There is not yet a way to add new species to the master species list (or to edit it). Hence, it's not yet possible to import new species. Sorry.
One adventurous person on this forum figured out that it can be done if you dump the database CSV files, edit the files and then restore the database from CSV files. I don't recommend it. It will work, but if you have many species to add you will tire of it quickly and be prone to making mistakes.
Dick
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Would it even be wise to modify the master list? Are checklist rows linked by name or by some number that might change if you fiddle with the order of the list?
Still mucking around, I've replaced the master list with the Avibase Australasian list, and added the Australian and Australian (continent) and Victorian lists below it. Then I renamed the Australian (continent) list, and Victoria disappeared. I tried to add it again, but it says it still exists. I tried renaming Australian (continent) back again, hoping Victoria would reappear.
Happy to start again at this stage, but I guess I should report that as a bug (that renaming will orphan the child lists). Also, the fact that when you enter the name of the list during importing, it will be truncated to about 28(?) characters. That's why I renamed it, because it looked funny.
Am I doing the right thing by trying to start with the biggest list possible? I'd start with a world list, but there doesn't seem to be one on Avibase.
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I've just tried to add Victoria again, this time with a different name. It appeared to go ok, but the new checklist isn't visible in the tree. It looks like once you've orphaned a checklist you're in trouble.
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For the record, Dick asked me to dump my checklists and send them to him. He imported them and found no problem. He then suggested that the lists hadn't disappeared, but that I had accidentally collapsed that branch of the tree. This has turned out to be correct.
As a Windows user I expected to see +'s or -'s in the tree as indications of whether a branch was collapsed or expanded. Instead the tree shows a little circle with a vertical line under it for expanded branches, and a circle with a horizontal line coming out of it for collapsed branches. I hadn't noticed them.
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Can you send me a copy of the checklist info table? To get a copy, use the file menu to dump to CSV. That will create a file name CSVdump.zip (name may not be exact). Extract a file named checklistinfo.csv from the zip file. Send me the checklistinfo.zip.
Briefly, you should be able to change checklist names without trouble because they are just labels. Links to parent checklists should remain intact. Although, it could be that you've discovered a bug of some kind.
Dick
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What do I do when I can't resolve an unknown name during list importing, i.e. a new species not in the master list?
There is not yet a way to add new species to the master species list (or to edit it). Hence, it's not yet possible to import new species. Sorry.
One adventurous person on this forum figured out that it can be done if you dump the database CSV files, edit the files and then restore the database from CSV files. I don't recommend it. It will work, but if you have many species to add you will tire of it quickly and be prone to making mistakes.
Dick
Would it even be wise to modify the master list? Are checklist rows linked by name or by some number that might change if you fiddle with the order of the list?
I'm wondering where to go next. I want to import the Australian list http://www.bsc-eoc.org/avibase/avibase.jsp?region=au&pg=checklist&list=sibleymonroe, based on what they call the Sibley Munroe 1996 list. J-Bird is supplied with SB 1993 and there seem to be quite a few conflicts.
Still mucking around, I've replaced the master list with the Avibase Australasian list, and added the Australian and Australian (continent) and Victorian lists below it. Then I renamed the Australian (continent) list, and Victoria disappeared. I tried to add it again, but it says it still exists. I tried renaming Australian (continent) back again, hoping Victoria would reappear.
Happy to start again at this stage, but I guess I should report that as a bug (that renaming will orphan the child lists). Also, the fact that when you enter the name of the list during importing, it will be truncated to about 28(?) characters. That's why I renamed it, because it looked funny.
Am I doing the right thing by trying to start with the biggest list possible? I'd start with a world list, but there doesn't seem to be one on Avibase.
I've just tried to add Victoria again, this time with a different name. It appeared to go ok, but the new checklist isn't visible in the tree. It looks like once you've orphaned a checklist you're in trouble.
For the record, Dick asked me to dump my checklists and send them to him. He imported them and found no problem. He then suggested that the lists hadn't disappeared, but that I had accidentally collapsed that branch of the tree. This has turned out to be correct.
As a Windows user I expected to see +'s or -'s in the tree as indications of whether a branch was collapsed or expanded. Instead the tree shows a little circle with a vertical line under it for expanded branches, and a circle with a horizontal line coming out of it for collapsed branches. I hadn't noticed them.
Can you send me a copy of the checklist info table? To get a copy, use the file menu to dump to CSV. That will create a file name CSVdump.zip (name may not be exact). Extract a file named checklistinfo.csv from the zip file. Send me the checklistinfo.zip.
Briefly, you should be able to change checklist names without trouble because they are just labels. Links to parent checklists should remain intact. Although, it could be that you've discovered a bug of some kind.
Dick
I've emailed the whole zip file to you, but had to guess the email address from https://sourceforge.net/users/drepasky/. Did you get it ok?
Oops, it should have read "Send me the checklistinfo.csv".
It hasn't come through yet. I don't know whether sourceforge forwards attachments.