Need your 2 Cents here

I posted this because I look here all the time... and need your thoughts and support here:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/804067/

Thank you..
A.

After getting to the first page... I hit the green bar that says click here to search for plants... then you get to the screen that lists all sorts of name types.. common name..genus species... up above these listed names there is a green hilighted ... generalized search.. click on this and get a field where I can type in as little or as much as I'd like..

yes, but you don't have to do that if they list Ipomoea with all the others that are listed in alphabetical order.. scroll down a little on that page

yhes.. if the one I wanted was listed I could start there...

I have the devil of a time with the "search" function. I'd love to see this listed.

There is one thing I would like to see: that whatever comes up in a search be alphabetized.

Here's what Gourd and all of us see when we put only the single word for Ipomoea into the search hopper in PF: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=Ipomoea&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search

That is an awful lot of plants to have to search through randomly like that.

Each plant only has one scientific name. If the PlantFiles database were organized by that individual name for each plant, then we would get an alphabetized list every time we searched for any family, genus, or species.

I think it's great to have the backup up of various common names, synonyms and archaic names, and I know it's hard to keep the PlantFiles updated. But to give a common name the same weight in the database as a scientific name is the reason we get a hodgepodge like the one seen in the link I posted above in paragraph 2.

Gourd, this is a 2 cents I have long wanted to air - thanks for bringing this up.

Karen

I think it's a great idea and will add my opinion to the discussion!!

Karen and others - The alphabetizing feature you are asking for already exists

Go to the search that you posted above here
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher[common]=&searcher[family]=&searcher[genus]=Ipomoea&searcher[species]=&searcher[cultivar]=&searcher[hybridizer]=&search_prefs[blank_cultivar]=&search_prefs[sort_by]=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search

scroll down to

sort by Latin Name(hit search) and all the Ipomoea species will appear in alphabetical order...

sort by cultivar will produce results by cultivar in alphabetical order

I find the PlantFile searches to already be user friendly but that's my perception...

Should a hyper link just for Ipomoea be created then how should the results be produced alphabetized(?),by cultivar(?) or by popularity(?)...or if the hyper linked term 'Morning Glory' is clicked onto should user be able to further refine the results displayed by enabling the ability to add in the genus and once again the results will be produced according to what you ask the resultant engine to produce...these features already exist on the search page that already has all of these features...

My suggestion is to use the search page here
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?Search=Click+here+to+search+for+plants
and with a little practice constructing a relatively easy search that you will be able to find all the results that you are seeking and easily...

If a new category is produced on the main PlantFiles page by 'reverse engineering' to duplicate in part(!) what already exists in the PF's then many 'newbies' at using the PlantFiles will get a partial 'selection' from the PF's which may not reflect multiple points of view...

I view most plants in the MG family (including small flowered wildflowers) as ornamental...

Creating an 'easy to use' quick listing presents some considerations as to what should be the category term used...Morning Glories does include more than just Ipomoea and in fact is the common name for the entire Family Convolvulaceae...

Should the hyperlinked enabled term be "Morning Glory(ies) - Ipomoea" (?)...or just Ipomoea to include all Ipomoea species regardless of any further selection (?)

A Quick List link should include the most commonly grown Ipomoea and may need to include all of the genera of Convolvulus,Evolvulus,Jacquemontia,Merremia,Operculina,Stictocardia and Turbina
even though not all of the aforementioned are common and/or viewed as 'ornamental'...

The 'fuzzy' results produced by any Quick Link should be further refined by enabling results sorted by alphabetical order(?) or by cultivar (?),Latin name(?) or by popularity(?)...which brings you back to the features that already exist on the search page...

What do I think(?)...that any Quick Link or other 'quick fix' will produce fuzzy results that will not be useful unless the ability to sort the results by alphabetical order,cultivar and Latin Name are enabled and these features are already existent if you just start at the right search page...

Learning to use the right start page for your inquiry and 'fiddling' with a very few 'tweaks' is inevitable...

Just my honest opinion...

TTY,...

Ron



This message was edited Jan 13, 2008 9:12 PM

Ron, you may have misunderstood my request... if you click on database and scroll down a little, you will see Daylilies, Corn, Iris, etc.. I just wanted to have Ipomoea inserted in there so that ALL of them come up. It saves people like me alot of time that have other things to do and are in a hurry, otherwise if it takes that long to find an MG... you may as well be looking at the corn, that is alot easier to find the way it is now.

edited: for spelling....

This message was edited Jan 13, 2008 6:21 PM

Thanks Ron, using the "Sort by" feature in conjunction with searching for a Family, Genus or Species solves my search problems on this page: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=Ipomoea&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search .

This thread is a great opportunity for us "Search-Challenged" folks to learn how to better use PlantFiles. I hope if anyone besides me needs clarification that they will still feel free to ask.

Gourd, whacha think?

oops - sorry Gourd - we crossed in the cyber ether where morning glories are only possibilities - but I digress

I like your idea - a button for Ipomoea - don't see why not - it doesn't look like it would interfere with any other search function

I would still like to see it listed with the most searched cultivars list... it saves alot of time.. If you are like me, I sort by species, purpurea, nils, or tricolor. But, the initial entry to the Ipomoea section would be ideal to view them all.

ooops, looks like we cross posted again.. it wouldn't hurt anything.. only help.