community google spreadsheet/template ideas, documentation

[jcothran]

Wanted to touch again on the idea which I'd like to see develop more
broadly which is towards using google spreadsheets/templates to solve
some of the communities basic inventory, metadata and mapping needs.
The main link to look at is

http://earth.google.com/outreach/tutorial_mapper.html

which includes a 5 minute video demonstrating how using a browser
accessible spreadsheet can be used to dynamically populate a google
map with placemarks.

My initial approach would be more towards using google spreadsheets as
a common application and metadata/light data type layer and probably
handling possible maps, reports via perl, python scripting - but the
above example demonstrates how the spreadsheet by itself can generate
an easily displayable mapping layer using just spreadsheet formulas.

Would like to develop list of such any community spreadsheets/
templates that might be commonly useful.
I've started a wiki page here that documents/repeats some of the
earlier ideas

http://code.google.com/p/xenia/wiki/Spreadsheet

In particular a draft spreadsheet for capturing common metadata
regarding organizations, platforms,sensors (which parallels and could
tie into the existing Xenia schema structure)

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=ryTSVxKd0ZEz2UbsmFiYZLA

Google also supports a wide range of data import to spreadsheets via
HTTP from html tables, csv files or xml which would might give us the
option to suggest the spreadsheet/table layout for implementation in
one of those formats where a provider might not want to utilize google
infrastructure directly.

http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/09/google-spreadsheets-lets-you...

Cheers
Jeremy