1 Reply by Matt_tullie

  • Matt_tullie
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  • From: Carlisle, Cumbria
  • Registered: 18-05-2007
  • Posts: 166

Re: Specimen Number reporting - field length: A problem solved.

As a museum we have a great deal of specimens in our database all with their collection numbers.

Trying to report on them returned an error suggesting field length issues.

I was about to post a plea in this forum - but halfway through typing, I went and trawled through the tables and noted that while the Specimen Number field may be input as thirty charcters - the report table still builds the output field as ten characters.

Changing it to a value of 30 solved the problem.


As a solution is as good as a problem - I post it.


SO if you are trying to report on Specimen Numbers you will need to change the value in the REPORT_FIELD table relating to the Specimen Number field in the FIELD_ITEM_NAME from 10 to 30.

This may be relevant to other fields if and when they throw up these errors.

For now.

MAtt

Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Tullie House Museum

Matt_tullie's Website

2 Reply by johnvanbreda

  • johnvanbreda
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  • From: UK
  • Registered: 27-04-2006
  • Posts: 1,237

Re: Specimen Number reporting - field length: A problem solved.

Hi Matt

Thanks for the tip. I will add a script to the next release of the Recorder upgrade kit to fix this for all users.

Best Wishes

John van Breda
Biodiverse IT

johnvanbreda's Website

3 Reply by Darwyn Sumner (LERC)

  • Darwyn Sumner (LERC)
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  • Registered: 07-06-2006
  • Posts: 176

Re: Specimen Number reporting - field length: A problem solved.

Problems with specimen numbers were raised and discussed over a year ago at http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?id=10 where we received some reassurances that issues were to be raised with Dorset software.
So there are still several related issues which remain to be addressed (or at least replied to), like the capacity to import more than 10 characters and the fact that the 30 character field (Specimen Number) will only display 21 characters.