Darwin Core Archive AssistantUser Guide
Version 1.1

April 2011

Darwin Core Archive AssistantVersion 1.1

User guide

Complete user guide to the Darwin Core Archive Assistant. This service supports the
publication of biodiversity data using the Darwin Core Archive format. It supports thecreation of an XML data descriptor file.

Suggested citation: GBIF (2010). Darwin Core Archive Assistant, version 1.1, released on
1 April 2011, (contributed by Remsen, D, Sood, R.), Copenhagen: Global Biodiversity
Information Facility, 23 pp,.

Persistent URI: http://links.gbif.org/gbif_dwc-a_guide_en_v1.1
ISBN: 87-92020-21-6

Copyright © Global Biodiversity Information Facility, 2010
Language: English
License:This document is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
Document Control:
VersionDescription

Date of

Author(s)release
1.0

Initial Draft and1 Dec 2010David Remsen

1 April 2011

David Remsen

Proofing
1.1

Consolidated update

Cover Art: Greg Basco
Chestnut-mandibled toucan, Rhamphastos swainsonii

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Darwin Core Archive AssistantUser guide

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About GBIFThe Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) was established as a global megascience initiative to address one of the great challenges of the 21st century – harnessing
knowledge of the Earth’s biological diversity. GBIF envisions ‘a world in which biodiversity
information is freely and universally available for science, society, and a sustainable
future’. GBIF’s mission is to be the foremost global resource for biodiversity information,and engender smart solutions for environmental and human well-being . To achieve thismission, GBIF encourages a wide variety of data publishers across the globe to discoverand publish data through its network.

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Table of contents:

About this user guide ................................................................................... 1
Introduction – the Darwin Core Archive Format .................................................... 3
Getting started – The parts of the web application ................................................ 5
General workflow for using the DarwinCore Archive Assistant ................................... 9
Publishing a DarwinCore Archive to GBIF ........................................................... 10
Configuration One: Scientists (biologists) who manage biodiversity data using spreadsheets
such as MS Excel® ....................................................................................... 14
Configuration Two: Database administrators who manage biodiversity data using relational
databases such as MS Access®, FileMaker®, SQL Server®, MySQL®, etc ......................... 22
Using the meta.xml file to create a Darwin Core Archive ....................................... 28

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About this user guide
The purpose of this user guide is to explain how to use the Darwin Core Archive Assistanttool in order to facilitate biodiversity data publishing using the Darwin Core Archive
format. This format utilizes text files as the basis for data exchange and is simple enoughthat biodiversity data can be transformed to this format without any locally installedsoftware.
This tool assists data managers in the creation of an XML document that may be required
to be included in a DarwinCore Archive, known as a metafile, for two typical data
management configurations:
Configuration Two

Configuration One
Core Data

Extension data

Core Data

Extension data

E

IL
EF

ES

GL

O

SIN

FIL

TW

SPECIES+EXTENSION.TXT

SPECIES.TXT

EXTENSION.TXT

Figure 1 - User Data configurations used in this guideConfiguration One: Scientists (biologists) who manage biodiversity data using
spreadsheets such as MS Excel®.
oDocumentation for this user configuration will focus on creating a metafile
for a single data file that may contain data corresponding to, both, a coredata file and one or more extensions.



Configuration Two: Database administrators who manage biodiversity data using
relational databases such as MS Access®, FileMaker®, SQL Server®, MySQL®, etc.

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Documentation for this user configuration will focus on creating a metafile
for multiple data files where the admin is able to export files that
correspond to distinct core and extension files.

Note: The tool described in this guide helps to produce a properly formatted DarwinCore
Archive.

It does not, however, register the resultant file to the GBIF network.

Toregister a DarwinCore Archive file with GBIF, please see the document,
Registering Your Dataset with GBIF, a How-to Guide
http://links.gbif.org/gbif_how_to_register_guide_en_v1

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User guideIntroduction – the Darwin Core Archive Format

archive.zip

DESCRIPTORMETADATACORE DATAEXTENSION DATA

one

4describes

3

1

eml.xmlSpecies.csv

meta.xml

on
e

any

to m

to

2
distribution.csv

ma

ny

2
commonNames.csv

Figure 2 – DarwinCore Archive parts

Darwin Core Archive Parts
A Darwin Core Archive (Figure 2) is a set of text files, typically grouped into a single
compressed file, an archive, for portability using a compression format such as Zip1 or
GZIP2. The set of files in an archive may vary but consists of the following:
A required core data file consisting of a standard set of DarwinCore terms.
A data file is formatted as fielded text, where data records are expressed as rows of text,
and data fields (columns) are separated with a standard delimiter such as a tab or comma1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZIP_(file_format)2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gzip

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Version 1.1(commonly referred to as CSV or ‘comma-separated value’ files). Many users are familiar
working with data in spreadsheets and understand the basic concept behind fielded text.
In a DarwinCore data file the first row of the file may contain the names of the
DarwinCore terms represented in the succeeding rows of data.
A row in a DarwinCore Archive data file must represent one of two biodiversity data types:
a distinct taxon such as a species or a specific occurrence of a taxon such as a specimen.
In general, this requires the inclusion of a unique identifier in the core data file, known as
the core id.
The Darwin Core text guidelines support the use of optional “extensions”.
An extension is a linked data file that contains additional non-DarwinCore terms that‘extend’ the core set of terms and enable a more enriched set of data to be shared by auser. Extensions are defined and registered with the GBIF registry so they are ‘known’ tothe network. A row in an extension file always includes a reference to the core id
corresponding to a taxon or a taxon occurrence in the core data file. Multiple rows in an
extension may refer to the same core data record.
A simple example is a vernacular names extension that supports the description ofcommon name properties that might be related to a species described in the core data
file. The extension allows such properties as the language, location, and source of thecommon name to be expressed while also supporting the publication of multiple common
names for a single taxon as distinct rows in the extension file. The overall topology of one
or more of these extensions to the core table is referred to as a “star schema”.
The DarwinCore Archive format relies on a special file – an XML descriptor file, called the“metafile” (typically named meta.xml). The metafile is used as a map to describe thecore taxon file and any extensions that collectively form the specific data profile that will
be produced by the user.
An optional metadata document is used to describe the overall resource in the archive. It
provides details such as a title for the resource, contact information and general scope

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User guideand description. GBIF supports multiple metadata formats that includes a GBIF-specificprofile expressed in the Ecological Metadata Language (EML).
Composing this XML descriptor file (#3) is the function of the DarwinCore
Archive Assistant.

Getting started – The parts of the web application
The DarwinCore Archive Assistant is an open source application and the source code isfreely available for anyone wishing to access it. The most recent version will always belocated at http://tools.gbif.org/dwca-assistant/. Most users do not need to install theirown version of the application and should use the version at this address.
The source code and technical documents can be found on the project site at
http://code.google.com/p/gbif-meta-maker/. 4

Screen Layout

1

2

SELECTPANELDISPLAY
PANEL

Figure 3 - The startup view with the “About” page displayed

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When accessing the Darwin Core Archive Assistant, note that, aside from the header
information, the screen is divided into two columns or panels (see Figure 3 above).
1. The left Select Panel (1) is for browsing and selecting data fields that will be
published by the user. This panel displays a nested set of items corresponding
to core and the extensions data elements. This panel is always displayed while
the application is active.
2. The right Display Panel (2) occupies most of the application space and is fordisplaying pages of information. Pages are distinguished by tabs arranged
horizontally on the screen. At startup, the user will notice three initial tabs:
About, meta.xml, Taxon (a core data file). The active tab is in lighter grey
shades. The first two pages, “About” and “meta.xml” are always displayed andcannot be removed. The “Taxon” page may be replaced by the “Occurrences”
or other core data file. The remaining numbers of pages are variable, based on
selections made by the user.
The About page provides the initial startup information and links to relevant
information.
The “meta.xml” page displays the primary output of the web application: avalidated DarwinCore Archive descriptor file.
At startup, a basic XML document is presented (as can be seen in Figure 4 below). Most of
the content of this page will be generated, depending on the settings and modifications
made by the user. The XML generated in this panel can be selected, but is not directly
editable. The panel provides buttons for saving and validating the generated metafile aswell as an entry field for specifying the name or location of a metadata document.

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Figure 4 – The meta.xml pageThe third page, “Taxon”, represents the default selection of core data file. Any remaining
pages represent selections of extension data made by the user. A DarwinCore Archiverequires a core file corresponding either to a core data type which currently are either aTaxon or a taxon Occurrence (“Occurrences”). Other extension pages can be created ordeleted by checking the box beside the different folders and sub-folders from the left
select panel (1).
While it is possible to uncheck the boxes from the Extensions folder, it is not possible touncheck both Taxon and Occurrences – one of these two pages must always be selected
and displayed.

Select Panel Details
Selecting core terms and extensions

Figure 5 – Select panel display

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As it can be seen in Figure 5- Select panel display above, there are two main “volumes”:
Core and Extensions, listed in the Select Panel. Clicking on the arrow beside each volume
will open the menu and reveal a series of sub-folders. There are two sub-folders for Core
files: Taxon and Occurrences; and there are sub-folders for Extensions files: VernacularNames, Alternative Identifiers, Literature References, GNA Taxon Description and Species
Distribution. The specific number of Extensions displayed may vary and depends on:
1)

If the extension is associated with the selected core data type.

2)

The number of extensions registered in the GBIF registry.

The process of selecting data fields for both core data types or for extensions is exactly
the same: the user selects a folder in the Select Panel to display a list of terms.
A complete list of extensions, terms and definitions can be found on the GBIF schema
repository3. A quick reference guide may be found at: http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/.
A short description of a term from the select panel appears in a pop-up window when theuser hovers over it. The description may be accompanied by some examples, as it can beseen in Figure 6 below.

Figure 6 – Mouse over a term to view more information3

http://rs.gbif.org/

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File Settings
The application provides the following file setting options:
1. CSV File
2. Tab Separated File
3. Custom Format
In addition to the above file formats, the application also allows to specify the following
delimiters for the selected file setting:
1. Field Delimiter
2. Fields enclosed by
3. File Encoding
4. Ignore header row
5. Line ending
Users can select the appropriate value for the above from the drop down box.

General workflow for using the DarwinCore Archive AssistantTo effectively use the application, the user should have a basic understanding of the
DarwinCore Archive format and the scope of the core data and extensions available formapping their source data. A user may choose to export one or more data files from asource first, and then specify the data fields in each file using the application second, or
generate a profile and metafile first and use this as a guide to exporting one or more data
files. Whether before or after launching the application, the user must save the publisheddata file or files as text files, comma-separated or tab-separated output being
recommended. Other delimiters are acceptable and can be described in custom filesettings.

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Find below the sequence of steps to be followed for generating a validated metafile:
1. Identify and select the core data type (Taxon or Occurrences)
2. Specify the name of the published data file.
3. Provide specific file formatting details. Select appropriate file options under File
Settings.
4. Identify and select the core data fields. Expand the tree under Taxon or
Occurrences and check the boxes to select the fields.
5. Add spacers if needed
6. Review and rearrange if needed the columns added in the core data file pagelayout.
7. Review and select relevant extensions. Expand the tree under selected extension
to select fields. The process of selecting extensions is similar to the process of
selecting the core data file, the only exception is that, while there can be only one
core data file selected, the user may select all or none of the extensions. Extension
pages can be created or deleted by checking the box beside the different folders
and sub-folders from the left select panel.
For each selected extension, a new page will be created in the right display panel. The
order of selecting the extension data files is not relevant for the final output.

Publishing a DarwinCore Archive to GBIF
Mandatory Data Elements
Some data fields are mandatory when selecting Core data types and Extensions. Mandatory
data are required either to provide relational integrity between core data and an
extension.
The core ID

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The term “core ID” is a general descriptive name and does not refer to a specificDarwinCore term. The actual identifier used as the core ID is dependant on the core data
type selected.
When the core data type is Taxon, the core ID is the taxonID.

When the core data type is Occurrence, the core ID is the occurrenceID.

A core ID is not required when:

No extensions are usedThe first row (the header row) contains field names that exactly match the Darwin
Core terms

A core ID is required when:•

One or more extensions are used in the publication of a data profile•

A data file does not contain a header row with column names that do not exactly
match their corresponding DarwinCore term names.

Other required fields
Additional required terms will be indicated when an extension is selected. For example,
the Vernacular Names Extension requires that a vernacularName term be among theelements published in the data file. Require fields are highlighted and are check marked
under the “Required” tab.
Source file nameIn the core data page, and in any extensions, the user must specify the name of the data
file that will contain the selected fields.
The data file should be located in the same folder as the metafile so that no file pathinformation is required. Filenames should follow typical file-naming conventions (e.g., nospaces, using hyphen/underscore if needed (example: “vernacular_names.tab”)).

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A data file name is required for the core data page and for each extension thatis used to create a data publication profile. This is true even if all data(core+extensions) resides in the same file.

Figure 7 – Datafile name entry form

Field Ordering
Fields are listed in the Display Panel in the order they are selected by the user in the
Select Panel with required IDs listed first. The objective is for the order of data elements
to match the field order in the corresponding data file. Note that numbering in theapplication starts with field 0 (zero) for the first field because this is how it will bereferred in the metafile.
After selecting the data elements, the columns may be re-ordered, by a simple “drag anddrop” action: (in the Figure 8 below the “occurrenceStatus” is dragged from the first row
to the second).

Figure 8 – Re-ordering rows

A data element can be deleted from the display panel by unchecking the box beside it.
When the box will be checked again, the selected element will appear the last in thedisplayed list.

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Add a blank “spacer” column

Extension data

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

SINGLE FILE

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

EXTENSION DATASPACER ROWSPACER ROWSPACER ROWSPACER ROW
EXTENSION DATASPACER ROW
EXTENSION DATAEXTENSION DATAEXTENSION DATA

Figure 9 - Extension and core data in one file

It is possible to publish a single data file that contains elements that conform to both coreand extension data. Since core and extension information is distinct in the application,
each is processed separately and the columns that do not conform to the core or extension
are skipped. In Figure 9, for example, extension data is located in columns 5, 7, 8 and 9.
Since the application numbers fields according to their order in the list, columns 1-4 andcolumn 6, which are mapped in the core, are skipped by adding blank or spacer rows, tothe element list in the extension page. This allows the metafile to put the proper column
number into the metafile when it is generated.
The user can add spacers by clicking on the “Add Spacer” button found in the header ofthe display panel (Figure 10).

Figure 10 – Adding and removing spacers

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The Spacer field may be moved by “drag-and-drop” action and it can be deleted by mouseright-click on the field (for Windows) and selecting “Remove Spacer” or mouse click to
select the spacer on the screen - hold down Ctrl - and a “Remove Spacer” appears (forMac). (Figure 10)

Configuration One: Scientists (biologists) who manage biodiversity
data using spreadsheets such as MS Excel®

Configuration One refers to scientists (biologists) who manage biodiversity data using
spreadsheets such as MS Excel®. In this example, a single worksheet contains a data tablethat can be exported as a single text file, but contains data elements that correspond toboth DarwinCore core elements and extension elements. From a DarwinCore Archive
perspective, this single file must be described in the context of the separate core andextension components.

This configuration REQUIRES an ID, which may not be present in the source
data at the onset but is needed if extensions are used.

A data file from an actual species list on a public government site provides a working
example.4 The information was copied in a spreadsheet and then saved as “species.csv” asit can be seen in Figure 11 below:

4

The Massachusetts Division of Wildlife: Rare Species for town of Falmouth

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/species_info/town_lists/town_f.htm#falmouth

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Figure 11 – A sample data file

Notice that the columns from this table are named in the first row and that these names
sometimes, but often do not, match the element names in the core and extension
definitions. The first step, therefore, is to review the data columns and identify thosewhich can be matched to core or extension data elements.
In this case, the source data file, species,csv contains data elements that are associatedwith the taxon core data type and two extensions
“Taxon” core data type“Vernacular Names” extension

“Species Distribution” extension:

Documenting this set of data requires the creation and completion of the corresponding
three pages in the Darwin Core Archive Assistant:

Taxon core page,Vernacular Names extension pageSpecies Distribution extension page

Mapping the core data fields

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This configuration requires a special attention paid to the number of columns
and remember that column numbering starts with zero, not one.

1. Select the Taxon core data volume from the left select display.
2. Register the file name (in the example, “species.csv”) in the header of the newly
created page.
3. Record the file settings for the files, “species.csv”
4. Select the core terms elements in the select panel that match the data fields in thesource data file.
A. First column, column 0, is the ID and maps to the core ID
B. The next columns are Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, ScientificName,
ScientificNameAuthorship, nomenclaturalCode.
5. Note in Column “H” the spreadsheet in Figure 11 – A sample data file is labeled
Vernacular Names and falls between the “Authorship” in Column G and “Code” inColumn I. The vernacular name element is part of the Vernacular Names extension andis therefore mapped in the “Vernacular Names” page. In order to map the Code(Column I in the spreadsheet) properly in the metafile, a spacer must be added to“skip” the Vernacular Name column and account for the blank column.
A. Click the Add Spacer button to add a spacer to the Display Panel, taxon page.
B. Move the Spacer to the position between scientificNameAuthorship andnomenclaturalCode on the field list (index 7).
6. The final output of the Taxon page may be seen in Figure 12 below:

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Figure 12 – The final output of the Taxon page

Mapping the extensions data fields
In the example chosen for Configuration One, there are two extension data files:“Vernacular Names” and “Species Distribution”.
For each of the extensions, a new page will be created, by checking the box next to therespective volumes.
Generating the metafile for “Vernacular Names” extension
In this example, there is only one column belonging to this extension data file, “Common
Names”, found in the eighth column in the spreadsheet.
7. Select the Vernacular extension from the left select display. Since the information for
the Vernacular Names extension is found in the same data file as the information for
the Taxon core data file, the file name for this page will be identical as the file namewritten in the Taxon page: “species.csv”. Note that in addition to the core ID, thevernacularName element is already included in the file, as it is required.

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8. Register the file name (in the example, “species.csv”) in the header of the newly
created page.
9. Record the same file settings for the files, “species.csv”
10. An optional metadata document is used to describe the overall resource in thearchive.
It provides details such as a title for the resource, contact information and generalscope and description. GBIF supports multiple metadata formats that includes a
GBIF-specific profile expressed in the Ecological Metadata Language (EML).
11. Refer back to the spreadsheet in Figure 11 – A sample data file. The vernacular names
column occupied Column H, the eighth column in the spreadsheet. The first column is
ID used as the core ID and represents, field 0, the core ID, on the Vernacular Names
page in the Display panel. All the other columns up to Column H represent fields
associated with the Taxon page we identified in the previous steps. The goal is tospecify that one can find the matching vernacular name field in Column H, the eighth
column. This means we need to add six (6) spacers to the page to assign the vernacularnames element an index of seven (7).
12. Add the spacers by clicking the “Add Spacer” button six times.
13. Position the vernacularName element to the end of the list and ensure that is has anindex ID of 7.
14. Refer back to the spreadsheet in Figure 11 – A sample data file. Note that thevernacular names in the source file are all in English, a piece of information notincluded in the source data but a property that may be of value to later users of thedata, who may merge the data with data files originating in other languages, as an
example. This information may be added as a global value, indicating that allvernacular names in the list may be assigned a language property with the value of“English”
A. Select the “language” element from the vernacular extensions list in the SelectPanel
B. Click on the “Default Value” entry field in the corresponding row in the Display
Panel.
C. Enter “English”
D. Click the Global checkbox to the right of the entry field

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The final output of the “Vernacular Names” page may be seen in Figure 13 below:

Figure 13 - The final output of the “Vernacular Names” pageThe meta.xml will now also contain information about the extension data files:

Figure 14 – The updated metafile. Note the extension data at the end of the file

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User guideGenerating the metafile for “Species Distribution” extension
The last 4 columns in “species.csv” data file labeled, Countries, Threat Status, Year ofevaluation, Native Status. These columns will be mapped to data elements in the Species
Distribution extension, specifically
Column Name

Species Distribution element

Countries

Country

Threat Status

threatStatus

Year of Evaluation

eventDate

Native Status

establishmentMeans

By default, “Core ID” column is selected, matching the “ID” column from the Taxon pageand from the original spreadsheet.
After selecting the “Species Distribution” extension data file from the select panel, fill in
the file name and make the file settings. As this information is found in the same data fileas the taxon core data and the vernacular names extension data, these settings shall be
the same.
15. Register the file name (in the example, “species.csv”) in the header of the newly
created page.
16. Record the same file settings for the files, “species.csv”
In this example, the definitions belonging to the “Species Distribution” are found incolumns 10 to 13. In order to correctly map this information the user must insert spacers
for the columns 2 to 10. This is done using the same procedures as in Steps 10-12 in theprevious extension.
The final output of the Species Distribution may be seen in Figure 15 below

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Figure 15 - The final output of the “Species Distribution” page

By writing “Native” in the “Default Value” for the “establishmentMeans”, in the “Native
status” column from the spreadsheet, if a cell is left blank by the author, the “Native”
definition will be automatically inserted.
After mapping the information about the “Species Distribution”, the generated meta.xml
is valid for the entire spreadsheet.
The meta.xml for the example chosen for Configuration One can be seen in the picture
below:

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Figure 16 – The final metafile mapping the original spreadsheet to the DarwinCore profile

In summary, this metafile describes the mapping of a single data file (originally aspreadsheet saved as a CSV file) to a core file with a type of “taxon” and two extensions.
Note that these three components are described as separate sections in the metafile andthis requires the “location” element be repeated three times, and the file description
information to also be described three times. Finally, notice that collectively, the three
sections, describe fields that occupy positions 0-12, corresponding to the 12 columns inthe source data file. Spacers were used to mask columns not relevant in a given extension.

Configuration Two: Database administrators who manage
biodiversity data using relational databases such as MS Access®,
FileMaker®, SQL Server®, MySQL®, etc
Configuration Two refers to an example using a simple relational database model orschema that manages data in multiple tables. Such a schema is typical of biodiversity

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databases and may be familiar to data managers who use relational database systems suchas MS Access®, Filemaker®, SQL Server®, mySQL®, etc.
In this example the schema is divided into tables that form natural parallels to the coreand extension configuration of DarwinCore Archives. This is no accident as the format was
designed to match this common method for modeling data.

Figure 17 - A simple but typical species-data schema

When working with relational databases, the administrator is able to export files that
correspond to distinct core and extension files. Therefore, in this case, the user must
create a meta.xml file for multiple data files.
Relational databases rely on common identifiers between tables to serve as
relational links. These primary and foreign keys correspond to the core IDs
used in DarwinCore Archive. In this example, species_id is the key identifier
for the source database and must be included in each exported data file toserve as the core ID.

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User guideTo better understand how to use the DarwinCore Archive Assistant, when working withsuch a configuration, and also to understand the distinction between Configuraton One
and Configuration Two, the same basic data was used as in Configuration One but in thiscase the data was modeled in the schema shown in Figure 17.

For this configuration, the information was exported from the source database with a filefrom each table saved as taxon.csv, vernacular.csv and distribution.csv corresponding to
the Taxonomy, Common_names and Species_Info tables respectively.

Mapping the core data elements
After selecting the Taxon core data volume from Display Panel, the next step is to register
the file name into the header of the newly created page.
1. Set the name of the taxon page file to “taxon.csv”.
2. Record the same file settings for the files, “taxon.csv”
3. Start selecting the terms from Taxon core data volume in the select panel. Often
columns names do not match the Darwin Core terms. A short description of a termfrom the select panel appears in a pop-up window when the user hovers over it. A
complete list of terms and definitions can be found on the GBIF schema repository
at http://rs.gbif.org/. The first column is the ID, which is also a mandatory field. It
is by default found in the first position (zero), but it can be moved around on adifferent position, just like any other selected term, by a “drag-and-drop” action.
4. Selecttheterms,

Kingdom,

Phylum,Class,

Order,

ScientificName,

ScientificNameAuthorship, nomenclaturalCode.
The final output of the Taxon page may be seen in Figure 18 below:

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Figure 18 – Field and file settings for the taxon file

The meta.xml for this page can be seen by accessing the meta.xml tab found in theheader of the display panel.

Mapping the extensions data elements
Just like in Configuration One, there are two extension data files and for each of them aseparate page will be created in the display panel of the DarwinCore Archive Assistanttool, by checking the box next to the respective volumes. In this case, the extension data
are stored in separate files.
Generating the metafile for “Vernacular Names” extension
The vernacular.csv file contains two columns: ID and Common Names. In order to generate
the metafile for this document, the user must follow the next steps:
1. Check the “Vernacular Names” box from the left select panel
2. Fill in the name of the published data file – vernacular.csv
3. Provide specific file formatting details

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4. In this case, both terms, ID and Common Names are already selected by default,
as “required fields”.
5. The common names in this database are all in English. This information may be
added as a global value, indicating that all vernacular names in the list may be
assigned a language property with the value of “English”
a. Select the “language” element from the vernacular extensions list in the
Select Panelb. Click on the “Default Value” entry field in the corresponding row in the
Display Panel.
c. Enter “English”
d. Click the Global checkbox to the right of the entry fieldIf the language column is also added, the final output for the “Vernacular Names” page
will be as follows:

Figure 19 – Mappings and global values for the vernacular names data

The meta.xml will now also contain information about the extension data files. Click on
the meta.xml tab to view the xml file.
Generating the metafile for “Species Distribution” extension

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The distribution.csv file contains five columns: ID, Countries, Threat Status, Year
Evaluated, Native Status.
In order to generate the metafile for this document, the user must follow the following
steps:
1. Check the “Species Distribution” box from the left select panel
2. Fill in the name of the published data file – distribution.csv
3. Provide specific file formatting details
4. Identify and select the terms from the left select panel
After selecting the terms from the Species Distribution extension files volume, the final
display on the “Species Distribution” page will look as pictured in Figure 20 below. For the“Status” (“establishmentMeans”) the “Native” value was set as default value, but the“Global” attribute was not checked meaning that if there is another value in the column,
it will not be replaced by “Native”.

Figure 203 – The final display on the “Species Distribution” pageThe final metafile for Configuration Two can be seen by accessing the meta.xml tab fromthe header of the display panel, as in Figure 21 – the final Configuration Two metafile
below:

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Figure 21 – the final Configuration Two metafile

Using the meta.xml file to create a Darwin Core Archive
Once the validation of the metafile is complete, the user may save a copy of the output
metafile via a simple copy and paste operation or by clicking on Save File button found in
the header of the layout.

Figure 22– The “Save File” button on the meta.xml page

A pop-up window will appear asking to save the file. The file must be stored in the same
folder as the other documents that will form the Darwin Core Archive.

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Figure 23 – The pop-up message for saving the file

Error! Reference source not found. displays the contents of an example folder containing
a typical archive composed of a:

Metafilemeta.xml

Metadata file

eml.xmlCore data filetaxon.txt

Extension file

distribution.txt

Extension filevernacularname.txt
Figure 24 – Example of a typical archive folder

Once all the documents are in the same folder, if can be compressed into an archive using
a zip file generator or a TGZ generator.
The newly created archive file may be validated using the Darwin Core Archive
Validator5. This process examines all the files in the archive, not just the metafile andensures the files conform to the standard and will be properly interpreted by tools andservices that support this format.

5

http://tools.gbif.org/dwca-validator/

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