php - takes search word(s) and goes through database to find good matches. uses:
      • arrayDownloader.php - gets data from Google Sheet
    • Lvl1PlantDisplay.php - returns a string with the characteristics of a plant formatted within html tags. Part of the return is an image retrieved using:
      • printImage.php - finds and returns an image from where they are stored in images/plantImages/ . If not found, retrieves from internet and saves using:
        • getImage.php - scrapes an image from Google Images
  • map.html - this is the MAP. When a circle is clicked on, plant data from that bed is displayed using:
    • bedDisplayer.php - displays all the plants in that bed with their information using:
      • searchObject.php
        • arrayDownloader.php
      • Lvl1PlantDisplay.php
        • printImage.php
        • getImage.php

Other files like the composer stuff is used variously, but not important enough to be in this hierarchy. Also, the stuff in the hierarchy (aside from the core) is what needs heavy editing.

More info:

This uses the Google Sheets API, but you won't need to write code using it as I have already written methods that do such. Most of this site's core functionality (getting images, searching for plant info, returning this info to display programs) is solid, but the display programs need a lot of work. These are files that will be communicating with the core, receiving data, and using HTML/Javascript/CSS to display it in a manner that will hopefully be much better that it is displayed currently. Basically people didn't know much HTML while building so we ended up using a bunch of copied stuff for CSS and formatting from W3Schools that we didn't really understand. Try NOT to do this. Even if what you make is simple, understanding it makes it easier to work with and add to. Plus it feels better to write your own stuff :)

Features that should be added:

• Better displays - just all around website needs to be beautified
• Search Engine
  • Needs to return more accurate results
  • When displaying results maybe should do color gradient (for example, the more relevant (higher scored) a plant is, the brighter a shade of green it should be displayed in)
• Implement a binary search in the searchArrayFor() method in searchObject.php
• Optimize search engine (the smartSearch() method in searchObject.php)
• A number of small display problems
• Get rid of w3schools css and formatting stuff in exchange for our own
• Literally the whole "how it works" file
• Check Github "projects" list for this repository
• Include TIDE water mark on all pages
• Just a ton of features like letting students edit plant info and have teacher and student profiles for the website - this would possibly involve connecting the site to Blackbaud login systems which would probably be very difficult and seen as a security vulnerability by Blackbaud
• https://friendsbaltnptg.wordpress.com - look for inspiration
• https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/seek_app - for machine learning plant recognition
• Whatever y'all think

Do not change these folders/files (DNCs):

• folders
  • composer
  • Google
  • google-api-php-client-2.2.2
• files
  • headings.php
  • .htaccess
  • credentials.json
  • servicekey.json
  • composer.phar
  • README.md