On Thu, 30 Jul 2020 10:51:06 -0400 Miles Fidelman <mfidel...@meetinghouse.net> wrote:
> On 7/30/20 5:21 AM, Eric S Fraga wrote: > > > On Wednesday, 29 Jul 2020 at 04:40, Richard Owlett wrote: > >> On 07/27/2020 10:13 AM, Eric S Fraga wrote: > >>> You may wish to have a look at recutils: > >> A database is over-kill for some personal preferences. > >> > >> I had mentioned spreadsheets in original post as I had visualized > >> a > > I am confused. You also mentioned databases and specifically SQL for > > querying databases. > > > Yes, indeed - it sure seems like SQL will be necessary for either > querying, or importing from, databases of nutritional content. > Building the app around and SQL engine - say SQL Lite - would seem to > make a lot of sense. > > Anything else, and some kind of converter will be needed. > There's at least one US database in spreadsheet form, I found it a couple of years ago. The problem for me was that the numbers aren't the same for the UK, even with basic foodstuffs, and the proprietary foods are formulated for local market preferences. I'm mostly using a UK database with about 3000 entries. I wasn't keen on the idea of tapping an Internet database directly. Firstly, the Net is a lot more ephemeral than we like to think, and things do just disappear, but also these databases are of variable quality, often containing alphabetic characters where numbers are expected. I preferred to make my own databases, cleaning up information where necessary and dropping most of the nutrients. I also often need to create entries, both from the sides of packets for packaged foods and ingredients lists for home-cooked dishes. -- Joe
