Interactive Key Engine and Keys for iPhone

We help to get your key converted to be used on the iPhone

In biology, a multi-access key is an identification key which overcomes the problem of the more traditional single-access keys (dichotomous or polytomous identification keys) that require a fixed sequence of identification steps. A multi-access key enables the user to freely choose the set and characteristics that are convenient to evaluate for the item to be identified.

SilverKey is not an interactive key but an engine designed to allow your key to be presented as a very useful iPhone application. Our engine is designed to interact with your key. Once you provide us with your original format we convert it into a SQLite Database format along with a set of optional species images that you may wish to associate with some or all species. This design allows your data to run on the iPhone and iPod Touch and be a full-featured application.

Here are some of the features of the engine:

• Interactive Key - The part of the software is designed to allow users to browse a list of characters and states that are both non qualitative and quantitative values. Qualitative values are represented by check boxes to either be (i.e. present or absent). The quantitative values are represented by minimum and maximum ranges provided.
• Find Best, Next, Previous - As with most interactive keys, "Find Best" will present you with the most optimized list of characters key to narrow down the species list. By then, following the "Find Next" button, the search will normally result in finding your species quickly.
• Image Gallery - An image viewing component has been built into the engine to work with provided species and character images so the user will have a rich and illustrated collection of images to help in determining the correct species.
• Factsheets - Each species can have an optional html page for you to provide more specific information that is not part of the image gallery.
• Glossary of Terms - We have found that a glossary of terms can be useful for the user to understand all the lingo and jargon that is used for characters and states. This is an optional feature that you can provide to make your key more complete.
• Help - This is provided with all keys and explains how to use and make the most out of each app.
• About Key - This is a section in the software that will allow key designers to explain all the information about who created the key and any copyright and terms you wish to include.
• Additional Keys - This will connect to the internet and show a list of keys that are using this engine. A link will be provided from each key to the iPhone app store for instant download.

How SilverBiology can help you get your key onto the iPhone app store.

We believe that your time is better spent creating keys and doing research while we work out the technical details to make your key available for a broader use. Below are the software and services that we will provide  to get your key available as painlessly as possible:

• The SilverKey engine to run your key
• Staff to convert your key from existing format to our SQLite SilverKey format
• Help to resize image library for use with the key
• Help in creating a simple factsheet template for your species pages
• Publishing your key to the app store
• Marketing your key through our website and more keys section embedded within the app

 

What we do NOT provide is:

• We do NOT create your key
• We do NOT modify your key (unless discussed during conversion)
• We do NOT provide any images
• We do NOT provide a glossary of terms
• We do NOT take any credit for your key (Your key belongs to you and we will do everything possible to make sure your intellectual property is protected)

Ownership and Rights for the Keys Produced

It is our intention to provide a painless way for someone that has developed a key in a previous format to also have their key available on the iPhone & iPod Touch. We do not claim any rights to your keys. The keys are 100% owned by the creator. Since SilverBiology has an Apple Developers license and prefers to keep our code (engine) private we are publishing them under our account. All keys have an "About" section that explains who the developer is and where the content is created from as well as any image copyrights you wish to include. We also have a more keys section so if you publish your key with this engine users will have the ability to see other keys published with this same software.To convert and publish a key you must be the owner or have written permission for SilverBiology to convert and use these keys.