Hello all

I have just imported records from an updated Mapmate dataset and came across something that I had not encountered before, in the Recorder 2002 import wizard. On importing 4322 records (of which 3844 were already in the Recorder database), the import wizard came up with 2288 items read, 7794 duplicated items and 3745 invalid items (all due to "The determination date cannot come before the Sample date: Determination Key = the converted mapmate key). These invalid records seem to be due to importing new but identical observations at a later date ie. One recorder seeing Ruddy Darter at Pit House Pond on 22/08/2002 and then on 28/08/2004. One of these records being new the other one already in Recorder. Only importing the new records and not the duplicated records led to the same invalid problem.

As I wished to keep the mapmate key to prevent duplications on future updates of this Mapmate database, my only solution to getting all the new mapmate records into Recorder was to delete all the records from this dataset already in Recorder and then importing the whole lot. This worked OK with no invalid records but means I will have to do it in future updates.

As anyone come across this before? Does this happen in the Recorder 6 import wizard? If it doesn't I will add it to the list of reasons, to persuade me to change over to Recorder 6 (though how easy is it to batch delete records in Recorder 6, if it isn't then I will add it to the list of staying put with Recorder 2002!)

Best wishes

Graham