[Babase] informal update on Babase corrections

kfenn kfenn at princeton.edu
Wed Mar 14 16:02:50 EDT 2007


Hi Everyone,

I'm providing an informal update on my part of the error checking as 
discussed in the conference call on Friday.  I'm also including a little 
background for babase users who weren't involved in the conference call 
but want to know what this error checking means about the overall status 
of getting Babase online.

The last conversion run produced only 1 rank error.  All other known 
errors have been fixed.  (These known errors were based upon the rule 
checking that Karl has programmed into the online system.)  It also 
produced a load of errors related to the INTERACT table which I believe 
is related to a program bug that Karl found.  (I'm not clear on the 
specifics of this, so be sure to check with someone if you need to 
immediately access the current INTERACT data.)

The current version of FoxPro data has been directly uploaded into PPA 
in the database "babase".  The results of the conversion run have been 
loaded into the database "babase_test" in PPA.  What does this mean 
exactly?  It means that the PPA 'babase' is a carbon copy of the Foxpro 
'babase'....warts and all.  So that 1 remaining rank error is still an 
error in the PPA 'babase".  However, in 'babase_test', the data ran 
through the filter of the conversion program, so the one remaining rank 
error probably prevented a tiny amount of rank data from loading 
correctly. 

You can currently use the PPA 'babase' and you will have ALMOST exactly 
the same data that is available in the FoxPro version.  The one 
difference is the "CYCLES" table and the tables or views built from this 
(repstats, cycstats, mtd_cycles).  Some errors in this table could not 
be detected by the error checks in the conversion.  Therefore, Karl has 
run a comparison to detect the differences between the FoxPro and PPA 
Cycles tables.  Why is there a difference?  Because we now have a  new 
table called "CYCAPS" in PPA, the m, t, and d dates of a cycle are 
sometimes grouped differently than in FoxPro.  Sometimes this new 
grouping fixes an error, and sometimes it creates one because CYCGAPS is 
incorrect.  It's difficult to say whether FoxPro or PPA has a 'more 
correct' CYCLES table so use either table for now.

I have been reviewing Karl's output for the past 2 days.  I expect to 
begin making corrections to CYCGAPS tomorrow.  It could take easily take 
a week to make the necessary corrections as working with the CYCGAPS 
table is tricky for me.  Currently I have about 125 cycles that need to 
be checked and potentially updated.   I can update you next week about 
the progress. 

Finally, Leah and Lacey are in possession of the 'official' FoxPro 
version of babase and are doing updates for 2006a.  Karl will run 
another conversion after they upload the data.  There may be some errors 
to correct, but I think we may be may be within striking distance of an 
'error free' version of babase on PPA, current through Jun06, by roughly 
the end of March.  The 2006b demography update will occur after all this.

Please email corrections or clarifications if I didn't get something right.


Tabby

-- 
Tabby Fenn
Research Assistant

Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
401 Guyot Hall
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ  08544

609 258-6898 (Ph)
609 258-2712 (Fx)



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