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Creating a Template from a Spreadsheet

Creating a template from a spreadsheet in the NRDS platform.

Sam avatar
Written by Sam
Updated over 2 weeks ago

Creating a Water Quality Data Template from a Spreadsheet

1. Introduction to Template Creation 0:00

  • Overview of the video purpose: creating a template from a spreadsheet in the NRDS platform.

  • Example scenario: receiving a water quality spreadsheet and needing to create a form for data entry.

2. Preparing the Spreadsheet Data 0:14

  • Familiarize yourself with the spreadsheet data.

  • Ensure the data is clean:

    • Check that all columns have field names.

    • Identify columns for drop-down lists, dates, and numbers.

    • Ensure no text is in number fields to avoid import issues.

3. Formatting Dates 1:24

  • Ensure date format is YYYY-MM-DD for compatibility with NRDS.

4. Uploading the Spreadsheet 1:53

  • Navigate to the templates section in the NRDS application.

  • Select 'Add Template' and choose to upload from a spreadsheet or shapefile.

5. Naming the Template 2:15

  • Name the template (e.g., 'Water Quality Data').

  • Assign an icon for easy identification.

6. Configuring Fields for Import 2:34

  • Review the fields the system wants to import:

    • Change reserved words (e.g., ID to WQID).

    • Set required fields as needed.

    • Configure drop-down lists for site names and stations.

7. Importing Custom Options 3:13

  • Set the type to 'Select' for custom options.

  • Import site names and stations from the spreadsheet to populate drop-down lists.

8. Finalizing Field Types 3:43

  • Ensure all fields are correctly formatted:

    • Set time fields appropriately.

    • Change notes field to a text area if incorrectly set as an integer.

9. Saving the Template 4:28

  • Click 'Save' to create the template.

10. Column Imports and Data Evaluation 4:40

  • Navigate to 'Column Imports' to confirm data mapping.

  • Evaluate the import to check data against fields.

11. Importing Data 5:07

  • Confirm the number of records to be imported (e.g., 98 records).

  • Execute the import process.

12. Conclusion 6:07

  • Summary of the successful creation of a water quality data survey with drop-downs for site names and stations.

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