Taxonomic Database menus

File

Overlays... - opens the Overlays dialog (same action as icon). This module is the ideal environment for designing overlays, primarily by 'dragging and dropping' taxa from the Taxa window while the overlay is in design mode. You can also overlays you have already created in the Samples module. More about working with overlays...
Numeric code dictionaries... lets you explore the use of numeric codes in your taxon database. You may set up a number of "dictionaries" which relate taxa to numeric codes. These can be used for creating logging sheets.
Exit - closes this module.

Taxa

The set of options allow you to add lists of taxa to the Taxa window:

Select taxa... - opens the Taxa: Select dialog (same action as icon), where you can select a taxon or taxa from the database by searching for parts of its taxonomic name. The taxa you select will be added to the list in the Taxa window. You can now edit other attributes of the taxon.
Select taxa from wells/outcrops... - opens a dialog which enables you to populate the Taxa window with taxa that have been recorded in a well of your choosing. You can narrow down the results by discipline and analyst.
Advanced search in wells... - opens the Taxon: Advanced search dialog, which enables you to search for taxa in the database using a number of non-taxonomic criteria. This is useful for example if you want to search for all the taxa which occur in a particular well or within a specific depth range. Your selection will be added to the Taxa window.
Advanced search in dictionary... - lets you search for taxa which were created or modified between dates of your choosing. This is a useful quality-control tool. You can see which user added or editing the taxon when it is added to the Taxa window.
Search by numeric code... - search the dictionary between a range of numeric codes. Numeric codes can be used for quick logging of occurrences using printed logging sheets.
Select all taxa linked to images - adds these taxa to the Taxa window. Useful when you want to experiment with using images in your database.
Save list as... - create a CSV (spreadsheet) file containing the data from the Taxa window. Note that you cannot copy and paste from the Taxa window.

Add... - opens the Taxon: Add/Edit dialog (same as icon), where you can add a new taxon to your database.
Merge... - opens the Merge Taxa dialog. Select two or more taxon names on the list in the Taxa window before selecting this item from the menu.
Delete all non-occurring taxa... - deletes all taxa which have no well/outcrop occurrences and no linked events. You may want to use this to tidy up your database.
Find similar taxa... - searches the entire taxon dictionary for species which have similar names but different records; they could for example be indifferent categories. The search may take several minutes to execute. Results are added to the Taxa window where you can make merges and edits.

Taxon: (these items relate to the taxon currently selected in the Taxa window and is identical to the pop-up menu for the Taxa window)
- Edit... - opens the Taxon: Add/Edit dialog (same as icon), where you can edit the details of the taxon you have selected in the Taxa window. To populate this window, you can either search for taxa or open groups.
- Delete - deletes a taxon selected on the list in the Taxa window. You will be given a warning about the number of occurences of the taxon before it is deleted.
- Search web... - Googles the genus name of the selected taxon.
- Well occurrences... - opens the Taxon: Well Occurrences dialog, where you can search for occurrences of the selected taxon in database wells and outcrops.
- Search database... opens the Taxa : Select dialog with the fields set to the genus/species of the selected taxon. This is useful for finding similar taxa.
- Images - opens the Taxon Images dialog where you can view, edit and add to the images associated with the selected taxon.
- Numeric codes - opens the Numeric Codes dialog. Some organisations will have more than one taxon dictionary and use Numeric codes. For advice on how to set this up contact StrataData.
- Group membership - find out which groups a taxon belongs to. You can save the list as a text file if you wish.
- References and notes - opens the References and Notes dialog, where you can enter bibliographic information about the selected taxon.
- Synonymy... - opens the Synonymy dialog, where you can link taxa with synonyms. More about synonymy...
- Edit occurrences... - Opens the Edit Occurrences dialog where you can change the recorded occurrence types of all records in the database of a selected taxon.

Categories... - Opens the Categories dialog where you can add, edit and delete categories. More about categories...

Groups

Add... - lets you add a group - you will be asked to input the group name (same as icon). The group will appear in the Groups table. You can then change the colour by double-clicking in the colour column of your new group.
Import - you can import group or set files of .SBG (XML) or .DEX types. You will need to go through a matching process using the Match Group and Match Set dialogs when you have opened the file.
Show groups not in charts... - shows a list of groups which are not associated with any saved charts.These groups may no longer be required. Note that groups which are used in group sets which are used in charts ARE associated with charts!

Edit details... - shows the Taxon Group : Edit dialog where you can change the group name, colour and project.
Edit taxa... - lets you edit the taxa in the group you have selected in the Groups table (same as icon, or double-clicking the group in the Groups table). A Group window will appear showing the taxa in that group. Order this group alphabetically by pressing the radio buttons. If a colour has been selected, it will show in a strip accross the top of the window. You can now add taxa to the group by dragging and dropping them from the Taxa window. You can also delete a taxon by right clicking on it in a Group list, or selecting it and pressing the DEL key.
Insert taxa from wells/outcrops - opens a dialog which enables you to populate the selected group with taxa that have been recorded in a well of your choosing. You can narrow down the results by discipline and analyst.
Delete - deletes the group you have selected in the Groups table. You will be asked to confirm the deletion. Note that this will not delete the taxa in the group. You cannot delete a group which is a member of a set, or a group that is used in chart panel templates. Remove the group from the sets and templates first.
Print logging sheet - print a paper logging sheet using numeric codes. See this page for more.

Export - save the selected group as an SBG or DEX file. If you want to save multiple groups to a file, first create a set with those groups in and then export the set. (See also Set menu below).
Export as text... - write out a text file of the taxon names in the selected group.

Show chart panels... - shows a list of chart panel templates which reference this group.
Show legacy charts... - shows a list of legacy charts which reference this group. Note that having a group in a legacy chart will not prevent it from being deleted.

Set

Add... - opens the Set: Add/Edit dialog where you can add a new set.
Import... - import a group set from a StrataBugs SBG or DEX file.

Edit... - opens the Set: Add/Edit dialog where you can edit the selected set.
Delete - deletes the set selected in the Sets list (but does not delete the groups which the set contains or the taxa in those groups).

Print logging sheet - print a paper logging sheet using numeric codes. See this page for more.
Export - save the selected set to an SBG or DEX file (including, optionally, any type images associated with taxa in the groups). More about exporting and importing groups and sets...

Show groups... - open a Group Window for each group in the selected set.
Show chart panels... - shows a list of chart panel templates which reference the selected set.
Show charts... - shows a list of legacy charts which reference the selected set. Note that having a set referenced in a legacy chart will not prevent it from being deleted.

Events

Add Event... - lets you add an event from the event dictionary using the Event: Add dialog. If you have a taxon selected in the Taxon window, the dialog will be pre-populated with this taxon. This allows you to use the normal methods to locate a taxon and then directly add an event related to it.
Open event dictionary... - shows the Events window, which is a table showing the contents of your event dictionary. You can edit an event by double-clicking it in the table. You can sort the table by pressing the column headers.
Merge... - lets you merge two or more events which are linked to the same taxon. This could be useful if you have merged two taxa which were both linked to events, and you wish to subsequently merge these events. See Merge Events dialog for more details.
Show Usage... - shows a dialog displaying the details of well events and composite standard events linked to the the selected dictionary event. You can also open this dialog by selecting an event in the Event Dictionary frame, right-clicking and selecting the 'Usage...' option.
Composite standards... - opens the Composite Standards dialog, where you can select and edit or add new composite standards.
New composite standard... - opens the Composite Standards frame, which you can use to create a composite standard by dragging and dropping events and taxa.

View

Options to help you arrange windows.

Show global project lets you toggle display of "global" groups and sets alongside those in the active project.

Page last updated: 03-Dec-2014 15:21