Re: Org-mode to feed a database

[Nick Dokos <ndokos@gmail.com>]

Vikas Rawal <vikaslists@agrarianresearch.org> writes:

> This is, in all likelihood, a crazy idea. Please excuse me for that.
>
> I often need to get a number of people enter complex survey data into
> a database using some kind of forms. The forms I need are fairly
> complex (with several nested grids, for example). I need radio-buttons
> and drop-down menus-equivalents.
>
> I was thinking if it would be worth it to use Org-mode for data entry.
>
> The idea would be something like this. We have a template org file
> that is copied for each survey respondent. The template contains
> “blank” org tables and some source blocks. Responses are filled into
> the org tables, and then the source blocks are evaluated to feed the
> data into the database. You can version-control the whole thing so
> that different people can create these records and push it to a
> centralised git repository.
>
> Has anyone done anything like this? What has been the experience?
>
> There are two aspects that immediately come to my mind.
>
> 1. Is org adequately feature rich for such a scenario? There are two concerns I can think of right now. 
>    1.1 Would feeding information from one Org table to another become too complicated?
>    1.2 Is there a way to build in tab-completion for columns in Org-table using pre-specified categories? 
>
> 2. In my case, people who would enter the data into org files would
> not have used emacs before. So, there is a learning curve. Is it worth
> it? Or should one just build a web-based graphic application for such
> people to use?
>

My knee-jerk reaction was: Use Django, not org - but that may be a
failure of imagination on my part.

-- 
Nick