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Log in screen, we were very happy when account authentication
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Google Maps api worked surprisingly!
Inspiration
Farm records suck. They're almost all recorded on paper, either in binders or bare reams. In addition to the impracticality of paper records, it requires you to physically travel to them or have them with you. We wanted to create a software solution that makes checking on crop rotations and grain bin volumes much easier.
What it does
EZ Farming provides simple email account creation and authentication. Once logged in you can view fields you own, and then see a multitude of information ranging from the most recent chemical treatment to the current crop. Using Google's Maps API you can also view directly where the field or grain bins are located, eliminating the need for paper field maps.
How we built it
We used Android Studio as our IDE, and Java as our language of choice. Working within the Google stack provided us with some great database tools, namely Firebase Authentication and Firestore. The location data and visualization of the map was done using Google's Maps api.
Challenges we ran into
We went into this project with exactly zero experience with Android Studio or Firebase. Surprisingly both Firebase and the Maps API were easy to work with, having clearly named methods and variables. Android Studio has the Firebase assistant tool, which made integrating those Firebase changes into our Gradle build configuration easy. The most significant challenges involved building the app's interface; while Studio's XML interface builder is nice, configuring widget constraints and keeping things aligned proved difficult. On top of that, visual design is not our strong suit and creating a UI that was at least somewhat appealing took time.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Implementing the Google Maps API was great, especially after the somewhat arduous task of obtaining an API key. Overall we're happy that the app is viable and functionally communicates with our database.
What we learned
Android Studio is very well designed and can be picked up quickly for Android development. The Google Maps API is nice to work with, and seamless. Google Firebase is a great database solution and plays nicely with Android development.
What's next for EZ Farming
We would like to utilize more field records, and expand to include more options within the app. Firebase is incredibly scalable, but our app is not currently designed to handle very large amounts of data.
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