Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've recently started building an actual database of my physical inventory, and have already found multiple items which I needlessly own twice because when I bought the second one, I didn't realize I had one already.
That's awesome. You just have a sql database of your physical possessions?
First, I assign string IDs to storage locations following a simple hierarchical pattern. For example, `H` might be the hallway. `Hc` might be the cupboard on the hallway. `Hc3` might be the third drawer in that cupboard, and so on.
Now if I put my old external harddrive into that drawer, I write into the inventory text file: "Hc3 external harddrive". It's the storage location, followed by the asset name. If the thing might have many names, I just chain all of them together.
Now all the queries come down to simple grepping, for example:
- "grep '^H' inventory" gives me all the items I have stored in the hallway.
- "grep Windows inventory" shows me where I put that old Windows 7 DVD.
My system also includes optional "intents" to be appended to the storage location. There's "#s" (sale), "#o" (offer = give away for free), "#g" (garbage), and "#e" (evict = move to a less accessible storage location if space is needed).
So I can just show the output of "grep '#o' inventory" to my friends, and they can see at a glance what stuff I have to give away.