1 Reply by stevemcbill

  • stevemcbill
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  • From: Runcorn, Cheshire
  • Registered: 21-11-2006
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Re: Path From NBN Dictioanry to Webserves to Recorder-6 ??

Can anyone clarify for me the path from lists provided to Charles for inclusion in the NBN Online Dictionary on the NHM website to inclusion of these species additions/updates/new-lists onto the dictionary sued in the NBN Webservices and thence to the dictionaries available in updates for Recorder-6 ??

I ask as some species seem to have been available on the Online dictionary on the NHM website for some time (e.g. Nedyus quadrimaculatus (a Nettle Weevil)) but still do not seem to be available on the NBN Webservices dictionary. Consequently, it has left me wondering how long such changes take in the chain of events and exactly what that chain is and what are the problems/issues associated with getting species updates, new species and new species lists promulgated across the various parts of the system (from the NHM Species Dictionary through the webservices dictionary to the Recorder-6 dictionary updates). I also makes me wonder whether there are any ways in which this chain of updating can be can be sped up or smoothed in any fashion ?

Cheers and many thanks

Steve J. McWilliam :|
P.S.: Comments from others, positive and/or negative, on this process, as well as clarification of the process, would be gratefully received.

Steve J. McWilliam
www.rECOrd-LRC.co.uk
www.stevemcwilliam.co.uk/guitar/

stevemcbill's Website

2 Reply by andyb

  • andyb
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  • Registered: 01-09-2006
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Re: Path From NBN Dictioanry to Webserves to Recorder-6 ??

Hi Steve,
Updates to the species dictionary are made available to NBN Gateway and Recorder about four times per year from NHM. I only have experience with its implementation on the NBN Gateway so I'll briefly explain how that works.
When a new version of the dictionary is ready, we are sent an FTP link and download the dictionary from the NHM as an Access database. The structure of the dictionary on the Gateway is not the same as the published version from NHM. We transform the table structure for the Gateway; append some taxa (mainly marine); populate a set of tables to deal with recording and taxonomic aggregates; take into account any deleted taxa; and set up the browsable navigation on the website.
Currently, we are one version of the dictionary behind because our move to the new infrastructure has required an update to some of the code that loads it onto the Gateway. A new version of the dictionary will be available from May 1st so we are going to wait for that one before we update.
It would be great to keep all versions of the dictionary in synch with the version at NHM. However, the limitation here is available technical time rather than a failure of the imagination!
Finally, you should be aware that the NBN Gateway taxonomy web service behaves in the same way as the search engine on the website. If we do not have records for a particular taxon then you will not get a hit for that taxon. Personally, I feel that this functionality should be improved on both website and in the web services and hope that this will be addressed when the Gateway is updated later in the year.
Hope that clarifies things.
Andy Brewer

3 Reply by stevemcbill (edited by stevemcbill 01-05-2008 10:25:39)

  • stevemcbill
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  • From: Runcorn, Cheshire
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Re: Path From NBN Dictioanry to Webserves to Recorder-6 ??

Thanks Andy, that certainly helps my understanding.

Here in Cheshire we constantly seem to be pushing boundaries on the currently available species within the dictionary (e.g. sawflies, galls, mites, aphids, etc., etc.) and I do sometimes wonder whether we are different from other LRCs as I don't often see others looking for species or species group additions to the dictionary here on the forum.

Cheers

Steve

Steve J. McWilliam
www.rECOrd-LRC.co.uk
www.stevemcwilliam.co.uk/guitar/

stevemcbill's Website