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Version 0: The entire project started with the Orthoptera Species File
books prepared by Daniel Otte and published in eight volumes from 1994 to 2000.
Version 1: The initial Internet version was the Orthoptera Species
File Online developed by Piotr Naskrecki and first posted to the web October 20,
1997 with coverage of the family Tettigoniidae (katydids).
Versions 2.0 to 2.8: Beginning in 1999 David Eades assembled a team
to increase the data content (now covering all of Orthoptera), upgrade the database
design, and improve the interface for the public and for editing.
Version 3.0: This version, released in February 2007, marks the transition
from software designed to support a single database and website to software supporting
multiple independent databases and websites.
Version 3.1: Development of this version began May 21, 2007 using the
Orthoptera Species File for testing. Other species files advanced to version
3.1 on July 16, 2007. Features developed in this version include:
- Web services
- Additional details for references including links to electronic copies
- Improved data structure
- Systematic procedures to facilitate updating software in use for the various species
files
- Improved handling for specimen data including cross linkage with images and sound
recordings
- Added fields for distribution and habitat for taxa
- Images and sound recordings cross referenced with specimens and with enforced consistency
of current identifications.
Version 3.2: Development of this version began August 31, 2007 using
the Plecoptera Species File for testing. Other species files advanced to version
3.2 by November 26, 2007. Features developed include:
- Major restructuring of the manner in which hierarchial relationships are recorded
in the taxa table. The result is simpler programming and more efficient searching
with scopes less than the entire species file.
- Rewritten interface for adding a new type genus
- Ecological relationships with organisms outside the primary taxonomic scope.
This can be done both at specimen level and at taxon level.
Version 3.3: Development of this version began November 9, 2007 using
a separate development copy of the Orthoptera Species File. The public version
of OSF advanced to 3.3 on February 16, 2008. Remaining species files advanced
March 18, 2008.
- This is the start of a major effort to use web services and GUIDs (globally unique
identifiers) to facilitate exchange of information between species files and other
databases. The step to be included in version 3.3 will provide a table with
author data shared across species files. This is a prerequisite for exchanging
data with ZooBank. Status: On hold pending resolution
of design details with ZooBank.
- Improve the ease for locating particular entries in the edit log.
Status: Completed.
- Make management of impaired key groups and blocks more user friendly.
Status: Completed.
- Record information about citations sufficient to designate taxon concepts and provide
better data about the type of information contained in each citation. This
task must be subdivided, and only some portions are likely to be completed in version
3.3. Status: Completed.
- Added support for alternate names for publication. Status:
Completed. This involved:
- Creating a display publication page (modeled on the display people and display reference
pages.
- Creating an alternate publication name page.
- Adding the automatic generation of non-diacritic version of publication names as
alternate names.
Version 3.4: Development of this version began February 22, 2008 using
a separate development copy of the Orthoptera Species File. The public version of OSF was advanced to 3.4 on June 23, 2008.
- Identify the distribution of each taxon by continent and country. Display in
the taxa page a small world map shaded to show where the taxon is
found. Provide links to see maps of continents shaded to show countries.
("Countries" are defined as the level 2 areas as defined by the TDWG recommended
classification. Correspondence to actual countries varies.)
Status:
Completed except for improved map display for oceanic islands.
- Extend distribution map coverage to level 3 of the TDWG recommended classification.
Status: In design review.
See design.
- Enable a block-specific text message to be shown in key drivers.
Status: Completed.
- Taxon names with citations should not be italicized when they are informal names.
Status: Completed.
- Reorganization of the edit page (SelectTypeEdit) to give more prominence to frequently-used
features. The use of drop down lists provides easy access to adding and editing
data objects. Status: Completed.
- Maintain statistics about website usage. Status: Completed for
session counts.
- Enforce correct date sequence for names, citations and type information. This included
among other things a complete rewrite of type genus pages. Status: Completed.
Proposed future development:
- Provide an alternate format for the taxa page with technical and nomenclatural issues
made less prominent. Synomyms would not be shown, but their citations would
be shown with the valid names. It should be more attractive for non taxonomist
users. Status: Too big a task to fit in current priorities.
- Provide tables in SFSdb to share information across species files.
Status: Development started for publications.
- Exchange data with ZooBank about authors, publications and references.
Status: Initial concept development.
- Extend functionality of identifications to preserve progression of names for taxa.
Status: Design partially developed, currently on hold.
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