Querying Multiple Catalog Numbers in Specify

For this process, it is assumed that catalog number are already in Specify format. If this is not the case, please see the Google Refine Recipes for spreadsheet prep page, and scroll down to the 'Catalog Number Formatting' section. 

using Excel or Refine, put a comma after every catalog number. 

Highlight the catalog numbers and commas, right click and select 'copy'.

Open Specify, and navigate to the Query tab. 

Paste the numbers into the 'Criteria' field, and select 'run'.   

From the Query Results page, you can open all records, create a record set and many other options. This is the preferred method of querying for a large number of catalog numbers. As of Specify 6.5.0 the records will not always display in numeric order. If numeric order is necessary for your task, you can use the following work-around.

We will be creating a fake loan, then querying the collection object table for the loan history.

To create the loan, first navigate to the Interactions tab. There are 2 types of loans available, 'Loan' and 'Loan w/o preps'. Select the basic loan. 

This will spawn a pop up window. Just copy and paste the catalog numbers, separated by a comma, into this window. 

Hitting 'OK' will spawn the Loan Preparations window. If you have a large group of numbers, it can take a few minutes for this window to appear. 

Once you hit OK, Specify will take you to the loan interface. The catalog numbers will have populated in the lower part of the form, dates are set to the current date and the 2 required fields are empty. Enter something into the 'LOAN NUMBER' box. Delete the Shipment subform (or enter a value in the Tracking Number box). Save the record. 

Now to grab the records. 

From the query tab, open a Collection Object query. Double click on 'Catalog Number', then scroll down to the 'Inventory and Preparations'. Select 'Loan Preparations' from the choices in the 'Inventory and Preparations' box. Do the same for 'Loan' from the Loan Preparations box, and then double click on the Loan Number in this last box. Enter the fake loan number in the criteria. For the Catalog Number, check the arrow in the sort column but leave the criteria empty, and run the query. 

The query results will be sorted by their catalog numbers. To open the records, without highling any record, click the 3d icon in the green header bar. 

When you are done editing the records, save and close out the CO tab. Go back to the query tab. Open a query from the Loan icon. Double click on 'Loan number'. Enter your fake loan number, and run the query. 

Select the record from the Query Results page.

DELETE THE FAKE LOAN RECORD.

This step is not optional.

To delete a record, in the lower right hand corner, select 'Edit'. Then, at the top of the record, next to where the form says 'LOAN', hit the red minus sign. In the window that pops up, select DELETE.