AI 4: AIPA Shopping List

It’s been a while since my AI last post, which hinted at a new module that would utilise the database connectivity.

The new module is for creating shopping lists. AIPA will now obey ‘add recipe/meal/ingredient to shopping list’ commands, and can output the shopping list to a file. The file is in aisle order, to make the shopping trip easier. AIPA also keeps track of the last time a recipe/meal was used, and will suggest an alternative recipe/meal if you’re trying to add something recently used.

The next, relatively easy, step is to add a ‘generate meals/recipes’ command, which will fill any remaining recipe spots on the weekly shopping list with random choices from less recent recipes. I haven’t added a ‘remove recipe/meal/ingredient’ command, because it’s tedious.

A note on tedium: The challenge was in the initial design and structuring of the program, but from here it’s simply a matter of adding each of the million commands possible. Boring, repetitive, not so much fun. I haven’t worked on the AIPA program in a while; this post is describing progress made in February/March.

I’ll probably come back and add more later, but for now I’m going to move on to other AI projects that provide a little more intellectual stimulation and a lot less tedium.