Australian Native Plants Selector
A Program for PCs

Version 2.0.1.1 of APSquery now available!

APSquery (Win-7 Compatible V2.0.1.1): Tuesday 11th October 2011
Go to APSquery Download

 Note: data is now included in APSquery - no separate data file.


Quick Jumps
 = Recent Updates
Guides Download
APSquery Download
APSdict Download
Photographs Download
APSsaver Download
Genus/Family XRef
The 2011 APS-SA Spring Flower Show and Plant Sale
was held at the Adelaide Showgrounds on 8-9/October/2011.
 Click here for the List of Plants!


APSquery: I have developed a program called APSquery which allows me to find Australian Native Plants to suit specific requirements.

APSquery uses a database created and maintained by the Australian Plants Society (S.A. Region, Inc), which contains descriptions of approximately 8000 native plants. Most are proper species, but the list also includes a number of common hybrids and cultivars.
The database has been developed with emphasis on plant characteristics in Mediterranean to semi-arid climatic conditions. It will best relate to South Australian conditions, and is reasonably close for Western Australia and Victoria. However, it may be less accurate for eastern seaboard environments.

A program of this nature is of necessity rather complex, given that there are over 40 selection criteria which can be chosen to help find the plant you want.


Using APSquery for the first few times can be likened to using a word processor; you can do basic operations, but practice and frequent use of the help files is essential.
However, APSquery has been written to make it easy to use. It contains a comprehensive help file to explain every function and criteria. There are even six topics in the Help Menu of APSquery to help new users:
     "Quick Start Help"
     "Really Quick Start Help"
     "Names Selection Help"
     "Criteria Option Selection"
     "Marking Information"
     "Photographs Help"

APSquery runs on any standard PC with preferably 1024x768 pixel resolution or more (can be used with 800x600 pixel NetBooks) and 16-bit (64K) or better colour resolution. It is regularly tested with Windows-7, and should run with Windows-XP, Windows-Me, Windows-2000 or Windows-Vista.
Self-installation programs provide simple installation of the application and database.

Windows-7 or Vista? Refer to Windows-7 and Vista Note below for status of Windows-7 and Vista compatible version.

Linux? If you are running Linux, you should be able to run APSquery under WINE.


What does APSquery look like?
Click for a screenshot of the opening menu. Note the criteria in the basic selection page, which are an extraction of the eight most common criteria from 43 criteria on the nine other pages. Click here and here and here for other screenshots in the sequence.

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APSquery features include:
     Extensive suite of search key criteria, divided into categories.
     On-screen view of a Brief Information Page for all plants matching the specified criteria.
     On-screen view of a Full Information Page for plants selected from the Brief Information Page.
     Ability to save information as files, or to print any selection from either plant list.
     Option preferences are stored in the Windows Registry.
     Font selection (including colour) is independently defined for the Information Pages.
     Quick Preview (via a separate window) of Full Information.
     Quick Search for a known Genus and species, a Basic criteria selection, or for Keywords.
     Ability to display photographs of selected plants.
     Compatible with Windows XP Themes settings.
     Criteria can be selected as either ANY or ALL options for a match.
     Change to CHM format help file structure (V1.9.4 onwards).
     QuickLoad file added to speed up loading (V1.9.5 onwards).
     Directed web links to other sites (V1.9.8 onwards).
     Advanced Criteria Selection mode, Revised Names Criteria (V1.9.9 onwards).

NEW: V2.0.0 updates:
InnoSetup Installation program replaces the old GP-Install program.
New folder structure; uses "C:\APS-SA" as base folder
Data included in single installation
Preview Page now integrated into the main APSquery window.
Improved primary plant information presentation (colours and fonts).
Many other minor improvements and extensions to existing capabilities.

NEW: V2.0.1 updates:
Correction of some minor presentation inconsistencies.
Change of label presentation on Preview pintout to be independent of label visibility.
Improved version changing checks.


The application is completely self-contained. It does not require on-line access during use. Application and database updates are released as a single installation file, so you only need to check the version/date on the top of this page and compare it with those in the Title Bar of APSquery.

This version of APSquery is FREE for your enjoyment. Your comments and feedback would be appreciated to make it an even better program.


A wide range of photographs for many plants listed in APSquery will be released on CD-ROM. Release of the CD-ROM with about 4000 photos for about $50 is planned for a future date.
Approximately 4000 photographs covering almost 1800 plants have already been processed, but have you ever thought of the effort required to obtain, digitise, process and validate photographs for about 8000 plant names?
Revisit this site for further reports on progress (rather slow right now). When is it expected? Sorry, I can not even guess as I have no control over the validation process.
In the meantime, to whet your appetite, click for a 400x400 or 200x200 sample. Better still, download the sample set below along with APSquery to see what it can do, or use the recently built-in links to data and/or photographs on the ANBG, eFloraSA and other sites.

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Guides

To find out more about APSquery, download Guides.zip (155KB) (in PDF, RTF, MSWord-2003, TXT and HTML format).
Alternatively it may be read directly from User Guide.pdf

APSquery is now supplied as a unified installation file, for both the application and database. Floppy disk format is no longer supported.



APSquery Version 2.0.1.1 (Uploaded 11th October 2011) for WinXP, Vista or Windows-7 is FREE here! Just click on this link: APSqry2-0-1-1.zip (1209KB) to commence download.

SPECIAL NOTE: If you are upgrading from a previous version of APSquery, you will need to:

If you receive a fatal error during the operation of APSquery run the program again and immediately delete the QuickLoad File and Genus and Family Files via the "Options|QuickLoad Management" menu. On restart this should correct any problems.


Note:
This version combines both application and data in a single installation file. If you have any previous versions of APSquery you may need to uninstall both the application (APSquery) and the Data (APSdata) prior to installing the new release.
The entire folder structure has also been completely reorganised. System-level folders (e.g. "Program files") are no longer used so user access is easier.
If you have uninstalled versions prior to V1.10.0, some fragments will still remain in the "C:\Program Files\APS" structure and can be deleted using administrator access privileges.

Plant Linking
APSquery incorporates plant descriptor and photograph linking: This version of APSquery is similar to the one which will be used at the 2011 APS-SA Spring Flower Show and Plant Sale.

Don't forget to revisit to check for updates of APSquery.


APSdict 110923 is also free here! This is a set of two dictionaries:
  1. A general botany/gardening dictionary with about 2300 entries
  2. A Latin species derivation dictionary with about 4500 entries
The dictionaries may be accessed either via the Help menu in APSquery, or independently via the All Programs APS Menu.
This is a new capability and is subject to rapid revision.

Just click on this link: APSdict.zip (565KB) to commence download.


Windows-7 or Vista?
Failure to show Help files in Vista was solved in V1.9.4, now uses the more modern CHM help file format.
APSquery is regularly tested with Windows-7 and no longer violates UAC rights.

There appear to be no other real problems except that:
     All APSquery files must be installed by a user with Administrator access privileges.
     Earlier versions (up to V1.9.3.7 use old HLP format) can be used in Vista and Win-7 by running the file WinHlp32.exe
        (This can be obtained from the Microsoft download site - follow the instructions carefully!)


Sample Photographs: To obtain a sample of about 100 photographs, click on this link: APSphoto.zip (3253KB) to commence download.
This is a self-installation process which places the photographs in the selected folder. By default this will be "C:\APS-SA\Photos\Sample".

ScreenSaver: Do you want APSsaver, a screensaver that uses these photographs?
Download APSsaver.zip (339KB), unzip it and and follow the directions in the text file.
You will have a screensaver like the bouncing ball, except it will use photographs of plants.

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If you are looking for a dictionary of about 23,600 botanical names targetting Australian Native Plants, look no further than my Australian native flora dictionary.

This dictionary is actually 7 separate files, designed to work in most common word processors, including:
     Microsoft Word for Windows (Word95, Word97, Word2000, Word2003, Word2007)
     Microsoft Word for the MacIntosh
     Microsoft Works for Windows (to V3.0)
     Word Perfect 8 for Windows
     Lotus WordPro
     Adobe Pagemaker V6.5


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Genus/Family Table
Now Available (Updated 13/December/2011) - a cross reference table showing the genus/family association for over 5000 Australian Native Plants. This table has been developed to improve the performance of my free Australian Native Plants Selector, but can also be used independently if you only want a table of association.

Just click Here to find the TAB delimited list.


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Howard

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You can contact me at hjharvey@tpg.com.au

This page has been accessed times since 16th September 2009



DISCLAIMER:TPG, as my Internet Service Provider, is not responsible for the maintenance or content of these pages.

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Last Update Tuesday 13th December 2011 at 1800 AU-CST
© Copyright 2002-2011 Howard Harvey