The process for adding sites to a project that have not been used within the project before may be a little confusing at first, so here are a few tips:
If a site has already been used within you project, you should be able to just start typing in any "Site" box in the user interface:
If the site has never been used within your project, but is present in NWIS, click on the magnifier on the right end of the site entry box
A site selection pop up will appear
- Either enter the beginning of the site number or some portion of the name
- click on search sites
- highlight the site you want to add
- click OK
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General Navigation (Clearing Entries
- Use the "x" to clear your filter and picklist data entry values
Working with Columns
- Lists can usually be sorted (ascending/descending) by clicking on column headings
- If you hover over the vertical lines with your mouse, you will notice that column widths can be adjusted as well
Searching - Using the 'magnifying glass'
- Clicking the 'magnifying glass' next to a field will usually open up a separate search window on top of the page to help the user select the value
- In the case of 'Site', this new window will be populated with the sites already in use by your project and allow you to add more
Accessing Help, Internal Links, and System Functions
- Underlined text in blue takes the user to a particular area of the system or displays more extensive help information; mouse over will display a little more information
- Underlined text in purple provides access to context sensitive help or executes the listed function. If the context sensitive help will be displayed a question mark
will appear on mouse over; otherwise, test explaining where you will be going will be displayed
Hiding and unhiding sections
- Section headings with either an up or down arrow next to them can be either hidden or displayed as needed
Working with Lists (return to top)
Paging through data tables and adjusting page size
- Lists are usually "paged." Look for the page number and page size at the top of the list
Opening Tables in Excel
- Lists in BioData can be exported to an Excel spreadsheet
Filtering Lists
- When view lists, in most cases, there is a filter section preceding the list
- It can be hidden or displayed by clicking the up or down arrow next to the text 'Filter list by:'
These sections also usually have a Clear all filters option
Drop Downs (return to top)
Drop downs work in a variety of fashions depending on the data being entered. As you become more familiar with the system you will get more used to them.
Some of the drop downs (e.g. Review Status) require the user to expand them using the "down arrow" and select their choice using the mouse.
Those with smaller domains (e.g. Wind) often step trough the list of available options based on the first character of the entry. Once it is highlighted, then the user can usually tab to the next field without using the mouse.
Those with larger domains (e.g. Common Name) will usually rely on a "starts with" or "contains" search to limit the domain of option to choose from and will require use of the mouse to select the chosen option
Auto-Save and Validation(return to top)
- BioData saves and validates data as it is entered
Validation Status Icons
Validation status icons are displayed in lists of samples, study reaches, and lab orders.
Status | Icon | Description |
---|---|---|
Valid | Passed all BioData validation tests | |
Invalid | Failed one or more BioData validation tests |
- Data that does not meet validation criteria will be highlighted with a RED box (shown below)
- A message at the bottom of the screen can be toggled to display a list of validation errors
- Errors can quickly be found and fixed using the (Fix it) link
Required Fields
- Required fields are indicated with a red * (shown below)
Examples of Validation displays on data entry screens
Explanation | Example |
---|---|
Valid Sample | |
Valid Study Reach | |
Valid Lab Order | |
Sample with errors (Invalid) | |
Click on message to details (Invalid) |