1 Topic by Gordon Barker

  • Gordon Barker
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Topic: Taxonomic sort order query

Hi

I am trying to get my head around differences in the sort order for birds between the ORGANISM table and the BIRDS table. In trying to sort records I am using an output of the ORGANISM table and this seems to put records in the right order for this table but at least in the Anatidae the species are in a different order to that in the BIRDS table.

Should these be the same or is it not important? Is this likely to be a problem just here or elsewhere as well?

(R6 Dictionary version 48)

Gordon Barker
Biological Survey Data Manager
National Trust

2 Reply by MikeWeideli

  • MikeWeideli
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Re: Taxonomic sort order query

Hi
The Organsim table sort is worked out based on the Taxonomic hierarchy held within the table. It isn't related directly to the sort in any dictionary list. Sort Orders within lists may not take into account all the taxa as some may have been added (eg into the list of additional names). The organism sort  works from the top of the hierarchy (biota at the very top), find the children of each node and works out the sort order based on this.

Mike Weideli

MikeWeideli's Website

3 Reply by Gordon Barker

  • Gordon Barker
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Re: Taxonomic sort order query

Thanks Mike,

One of the questions this leads me to is what is the order within the organism table based on? Or more specifically, for each node how is the order of its children derived?

Gordon Barker
Biological Survey Data Manager
National Trust

4 Reply by MikeWeideli

  • MikeWeideli
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Re: Taxonomic sort order query

The order within each node is based on a weighting which is added to the table, or is alphabetical if there is no weighting. This is not being regularly updated and was original done by R6 users on a a voluntary basis.

Mike Weideli

MikeWeideli's Website