Card file system

You can use a database to catalogue, search, sort and relate collections of information The benefits of a computerized database over a manual card-file system are ... 

A database is an electronic filing system whose structure is similar to a manual record card collection. Its collection of records is termed a file. The individual items of information on each record are termed fields. Once the database is constructed, search criteria can be used to view files through various filters according to your requirements. The computerized catalogues in your library are just such a system you enter the filter requirements in the form of author or subject keywords. 

Both the literature and patents are continuously classified and filed by use of this classification system. A card file, a reprint file, and a patent file are maintained. The card file contains references to all or almost all of the existing material on each subject the reprint file contains the full text of a large number of the best articles on each subject ... 

The advent of microcomputer-based systems such as those described here provides a new opportunity for individuals to store and manipulate personal and proprietary data. Small data collections of up to a few thousand compounds can be stored to keep track of new research, inventories, and laboratory data. Such information has traditionally been kept in card files or unindexed file folders. When stored as a PC-based structure file, this data can be rapidly searched and specific information easily retrieved and evaluated. 

A simple inventory system can be established by recording the above information for each container on index cards, which are then kept in an accessible location in some logical order, such as hy molecular formula. The ease of searching such a card file is limited by its size and the order in which it is sorted. This type of system has obvious advantages in terms of simplicity and low cost, but it suffers several limitations. Listings of chemicals must be prepared manually, and the integrity of the database depends on how well the card file is maintained. 

Record keeping and tracking of exposure and materials can be as simple or as sophisticated as the laboratory needs. A simple card file or notebook system is adequate. By simply numbering the frames and using the row numbers, the location of every specimen exposed can be defined. A card file arranged by month and year can keep track of removals. 

Details of control subsystems Details of interface Details of cabinets Data highway details I/O channel details I/O and remote I/O card details ControIIer/processors Filing system... 

Every materials planning system in the world will now ensure that the safety stock is available and thereby is in stock even when this reference number is no longer needed. So one day it will go to scrapping. The safety stocks stemming from the card-file materials planning age must be replaced definitively by (safety) buffer times. 

The Chemdata Systems at Merck Sharp Dohme Research Laboratories have grown over the past dozen years from a few manual files to a complete network of Interfaceable, searchable data bases For the purpose of comparison, the original systems consisted of (1) a chemical structure file which utilized Che classification system which was developed by Dr. F. Wlselogle ( 1) In 19A6 (2) a manual Index card file of the sample repository (3) transaction summary sheets containing manually posted transmittals and (4) a chemical name file which was a portion of the record of the transaction summary sheets. 

The DAC system consisted of computer, interface cards, meters, transmitters, and solid state relays (SSR). Electrodes of pH (Ingold), Oxidation-Reduction Potential (Cole-Parmer), and Dissolved Oxygen (Ingold) were installed and connected to individual meter. The status of reactor and the value of electrode signal were displayed in a computer monitor, and stored in data file. 

Although this is tedious work involving much measuring and weighing, once the data have been obtained they can be summarized on charts which can be filed in a usable punch card system, which in turn can be used to indicate clearly what to expect when emulsions of a similar type are to be prepared. A great deal of this type of information is already available in published reports and in the files of various laboratories. 

Because of the number of standards in the PDF, it is not possible, in general, to search each entry individually. However, in many situations the analyst either knows or can make an educated guess as to the probable identity of the unknown. In this intuitive case, the PDF can be consulted directly and the cards for the suspected compounds can be consulted quickly. In fact, when a specific phase diagram is being investigated it is common practice to obtain powder diffraction patterns of all known phases in the system. If the 20 axis of these "reference" patterns is the same as that for unknown patterns, an unknown pattern can be compared directly to these relatively few standards on an illuminated viewing table and the diffraction lines from the known phases can be identified on the unknown pattern. As new phases are discovered and identified, their patterns may then be added to this reference file. 

Finally, I should mention a word about filing technical papers. It is tempting to keep a file of papers by subject, and this is satisfactory for collections of 100 to 200 papers, but beyond that a more systematic method is necessary. Ben Wylie, my dissertation advisor, filed his papers by unique serial number and uses an ingenious system of cross-referenced index cards for retrieving papers by author, title, or subject. I ve adopted the same serial-number system, but I use a computer database to cross reference the file records. I use that database online to help locate a needed reference at a moment s notice. 

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