SLIKS Stinger's Lightweight Interactive Key Software. WWW.STINGERSPLACE.COM

(Stinger's Lightweight Interactive Key Software)

SLIKS is a small Javascript program that I developed to facilitate the use of interactive keys. You are undoubtedly aware that there are many of these programs available. At one point I listed links to 32 of them on a web page and that didn't begin to capture the diversity among them. Unfortunately, almost all of these programs require downloads of some sort to run them, they usually run on only a single platform or (even worse) from a single web site where the data are held in captivity, and they usually aren't free. SLIKS is written in simple Javascript and distributed under the GNU public license. It runs over the web or locally on your machine. Users can download their own copy or use it from your web site. It runs through the web browser so it is essentially platform independant.

SLIKS is FREE and it can't be sold (see the license) so you won't ever be ransomed to use your own data in it.
It requires no special program or plugin installations so the many users who are prohibited by their employers from installing software or who are just unwilling to install software or plugins can use it.
It runs right in your browser (Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera), even on Pocket PC. SLIKS Version 1.0 runs in mozilla based browsers (like netscape and firefox) as well and I hope to make all versions ubiquitously compatible eventually. In the meantime, if you are using Firefox you can install the IE Tab extension which is free and takes seconds to install
I don't want your email address, I don't care who you are, there aren't any ads, and I don't want your money. I'll be happy if you just use the program, cite it appropriately, and maybe say something nice about me in public sometime.
SLIKS is very easy to put a data set into. There is only one file to make and you don't need any software that you don't already have. It also translates easily to other formats
SLIKS uses multistate or binary characters.
SLIKS is extremely easy to set up on your website. Just copy the files to a web enabled directory and it runs.
There are no hidden formats. You can make your key as beautiful and well illustrated as you want using simple web pages and web image formats (jpeg, gif etc). If you can make a word processing document and "save as" html, you can make richly illustrated keys. If you can cut and paste the URL/Address/Location line from your web browser, you can link your key to anyplace on the WWW.
If you think that you can make it better, do it. Just follow the license. The program isn't compiled so all of the code is right there for you to see.
To run the program you need a data file (ending in .js), the main program file, and three other HTML files. You are welcome to make your own data files, name them anything you want, and to change the name of the main file and the reference to the data file in it. Any other change constitutes a modification of the program and must respect my copyright and the terms of the license.

I made SLIKS to introduce a lot more people to interactive keys. It is not intended to compete with much more feature rich systems such as LucID and Intkey. They have been around for a long time and are very well developed. They just have never been useable in a lot of situations that I wanted them to be. SLIKS is intended to fill the gap that they haven't after many years of development and I hope that SLIKS might prompt the many organizations and individuals putting a lot of effort into interactive key products and data sets to make those products and their data sets, more open and accessible. I also hope that it will liberate a lot of data that are currently hidden in propietary products so that we can all use them for bigger and better analyses and tools than were ever dreamed of by their creators. One thing to note, if you want to make money by making people pay for access to your data (or anyone's data), you should probably look for another product. I don't care if you sell your data sets, but you can't sell SLIKS, and because anyone with minimal computer skills can read your actual data file when they use SLIKS, you don't have software protection from people seeing your original data. Nothing is hidden (not even the source code) and you can't pretend to have a secret black box with SLIKS because there isn't one. You also shouldn't consider SLIKS if you need to use continuous characters (although I do have a prototype that uses them). Finally, you shouldn't consider SLIKS if you need support (and you don't have a javascript programmer handy) or if you need more features than are there. It is what it is, and it is there for you to use. I'll likely add features when I can but I can't promise any more than that.

HOW TO USE SLIKS

KEYS in SLIKS (Current Versions)
(Note that if you must use Firefox in versions 1.1 or later, you should install the free IE Tab extension . It takes seconds from the Tools->Add-ons->Extensions menu in Firefox.
(Also note that, of course, you must have javascript turned on in any browser to use these)

All Grass Species of the US (by state) (Part of the USDA PLANTS Database)
All Gymnosperm Species of the US (Part of the USDA PLANTS Database)
Wetland Monocots of the USA (Part of the USDA PLANTS Database)
All Legumes in the US (by state) (Part of the USDA PLANTS Database)

Key to the genus Amelanchier in North America by Chris Campbell

Key to several kinds of pollen in Missouri by David Bogler

University of Calgary Herbarium's Key to Alberta Plants.

Knud Ib Christensen's SLIKS Keys Keys for groups in the Flora of Denmark, Flora Hellenica, Floria Nordica and other areas. He also has an Instruction Manual in Danish

An implementation of SLIKS keys on a FREE server (freewebspace.com). This is just to show that you can produce and implement SLIKS keys on the web easily and with absolutely no cost

An example of a richly illustrated SLIKS key. This shows how to put images and backgrounds in all parts of a SLIKS key.

The definitive key to Ukuleles (yes Ukuleles)

Weeds of Container Nurseries SLIKS Key

The genus Hymenodon

Useful SLIKS versions and permutations by others.

SAIKS (SLIKS Alike Interactive Key Software) This is a great program. Greg Alexander, a real programmer, just completely rewrote SLIKS. It runs in just about all browsers. It also allows you to code multiple states for a given taxon without splitting up the character. Just put a SLIKS data set (the .js file) in the same folder as the SAIKS .js and single html file, open the html file in notepad or some other editor and change the filename (ending in .js) in the first script line to match yours. Great job Greg!

JEPSON FLORA SLIKS KEYS These are in an older version of SLIKS modified to work with a MEKA to SLIKS converter by Chris Meacham. The important thing here is that there is a converter for MEKA data to SLIKS format - Thanks Chris!

Brooklyn Botanic Garden Interactive Keys to the Woody Plants of New York State and the New York Metropolitan Area. NOTE: You will need to hit RESTART to begin. These are downloadable keys with very nice imbedded illustrations. Gerry Moore, Cathy Rushworth, Steve Glenn, and Jinshuang Ma have done a great job with them.

In Older Versions

ACER key
This is a small demo based on one of the first data sets ever to run in an interactive key (Larry E. Morse's IDENT in 1969). It is a leaf key for the Maples (Acer) of Michigan. The data set was then used in interactive keys (IDENT then ONLINE and INTKEY) in John Beaman's Plant Systematics course at MSU for the next 20 years.

MAGNOLIACEAE of North America (adapted from FNA with links to FNA as well as PLANTS - This key also illustrates how to put character illustrations directly into the key)
These Magnoliaceae keys show how you can put images and hyperlinks directly into the keys.
MAGNOLIACEAE de Norte America (En Español)

Here are some other older demos based on the species of Magnolia in my neighborhood in Virginia where I lived when I wrote this program.

SLIKS DEMO1 (using simple web pages and images)
SLIKS DEMO2 (using links to the USDA PLANTS database)
SLIKS PDA DEMO (Written for IE on Pocket PC 2003)

SLIKS DOWNLOAD PAGE

HOW TO MAKE THE DATA FILE BY HAND

MAKE A DATAFILE ONLINE WITH SLIKSMAKER
Note: some network settings may prevent SLIKSMaker from running properly over the internet. If it doesn't work online for you, please download it and run it locally

Page last updated: 29 Feb. 2012
Contact STINGER at STINGERSPLACE.COM for more information.