A Prairie Home Compendium:
(A Prairie Home Page)

Welcome

Hi everyone.  I am in the process of re-building this website.  Bear with me.  The technical reasons are that I had to move from my original server (a Windows-based server) to a new one (Linux-based) and because I found that I like building data-based websites in MySQL and php more than in MS Access and Active Server Pages.

It is my intention to make a big change.  Instead of you having to wait for me to catalog my old tapes, YOU the visitors will have an opportunity to help with the process of cataloging old shows (I've gotten real busy with the rest of my life over the last several years).  I will merge all of the data I have compiled in the old system into this new one and create a new interface that will allow you access to that data as well as another that will allow you to contribute your own show run-downs.  If you want to help, but don't have any old material to catalog, maybe I can help you with that, too.

Step I: Create new online data tables in MySQL for rundown data  ( complete )

TABLE 1: recordings (recording_id (primary key), Recording Date, Venue_id, 1st Broadcast, etc. )
TABLE 2: segments (seg_id (primary key), recording_id (foreign key), onset_time, segtype_id, segment_details, added_notes/comments)
TABLE 3: PERFORMERS_LOOKUP (PERFORMER_ID, PerformersName , ?GroupMembers, AddlPerformer_info)
TABLE 4: SEG_PERFORMER_JOIN (PERFORMER_ID, SEGID)  (? for multiple performers)
TABLE 5: venues (Venue_id, City, State, AddlVenue_Info)
TABLE 6: SEGTYPES_LOOKUP (segtype_id, segment_name, etc?)
TABLE 7: COMMERCIAL_RELEASE_LOOKUP (Album/CD_track, SEGID)

Step II: Merge the data from the old Access system into the new tables.  (complete )

PERFORMANCES merged to recordings
SEGMENTS merged to segments
VENUES merged to venues
SEGMENTLIST merged to segment_types
Guest_Artists merged to performers
TAPESNCDS merged to releases
COMTRACKS merged to release_trax

Step III: Create forms/reports that allow visitors to search the existing data.  (underway)

Basic recording record query/selector 
Segment list associated with recording ID

Search Artist
Search Segment Type
Search segment description.
Search for commercially available recordings of specific segments. (will need to find and add seg_id to release_trax records)

Step IV: Create a login system so data-contributors can control any data they contribute.  (pending)

Create username/password table
Create login form/page
Allow users to add records to recordings table
Allow users to add segment records to segment tables for recordings they wish to catalog
Allow users to edit their recording and segment data.

Step V: Make it all look really cool. (pending)

Step VI: Misc. ideas

Upload images of ephemera (ie. old handbills, souveniers, autographs etc. etc.)