Indulge my Nerdiness for a moment

[geminigirl]

We were making the grocery list today, in our usual way which means sitting down and making our menu for the week and then deciding what we need and e-mailing it to whichever one of us is going to the store, and I said "There's got to be a way to do this where I can input what we buy and then I can just check off the boxes and then it'll e-mail the list to us."

So being the geeks that we are, we talked about it a little more so I can explain what I want and Cayne says that it can be done pretty easily in MySQL. I nudge a bit because he looks reluctant to take it on, and I ask if he thinks it's something I can do as a learning experience. He thinks it's possible, so I'm going to take on this project.

I'm looking for a recommendation for a good MySQL book. There's O'Reilly, of course-I see Head First PHP and MySQL and I see the usual O'Reilly Learning PHP, MySQL and Java Script. Recommendations for one of those or a different option. Something that when combined with W3schools.com will allow me to learn enough to make a household grocery app.

If it matters, what I'm trying to do is build something where I can input our typical household groceries and then as we make the list, just pull up the webpage and check the boxes for what we need or want, and then either access it from my phone and check off items as I put them in the cart or email the list to myself and access the email from my phone as I shop. So for example, suppose I built a master list for my family that included bread, apples, rice, beans, pears, granola bars, milk and this week I only needed bread, milk and apples, I could just go in, check those things off and when I access the "my weekly list" page or something it gave me the list "bread, milk, apples" and allowed me to check off the items as I put them in the cart.

I'm not sure I'll have the skills or patience to handle the e-mailing bit, but that's okay...if I can build the part where one logs in, inputs their grocery lists and then checks off what is needed, I'd be happy. If I can manage the part where I get it to then show up on a separate page as "My Weekly List" I'd be thrilled. If I can manage to build the login page and the e-mail function, I'd be ecstatic. (I'm not even sure I'm going to attempt this part. I may turn that part over to zedrikcayne.)

(If anyone has a better suggestion for something that I can use that's web based/web accessible and easy to learn and will run on my laptop, I'm open to suggestions.)

And then, we'll see what happens.

(PS, I owe you lots of posts about Naomi turning 3, and getting ready for a dance recital and the potty issue that we're having and my family and stuff.)

Comments

[whitebird.livejournal.com]

The real question is, do you both have smartphones now?

[geminigirl]

Yes. We both already have smartphones, or this might not be as appealing. I have a Droid, he has a Blackberry and we're likely to upgrade his phone soon because he's got an older Blackberry with a track ball that is likely to go soon. He's undecided about what kind of phone he'd like to replace it with though.

[whitebird.livejournal.com]

Well, then you don't even have to do the email thing. You can just have it create a small webpage that lists the items in the cart, and maybe have checkboxes next to the items so it's easy to make sure they've made it into the real cart.

Other options are using a pre-built system, such as Remember The Milk.

[shirleym.livejournal.com]

We use CloudList for this. You can edit the list (add/remove items, check off) from phone or browser, and share lists with other accounts; you can set categories within lists, and have as many different lists as you like. Separate fields for what, how much, and what units the how much is in. Check it out for ideas on what to do, if not to use it.

[lovingboth]

Another satisfied CloudList user here, and I agree this is something where it's easier to use someone else's service unless you're determined to DIY.

[susandennis]

Yeah, I hate to burst your nerd bubble but there are lots of things you could use browser/phone even with an old blackberry.

Plus, I miss hearing about the girls and family and other stuff. I do. Maybe you could nerd up reporting on them!

[geminigirl]

Using a pre-built system doesn't encourage me to learn a valuable skill beyond "Someone else did it first."

And I will post about the girls soon. I promise.

Do you Facebook? I often post pictures I take from my phone directly there, and there tend to be a lot of quick one or two line updates about them.

[susandennis]

No. I am a stubborn old goat when it comes to facebook. Even tho sometimes it's chopping off my nose to spite my face, I still steadfastly refuse to do it. Sigh.

[geminigirl]

I can understand that. It is, however a remarkably convenient way to post a quick photo from my phone-the camera software has an option to share on Facebook and I do take advantage of that.

[susandennis]

oh yeah, i understand that... i 'share' my phone pics all the time - to flickr or twitter.

i saw a woman on the bus this morning - older than i am (with the most beautiful snow white hair) and she was actually even checking her facebook page on her phone and smiling away. it was fun to watch.

oh and i totally get wanting to have a project to learn new stuff for. i very nearly learned mysql a few years ago when i wanted to automate my book reviews. but i caved when i found websites that did it better. and now i still don't know any mysql.

[geminigirl]

I have photos on Facebook set to be non-public, but I will try and pull some out to post.

I do sometimes share the photos on Twitter. My Twitter name is Whatthemamasaw if you would like to follow me. And there are snippets about the girls there too sometimes.

[susandennis]

thanks!

[lovingboth]

I can see this, and there's stuff I DIY even though alternatives exist. You could try using the programmes / sites suggested and seeing what you like and don't like about them. Once you know that, you can either say 'this one does everything I need' or 'I need this, which none of them do, and I now know that I don't need that or that...'

Plus what other things involving storing data would you consider trying yourself?

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

http://www.groceryiq.com/ - it's what we use. Maintainable from the web, syncs with smartphone clients. Keeps a list of what you buy, lets you save favorites. We like it quite a lot.

[also-huey.livejournal.com]

In my extreme dorkness, my CFT list includes creating an app that will, among other things:
a) have a barcode scanner so groceries can be input in to the "what we have" database (to include the "Cook This Before It Goes Bad" list)
b) also barcode scan things that are taken out of the "what we have" database, to feed the "what we need" database,
c) have sufficient UI to maintain the "prepared food in the fridge" database (to include the Eat This Before It Goes Bad" list)
d) spit out menu suggestions,
e) spit out grocery lists of things we know we'll need, and stock me want to maintain,
f) suggest "what else you can cook with what you have", and
g) in general, be the 'smart fridge' that logic tells me should already exist, but apparently doesn't.

Testing this idea with a couple hundred of the general public, I got reactions from "Wow, that sounds cool", to "What a pain in the ass. I would never use that". but the point of the exercise would be mroe towards me and my household buying the right stuff and throwing away fewer leftovers and shit that's gone bad before we could use it than it would be for somebody else. I'd probably release it CC-SA, just so if there's any other like-minded dorks out there, they could improve on it. I even have a hacked cuecat to use as the barcode reader.

...but, like all dorks CFT lists, this is probably something I'll never actually get to. So, there's that.

[geminigirl]

You could even add a feature that would prioritize meals or foods that your diet has been lacking in during the week...for example, if you haven't been getting a lot of vitamin A, it might suggest adding carrots as a side dish or snack.

[whuffle.livejournal.com]

Haven't looked at the comments so I have no idea whether or not this has been mentioned yet,

BUT

Epicurious.com has a feature like this for people with accounts. You can input your own recipes, use ones from their website, and make a shopping list. They have an iPhone/iPod Touch app which means you can do all of this and put it onto your phone/touch to take to the grocery store without having to print to paper!

[yesthattom.livejournal.com]

What about doing this in a spreadsheet with a column for each week?