Specify Workbench

This page assumes you have a .xls ready to upload.

Ideally, datasets should be uploaded to the test database prior to introduction to the production database. This helps ensure no surprises are introduced into the production environment- only 'clean' and tested data, with a structure that won't corrupt the database. You'll be hard pressed to find a professionally defined best practice that disagrees with this. Never the less, it always bears repeating:

NEVER make untested changes to a production database!

This is doubly true for working with the WB uploader. Adding a node to a tree by hand is generally stable, but accidentally adding 50 nodes to a tree via the workbench is a recipe for disaster! NEVER use the workbench to add nodes to the Taxa tree, at any level. In the Storage tree, you should never be adding anything other than a drawer- and even then be careful. Geography and Chronostrat will never have nodes added to them via workbench upload. Lithostratrigraphy is an iffy one, but even then caution will save us all pain in the end.

Testing uploads in the sandbox will show you where any errors are. This is part of the reason why we go through the effort of maintaining an up to date sandbox.

Attached to this page, there's a template for creating an XML document that will map easily to the database. If you use your own, there are a couple of things to be aware of.  Template assumes you have already created records for the following (as needed):

Accession, Container, Agent (Cataloger), Collecting Event and Reference Work. This way, you can simply use the Accession number, Container Name, Cataloger last name, Field Number and RW Title to 'tie' those records into the main CO form.

Template 2 assumes you have not pre-entered any of the CI info, but Accession, Containers, Agent (Cataloger), and Reference Work are already properly populated.

The Mapping Interface:

Things to watch for:

On the best of days, the Accession Number field auto maps to an unused field in the Accession table. Also be aware if you don't give end the taxon terms with the number 1, the auto-mapper will try and map to the Taxon table instead of the Determination table. In this case, a field which is not displayed on the form.

Here's how to fix it.

Another tricky one to be aware of is the 'Field Number' mapping. Left to its own devices, the mapping editor will connect the Data set column titled "Field number" to the CO field with the same title. This will result in the data set being unable to load. You would not get an error message when you go to upload this, the data would simply get slotted into a the wrong field.

For the other fields that are not automatically mapped, just follow the second part of the above instructions.

Testing data integrity*

AKA, how I met my 2 best friends:

Once you have uploaded the spreadsheet to the test database, the next step is validating the data. At the bottom of the workbench interface are 2 selections- the first highlights the cells that can't be uploaded in red. The second shows you new records highlighted in orange. There's also a blue highlight, which shows you records that have more than one possibility associated with it. This verification step is done automatically with no input from the user.

The first option, Highlight Invalid Cells shows you which cells render the whole line invalid. Workbench will not let you upload the data set until you fix these entries. You can delete the whole line, or  fill in the red highlighted cells with correct data.

Second are the New Records. Specify workbench will not waste your time telling you which catalog numbers are new, or which dates are new- it just assumes these are supposed to be new. This verification focuses on things its trying to get you to pay special attention to, like new nodes on trees, and brand new records in linked tables. Keep in mind, sometimes these records are fine- if you are adding CI via the workbench, you'll see orange highlighted records all up and down the locality name and field number rows. When this verification type shows you data that will be added to tables and not trees, as long as they are additions you expected to see, its fine.

Blue highlighted records simply ask you which one of these nodes you wish to use. In the case above, we will be asked to choose between two nodes. Be sure you choose correctly, as sometimes the choices are like night and day, when you look deeper.

Problems with verification