Jeff,

I had a checklist called "Gila Bird Area AOU" that had 216 defined species of birds. I tried to add "Empidonax sp" which I had defined as a "thing." In doing so, all species off the "Gila Bird Area AOU" disappeared and only Empidonax sp. populates that list and all other lists. How can I get back to where I was? What did I do wrong? Help!!

Roland

Hello Roland,

When you say checklist - are you referring to a taxonomic list or a saved checklist report template? I assume the former from your problem description.

What version of BD are you running?

How did you go about adding Empidonax sp? I am not aware of this ever being reported before.

I can hop on your system and take a quick look either this afternoon or tomorrow.

Let me know,

jeff

Haven't we seen a problem in the past where a user adds a species to a checklist and somehow wipes out all the other checklist entries for that state or country?

I can't remember if we ever saw a clear explanation of the keystrokes that made it happen.

Or maybe I am thinking of somehing else.

Jeff,

I would be happy to let you gain access to my computer and try and figure out what is happening, just let me know a time and I will try and be available.

Roland

Jeff,

I want to thank you for you help in solving this problem. I have always found you to be sensitive to users needs and quick to help. That is what makes Birder's Diary such a wonderful product.

Roland

Jeff,

I wish you would have posted the solution to this problem.  A few minutes ago I had the same problem.  I noticed that the Costa Rica country checklist is missing Scarlet-rumped Cacique and Rufous-tailed Jacamar, both common in that country.  I wanted to add them to the list and did the following starting with the Checklists icon:

on left side I selected taxonomy as "Birds - AOU - North America - 2006"

for Location I entered COS and it expanded to COSTA RICA.

for Name I entered "Scarlet-rumped Cacique"

I clicked the "+" sign and selected Scarlet-rumped Cacique from the list of three possibilities linked to that name.

again in the name box I typed "Rufous-tailed Jacamar" and clicked the "+" sign, which added it to my list of things.

I clicked on the "Update" button, said I was sure and a message told me "2 checklist records written successfully".

I clicked "Close" and opened "Sightings Entry Setup" requesting an entry method of "Checklist Entry" and a Location of Costa Rica.

The resulting checklist showed only ONE species, namely, Rufous-tailed Jacamar.

How do I get back the original country list for Costa Rica?

Bert

(BD version 3.6.49 with Windows XP)

Hi Bert,

Sorry for the problem. I tried what you just said and had no problem with the checklist data. I know this exists, but as yet can't figure it out.

Luckily, the solution is easy. I have attached a Costa Rica checklist import file below. Import it using the settings shown. With "Do Not Overwrite" selected, it will just add all the missing species back.

But, on to another point brought up by your post, the "Scarlet-rumped Cacique" you added is NOT on the AOU tax list. That is why it did not show up on the Checklist Entry screen you brought up. You added a thing to the Costa Rica list, but that thing is not the Scarlet-rumped Cacique which is on the AOU list.

In the "Choose Ambiguous Thing" window that comes up, check the scientific name (see the screen shot below). The one on the AOU list has the thing name of Subtropical Cacique. You chose the thing that only appears on the Wells checklist. So that explains the results you see on the Checklist Entry screen.

I still don't know how you deleted all the other entries. Please, if you have time, play around and see if you can repeat this. Simply re-importing the attached checklist import file will quickly get you back to normal. If you can repeat it, please provide details again as you did above. I have to be able to reproduce the problem on my end in order to solve it.

thanks and let me know how it all goes...

Jeff

Jeff,

I think I just figured it out. On the Location Checklist side,

If you select a location and DO NOT HIT THE LOAD BUTTON, and then enter a name and hit plus and update, it says it is adding one record.

If you do hit the load button and then enter a name and hit plus and update, it adds a bunch of records.

Apparently it takes the list of things in the grid, and replaces the entire location checklist. If you did not hit LOAD in order to add all the existing things to the grid, it replaces the entire checklist for that location with only the last thing added.

The same thing is true on the Thing side. Without hitting LOAD, it replaces all locations with only the location that you just added.

My immediate reaction is that the default should be to load the grid when a location or thing is entered.  Change the load button to be a CLEAR button, and add a warning message that all entries in the grid will be deleted if they click it.  Or else leave the buttons the same, but in the confirmation box tell them that a lot of entries will be replaced by the one that they just entered if they are foolish enough to click OK.  Or just really ADD the one record, leaving all the other existing records there - but that might require a button to delete all existing entries.  Or...  I'm sure you can come up with some other alternatives.

If you need a clearer explanation, maybe I can produce one tomorrow. Tell me if you need one.

Jeff, Steve,

That is true.  I found this out and was about to respond when I saw Steve's message.  If you follow my procedure in my earlier message exactly, without clicking the Load button, only the new entries are used in the checklist and the old ones are replaced completely.

The help information paragraph was not clear to me.  I thought it was telling me that I could use the taxonomic list to arrange things in particular order, but that it was not necessary.  The words "if selected" suggested to me that it was optional.  Also, the paragraph tells me nothing about the Load button, or any of the other buttons for that matter.

I suggest you had a help button to this window and give an example of how to use both methods of checklists and explain all the buttons.  Apparently to me and at least one other person it is not intuitively obvious.

Bert

Hi Nicky,

No problem. Import the attached CSV file using the settings shown in the screen shot. It will want to remove your new record, but you can reject that removal on the analyze/review window before the import is complete.

Jeff