Main Screen Help Information
Use the Browser BACK button to
return to the previous screen.
This Help information is
stored in the file Main.htm in the subdirectory - \Program Files\DataPoint\Help.
This file can be copied to, and viewed or modified on, the desktop
computer. If viewed on the PDA, it
may be easier to view some of the following sections with word wrap turned off
(i.e., View>Fit-to-Screen).
The Main Screen is used to:
1.
enter New Sample data,
2.
edit Existing Sample data,
3.
export Sample data in a comma delimited format (.CSV). The exported .CSV data can be printed
from the PDA using a SprintDB data form.
Tap here for printing Help.
QUICK START:
The Main Screen initially
opens with Litter as the only item on the species list.
Tap Species>Add to add new
species. This will take you to the SpecieAdd Screen.
Additional help can be found for the SpeciesAdd
Screen by tapping the Help command in the lower left of the screen.
Data are entered by tapping
the + or – box associated with each cell. Data are incremented up with the +
and incremented down with the - .
Data can also be entered with the keyboard. Only integer values are permitted in all
cells with the exception of the cells in the Down I hit column. Values with one decimal place may be
entered in this column. This allows
the entering of 0.1 for species that occur on the transect but were not hit, as
well as other kinds of data such as production data that are measured in tenths
of grams. The Keyboard can be
toggled off and on using the keyboard icon in the lower right area of the
screen.
Description of Columns
There are three main columns,
the Down, DWU and Up. Each of these
three main columns has two sub-columns called the I hit (first hit) and II
(second hit).
Explanation of Main columns: Point intercept data can
be collected with an optical scope (CoverPoint ESCO)
that will allow collecting Up (U) hits as well as Down (D) hits. As a further refinement, all those down
hits which occur immediately below an Up hit (i.e., below tree canopy) are
recorded in the Down-With-Up (DWU) category. This allows you to differentiate hits
that occur below tree canopy from those that don’t. The first hit in the DWU column is
recorded in the I hit (first-hit) sub-column and each
subsequent hit is recorded in the II (second-hit) column.
Explanation of First-hit and Second-hit columns: Point-intercept data are collected
starting from the highest position over the canopy, moving downward through the
vegetation canopy like a drop of rain.
The first species encountered is recorded as a
I hit (first-hit) each additional species below that first-hit is recorded as a
II (second-hit). This allows
calculation of both the “Top” canopy (i.e., the sum of all
first-hits) or the total vegetation cover (i.e., the total sum of first- and
second-hits). In addition, the
total cover of a particular species can be calculated by summing the total
first- and second-hits of that particular species.
Cells with Calculated Values
Numerous cells at the top of
the columns sum the values of each column.
This is helpful to confirm what sample point you are on, and whether the
correct total number of sample points have been collected. If sample plots are being used, this
will help to assure that the total cover = 100% if top canopy is being
collected. If sample hits are
collected in both the Up and Down direction, the first
hits in these categories are summed as Dn I + Up I
hits and should total 100 if 100 points are being collected. It is also possible to confirm that the
Up I hits and the DWU I hits are equivalent if DWU data are also
collected. When species are added
as .1 values, these are also summed in the Down I hit summary cell.
Command Line Details
File subcommands
File>Save – This
quickly saves the most recent changes.
Data are saved at multiple points in the program as described below, but
the data are saved to volatile RAM until exported to a non-volatile RAM area of
the PDA such as the IPAQ storage or the memory card storage.
File>Save and Start New
Sample – This allows you to save the current sample and start a new
sample using the same list of species.
After you execute this command, the data are saved, you are returned to
the project screen to enter a new Sample ID and the Sampler, you tap OK on the
Project Screen to return to the Main Screen, and the species list from the
previous sample is repeated for the new sample with all values = 0.
File>Exit – This will
allow you to leave the DataPoint program, but will
prompt you to save the data before exit if any changes have been made to the
data. REMEMBER TO TAP YES
WHEN PROMPTED TO SAVE THE DATA.
---------------------
Project subcommands
Project>View – This
will return you to the Project Screen to view the site details, but you can not
edit the data on the Project screen.
You return to the Main Screen by tapping OK on the Project Screen.
Project>Edit – This
will return you to the Project Screen and allow you to edit some of the project
details, or to select a previous Project, Area or Sample to look at. You will be prompted to save the data
before you return to the Project Screen.
It is wise to say yes and save the data.
Project>Export – This
will export all of the Samples from the current Project/Area to a comma
delimited file (.CSV). The specific
subdirectory can be selected. Care
must be taken to insure that duplicate file names are not used. This will export only one Area at a time
to each file. The safest place to
export data is non-volatile RAM such as the IPAQ subdirectory or the external
Storage Card.
---------------------
Species subcommands
Species>Add – This
will send you to the SpeciesADD Screen where you can
use the lookup utility to add a species to the list on the Main Screen.
Species>New – This
will take you to the SpeciesNEW Screen where you can
add a new species to the master list of species. If you encounter a new species on a
sample, you must first go to Species>New to add the species to the lookup
file this species will automatically be added to the current list on the Main
Screen, then you must go to Species>Add to add it to the list on the Main
Screen when you tap OK.
--------------------
Sort subcommands
Sort>On Species –
This will sort the species list alphabetically based on the Scientific name of
the species. Litter will always
remain at the top of the list.
Sort>On Growth Form –
This will sort the species list based on the numeric order of the growth forms
found in the Form.CSV file. Litter will always remain at the top of
the list.
Sort>On Value and Species
– This will sort the species list by ranking species with the highest sum
of all hits first, then alphabetically secondarily.
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Help subcommands
Help>Content –
invokes this help file
Help>About
– invokes the initial splash screen that describes the program version
and contact information.