2. Working with data types
Every column in your data sheet gets its meaning from the data type you declare for it in the Custom data definition table. The type determines how values are parsed, displayed, filtered, and exported. This section of examples walks through all data types except for mapregion (which is a topic in itself, covered in the next section). Being past the basic examples from the previous section, this section focuses on real-world use cases and the recommended authoring approach from the start.
How to use these examples
Each example opens with the authoring scenario - the practical challenge it solves. Below it, the spreadsheet viewer shows the complete solution; click it to expand. How it works breaks down the configuration behind it, with links to the relevant reference pages for each setting. What you will see tells you what to look for once you hit See it in action, which opens the example as a live NaturaList project in the demo space.
A word of caution
Example data is there to support the demonstrated features and is purely illustrative, don't use it in your biology classes.
Category badges, numeric measurements, and size ranges
A checklist with categorical columns (Red List status, establishment means), trait ranges (body length, wingspan), and a single numeric measurement (clutch size) - displayed with colored badges, automatic unit scaling, and filters, using codes in the data but human-readable labels in the UI.
Categorical columns use category with Category display to map raw codes to labels and badge colors. The data sheet always stores raw codes (
LC,N), not labels - keeping data clean for export and avoiding translation issues.The Search category custom order table overrides alphabetical filter ordering so Red List categories appear in conservation-severity sequence, and Group title adds sub-headings (Threatened / Lower risk) within the filter.
Body length and wingspan use interval, with
.from/.tosub-columns forbodyLengthand a condensed single-column notation forwingspan- two valid entry formats. A Template of{{unit "cm"}}auto-scales tomfor larger values.Clutch size uses number.
What you will see: Observe the colored Red List and establishment badges on the taxon list. In the filter sidebar, the Red List filter shows CR → EN → VU → NT → LC under 'Threatened' and 'Lower risk' headings - not alphabetically. Try the wingspan filter to see its 'overlaps', 'contains', and 'fully inside' modes. Use Current view to explore Hierarchy bubbles or Trait matrix.
Specimen records: dates and numbers, geocoordinates, and images
Herbarium specimens with a collection date, collector and collection number, GPS coordinates that open a map on click, and a scanned image - with an image path that stays maintainable when the folder is reorganised.
Extends the basic botanical survey example with new column types.
date accepts spreadsheet-formatted or ISO 8601 dates and generates a date-range filter automatically. number is used for the collector's collection number.
geopoint accepts latitude/longitude in several formats (decimal degrees, DMS, hemisphere letters) in a single column, or via
.lat/.longsub-columns. Note the varied coordinate formats used for illustration. A Template with{{lat}}and{{long}}placeholders assembles the map URL at display time.The image column uses image with a template of
specimens/{{value}}.webp- cells store only the bare image ID. Renaming the folder later is a single edit in the template, not a find-and-replace across hundreds of rows. Empty cells produce no error or broken placeholder.
What you will see: On any specimen: the Collected field shows a formatted date; the Coordinates field is a clickable link opening OpenStreetMap; thumbnails open the full specimen image. Try the date-range filter to narrow by year, and the Collector filter to find specimens by one person.
usercontent/specimens/HMF-156_1080.webp- Scan of the specimen HMF-156 in WEBP format for better compression and smaller file sizespecimens/...- ... and so on for all other specimens
Taxa, months, audio and structured data
A bird checklist needing multiple synonyms per species (each with authority), a filterable habitat list, a nesting-period month indicator, a species photo gallery, and an audio player for calls.
Synonyms are a taxon array with root path
list bulletsand Search category title to activate the filter. The item pathsynonym#is typed as taxon, and name/authority are entered compactly using |-pipe notation. The renderer appends the authority and makes the name clickable for external lookup.Habitats use the same
name#array pattern with category as the item type andlist commafor inline display. Values are entered as a |-pipe-separated array in a single cell.The months column for
nestinguses the simplified single-column format.Photos use a numbered array (
photo1.source,photo1.title, …) covered by a singlephoto#row in Custom data definition, with a template that generates both thumbnail and full-size paths. Placed indetailsfor gallery display.The sound column uses a simple template (
recordings/{{value}}.mp3) and is placed atrightfor an inline player on the taxon card.
What you will see: On a species card: synonyms are browsable and searchable; habitats appear as an inline comma list - try the habitat filter with Match all to find species across all selected habitats; the nesting period shows as a compact month range (e.g. March–October) with its own filter; the audio button plays the bird call. Click the taxon name or the image icon to open the Details pane: photos appear in a gallery. Species without photos show no Media tab.
usercontent/birdphotos/eurasian_blue_tit_640.webp- Thumbnail photo of Cyanistes caeruleusbirdphotos/eurasian_blue_tit_2000.webp- Full-size photo of Cyanistes caeruleusbirdphotos/...- ... other species photos in the same formatrecordings/cyanistes_caeruleus.mp3- Bird call of Cyanistes caeruleusrecordings/...- ... other species recordings
Rich descriptions with citations, external link templates, and F:-loaded text files
Extend the previous example with rich natural history descriptions (formatted Markdown, literature citations) maintained as standalone files for easy contributor editing, plus links to external online collections.
A markdown column renders Markdown, resolves
[@citekey]citations against Bibliography, and processes Database shortcodes.Description content is loaded from standalone
.mdfiles using theF:prefix (the F: directive), so contributors can edit descriptions without opening the spreadsheet.Images referenced relatively inside a
.mdfile resolve relative to the file's own folder inusercontent/.Search online provides links to search taxa in public databases using the taxon name as the query.
What you will see: Click a taxon card header or the book icon to open the Details pane Text tab - formatted Markdown with inline citations. The Search online tab links to configured public databases. Click any blue citation to see its full reference; open the References panel from the Side Menu for the complete bibliography.
usercontent/references.bib- Bibliography file containing all citationsdocs/cyanistes_caeruleus_breed.md- Markdown breeding description for Cyanistes caeruleusdocs/cyanistes_caeruleus_eco.md- Markdown ecological notes for Cyanistes caeruleusdocs/cyanistes_caeruleus_nest.webp- Image of Cyanistes caeruleus nest referenced in the breeding description filedocs/ecology_chart_a.webp- Illustrative ecology chartdocs/...- ... additional files per species and all the images and recordings referenced
Markdown files can be edited directly in the source folder without needing to open the spreadsheet. This makes it easier for multiple contributors to work on descriptions without risking spreadsheet conflicts.