The data structure for a handful of tables in Specify is organized into a nested structure, somewhat similar to the nested file tree of your computer. In the Specify world, it provides a series of sub-diving information organized as nodes within columns.
For example, we know the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic are all Periods within the Mesozoic Era.
When working from a data form, we see it expressed as 'Period, Era'.
In Specify, this relationship can also be visually expressed in the tree structure as well.
This structure lets you see how nodes relate.
Navigation
Each tree follows the same basic structure. The columns start at a generalized rank- be it building, taxonomic kingdom, or geographic continent, and step down to the highly specific. How many steps there are as the data becomes more granular depends on the tree. But all trees, whether they have 4 columns or 14, all have the following features:
- Column headers in Bold at the top
- Candystripe medium to light blue
- Arrows to indicate nested nodes
- Connection lines to help you follow relationships in long series
If you select a node, you'll see the 'chain' of nodes is displayed in the lowest left hand corner of the interface.
This helps check and make sure you're not barking up the wrong tree when it comes to higher, or more general, classifications.
Searching
At the bottom of the tab, there is a search bar. You can set the search to exact if you want a literal search, or leave it unchecked for a 'looser' search. This search also accepts wildcard searches using the * key. If there is more than one entry for the term you use, you can view them by hitting the 'next' button. This option is greyed out if the find term is unique. The arrow button lets you search multi-screen views (see next section), but by default it just searches the one.
A few key points:
Even without the 'Exact' option checked, there are limits to how loose a search can be. If the node names are 2 words, you can't search for just '0002' or 'Formation'. The find function looks at the start of the name, unless you add a wildcard as the first find term.
Viewing Options
Along the right hand side of the window, you'll see a variety of options for viewing the various trees.
1) expand or collapse columns
2) go to parent node
3) split screen- gives you 2 scroll-able and searchable windows
4) open the record of the highlighted node
5) refresh the tree
