-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 0
Project Overview
Xolmis Desktop is the data curation and management cornerstone of the broader Xolmis system — a software suite built to facilitate the collection, structuring, analysis, and interoperability of ornithological data. While field observations are captured via Xolmis Mobile, Xolmis Desktop brings those records into a comprehensive research-grade environment where they can be reviewed, organized, enriched, and exported in scientifically compatible formats.
Xolmis was created to streamline how ornithologists and field researchers handle biodiversity data in both field and laboratory contexts. The system aims to:
- Support detailed specimen-level records across diverse biological entities
- Facilitate synchronization between mobile and desktop applications
- Enable standardized data export using interoperable schemas like Darwin Core and EML
- Assist users in validating, filtering, and curating large datasets
- Promote FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable)
- Language & Tools: Written in Free Pascal using the Lazarus IDE
- Database: Uses SQLite for fast, local, and portable storage
- Architecture: Object-oriented and modular — easy to maintain and extend
- User Interface: Native desktop forms, tailored for usability across Windows and Linux
Xolmis Desktop and Mobile are developed in separate repositories using distinct technologies:
- Mobile: Dart + Flutter, optimized for Android devices
- Desktop: Free Pascal + Lazarus, optimized for lightweight workstation environments
They share:
- Data schemas
- Export/import formats
The system promotes seamless data exchange, allowing users to start work in the field and continue it at the lab.
The application includes support for a wide array of biological and ecological data tables:
- Gazetteers, sampling plots
- Institutions, researchers, projects, permits
- Bird taxa, botanical taxa
- Methods, expeditions, surveys, sightings, specimens
- Bands, individuals, captures, feathers
- Nests, nest revisions, eggs
- Media (images, audio recordings, documents)
Each table is associated with internal enums and schemas (TTableType) mapped to human-readable aliases and formal names.
To promote openness and scientific integration, Xolmis Desktop supports:
| Format | Purpose |
|---|---|
| CSV and TSV | Spreadsheet integration and analysis |
| JSON | Sync with Xolmis Mobile and web connectors |
| XML | Structure exports |
| XLSX | Microsoft Excel spreadsheets |
| ODS | Open Document Spreadsheets |
| Reports ready for printing | |
| KML | Geospatial visualization in Google Earth |
| GPX | GPS Exchange Format |
| GeoJSON | Geospatial variant JSON |
Future plans include export to eBird Record Format, Darwin Core and Ecological Metadata Language.
The project emphasizes:
- Clean, modular code design with strong encapsulation
- Consistent naming conventions and UI behavior
- Offline-first strategy to support fieldwork in remote environments
- Extensibility to allow contributions, localization, and research-specific plugins
Want to dive deeper? Here are some key pages to explore:
- Setting Up Your Development Environment
- Code Structure and Modules
- Style Guide and Code Review
- Database Structure
- FPDoc and Technical Documentation
- Roadmap and Future Plans
- How to Contribute
The project is led by Christian, with contributions from field researchers, biologists, and technologists who believe that science deserves powerful, transparent tools.
Welcome to the community — let’s build something that helps biodiversity thrive.