Topic: Changes In v6.20
We are working on a few things in the next release which might help with Rodis, but there might still be the opportunity to change the specification slightly. Subject to not causing problems in testing the import wizard will allow import matching on taxon_version keys, name keys and location keys. In the case of name keys and location keys they either need to be in the system first. I am not sure how you are working this. Taxon version keys should be there as long as the dictionaries are in step.
To keep track of imported data we hope to provide a new field to hold the reference from the external system. Basically there will an additional Import wizard type which will hold a 30 character reference. What goes in there is up to you. It can just be the key from the external data, or you can use it to hold a site id and key. The data will go into a separate table which will be available in the report wizard and of course via XML reports. It will also be available on the observation hierarchy, but initially only via an addin (one of mine not a JNCC one).
We will also be introducing a new concept to Recorder which will in effect allow you to import data on a temporary basis. This data will not be exportable, and the idea will be that you put it into a Survey, which you can delete and replace when a new updated dataset becomes available. To make importing this data easier for this temporary data (and only for this), it will be possible to import names in an unparsed format. Options in the report wizard and a udf for xml reports will allow these unparsed names to be returned mixed with normally input names if required. Added to this the new feature in 6.19 allows you to ignore unmatched taxa so any rubbish can be left out of the import. (incidentally Germany paid for this modification).
You could use this on mapmate data, gateway data, spreadsheets, R6 data exported as spreadsheet. In fact anything where you are not going to get updates, but just a new dataset on an occasional basis. Not having to parse the names and being able to ignore taxa which don't match, should speed up the import process. It will be up to users to prevent this data going to the NBN.
Mike