Band Manager Fact Sheet - Designing Your Data File

This fact sheet will outline how you design a data file (table) for entering your banding records. You will need to design AT LEAST one data file in order to use Band Manager. However, we recommend using more than one data file. Depending on how much data you plan to enter, you may want to create one data file per season or year. You may also want a different data file, with a different structure, for different types of banding - one for raptors and one for passerines for example.

1. To create a data table, click Utilities from the main menu, next, click Table Designer in the Utilities menu.

2. The Band Manager – Table Designer screen will appear. NOTE: When creating a table from the Automated Setup, you will not get this screen. This screen gives you the option, to design a new table, create a new table by copying an existing table structure or to modify and existing table structure. If you want to copy or modify one of your tables, click on which ever one you would like to do, and refer to the Banding Manual if you need assistance.

3. To design a new data file, click Design. To copy an existing table structure, or modify an existing structure, see the Manual or On-line help.

4. You will now see a screen confirming that you will be designing a new table. Click OK to proceed.

5. You will now be asked to enter a new name for this table. You may call it anything that you want, so long as you use a combination of no more than 8 letters or numbers in the name. Type the name that you wish to use, and click Save, e.g., "data2001".

6. You will now see the Table Designer screen, and will be given a brief message. Read it, and click OK.

7. There are many options offered in Table Designer. First we will move fields around, so that they are in the order that we would like them. For instance, you may want the fields to be in the same order that you have them on your field data sheets. To do this, click on the field that you would like to move, and then click on the up or down arrow. Each time you click the arrow, your field will move another position higher, or lower (depending on which button you clicked. Continue to move the rest of the fields around until you have them all, in the order that you would like

8. You might also wish to add a new field. You can add fields for data that you collect that does not already have a field included in the basic design. For instance, lets say that you want a field to indicate the type of trap that the bird was caught in, and lets assume that we use a two letter code for trap type (e.g., MN fo mist net, GT for ground trap, etc.). To add this field, click, do the following:

First, click Add Field in the Table Designer. A Band Manager – New Field Screen will appear.
Now, enter the name of your new field in the Name Box.
You will then need to choose a Field Type, click on Date, Number, or Character. Here are some examples of each; Character would be used if you wanted to enter letters for your field, such as in our example (MN, GT). Number would be used if you wanted to enter data in your field that should be treated as actual numbers, e.g., for a bill length field. You would use a Date type if you wanted to enter a date, eg., when the bird fledged.
Now you will need to choose a Size for your field. You will not have to enter the size if you choose Date. If you choose a Character field, choose a size that is large enough to hold all of the data that you want to enter for that field (2 characters for our example), but try not to go larger than you need to. You can always come back and make it larger. You can go up to 254 characters.
Click Done, and your field will be added. Use the move arrows to position it where you want it in your list of fields.

9) You may also want to drop one or more fields. Some of the fields that come in the basic design are REQUIRED. You cannot drop these (you can however, suppress them - see number 10). However, some fields are optional - such as HowSex or HowAge. If you click on a field that you do not want, then the Drop Field button will be blue if you can drop that field, and grey if you cannot delete it.

10) Some fields are required, and you cannot drop them (see number 9). You still may not want to use some of these fields, however, and not wish to have them on your data entry form. In some of these cases, you can Suppress them. This means that they will not appear on the Data Entry form in Band Manager, but will remain in the data file. You may Suppress fields that were part of the default table structure, or fields that you have added. You can even Un-suppress the field later on if you change your mind, or even Suppress a field for part of the season, and un-suppress it during other times of the season (i.e, a Skull field is useful in the fall, but not in the spring).

To Suppress a field, place your cursor in the field (click on the field name) and then click the Suppress Button at the top of the Table Designer. A "T" will appear in the "Suppress" column of the table designer, on the same row as the field you Suppressed. This means that the field is now Suppressed and will not appear on the Data Entry form. You can Un-Suppress a field by simply clicking the Suppress button again.

11) The next option that the Table Designer has to offer is the Change Type utility. This feature will allow you to change (modify) the size and/or type of any fields that you added. Note: You cannot change the type or size of the default fields. Lets say for example, that you now decided that your Trap Type field should be 3 letters long. Click on the Trap field that you added, and then click Change Type. The Modify Type screen will appear where you can change the field type, or size. PLEASE NOTE: If you already have data in this field, be sure that you are changing to a field type that is consistent with your data. For instance, if you change a character field from 8 to 4 characters long, you will lose any data in records that have values longer than 4 letters. Click Done after entering the new information and the field will be modified.

For any other details about the Table Designer, consult the on-line help, or your manual.