Now we have it, what next.
The basic spread sheet that we want to use as a temporary solution for the Master Log is done, now we have to populate it with data.
Getting Data In.
There are several ways of getting your data into the spread sheet, as we are using Excel we can look at three basic ways. These are pretty standard over all spread sheets, as are most of the functions that I have already covered.
Direct Input.
The simplest way, just click on the first cell on the first clear row and start typing – doesn’t get much easier than that. There are some advantages, you can use copy and paste for things like location or date – or where ever you have repeating data.
Using the inbuilt form function.
The inbuilt form function is quite handy, you can simply add your sightings and you have a reminder beside each data point of what it is.
Simply select the Data tab at the top of the screen, from there select Form and hey presto – input until you are done.
To add records you simply select New, tab between fields to input. You can also use the forwards and backwards find for editing.
The Import Function
Using the Import function is a huge bonus if you have any serious quantity of data, it can take a little while to enter a row of data. Not something that you want to do if you have thousands or possibly tens of thousands of records. To make this type of scenario easier, the import function in Excel is available.
If you already have a CSV
Most data from applications, either on-line or off-line can be output in a format that Excel will read or import. The Excel tools for this are very good, most commonly these files will be in a CSV file. This stands for Comma Separated Values, where each data point is simply separated by a comma. The screen shot below is a quick example of a simple CSV file, just opening it with Excel – the helper will take you through things if it sees an issue.
As you can see, there are more columns and they don’t have headings – but that is pretty easy to sort out. So you would just open the file using Excel and it will recognise the format, you will have to sort out the look and add filters etc but that is covered in part two.
Export to a CSV file.
This is rediculously easy, in Excel you can save a file to any number of formats and CSV is one of them. With the ability to drag columnd around to change the order, you have the ability to put this all in a suitable CSV file to import into any application.
A cautionary note for note takers.
If you add a notes or observations column and put free text in it, either don’t put comma’s in the free text or use another delimiter when you export the file. You can quite often use double quotes as a text delimiter this is supported by most on-line and off-line applications that will support importing your personal master log.
Backups a gentle reminder.
Now I know that all you folks out there have been doing regular backups, but just a reminder. Each time you add or change anything, you should backup the spread sheet as it is likely to save you some pain at some point.
In part 4
I will cover importing a CSV that is in different column order and that has additional information that needs other columns added. This is a fairly common situation, but with Excel it is easy to do. I will also cover importing a CSV to an existing Master Log, not for the faint hearted.
All Photographs Copyright © Dave Munro
Post Author – Dave Munro