Manage reference data

Add, edit, retire, and seed the shared lookup lists that fill every picker in Erde — Matrices, Analytes, Methods, Measurement Units, Site Types, and dozens more. You do this in the Reference Data area. For why Erde centralizes these values, see Reference data.

Before you start

• Role required: Data Steward access — the Administrator or Data Manager role. Any signed-in user can view the catalog read-only; only an Administrator or Data Manager can add, edit, delete, or seed values.
• Prerequisites: none — the catalog ships with every type. Most types also offer standard values you load on demand (see Load standard values).

Without the Data Manager role, the area opens read-only with the banner "Reference values are managed by Data Managers — you have read-only access.", and the Add, Edit, and Delete actions are hidden.

Steps

Each reference-data type has its own list page. Adding and editing a value follow the same flow on every type.

1. Open Reference Data from the main navigation. The hub opens a searchable catalog of cards, grouped by domain.

2. Open the type you want. Use a card on the hub, or open the left Reference Data sub-nav, expand the domain group (for example Laboratory or Site Management), and select the type — for example Analytes at /reference-data/analytes or Matrices at /reference-data/matrices. All Reference Data at the top returns you to the hub.

3. Select Add. The Add form opens.

4. Fill in the fields:

   Field	What to enter
   Name	The descriptive label (required). Must be unique within the type.
   Code	A short identifier (optional for most types). When supplied, it must be unique. Letters, digits, and ., _, - only — no spaces.
   Description	Optional notes.
   Active	Leave checked so the value appears in pickers. Clear it to retire the value (see Retire a value). On by default.
   Pinned	Check to sort the value to the top of its list. Off by default.

   Some types add their own fields — Matrices carry a Matrix Type, Analytes carry a Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) number, Coordinate Systems carry a spatial reference ID. A few operational types (Analysis Methods, Preparation Methods, Leachate Methods, Measurement Units) make Code required, and Measurement Unit codes also accept / and %.

5. Select Add. The new value appears in the list and is immediately available in the matching pickers.

To change a value later, open its row's actions menu and select Edit, adjust the fields, and select Save. Activity in the same menu opens the value's activity panel — comments plus a change history (filter by All, Comments, or History).

Load standard values

Most types ship a curated set of standard values, but Erde does not insert them automatically. For a type that has them, a Load Defaults button appears on its list page so you can load them on demand:

1. On the type's list page, select Load Defaults.
2. Review the preview. It lists only the standard values not already present — matched by Name or Code, case-insensitively.
3. Select the values to add, then confirm.

Seeding is additive: it skips any default whose Name or Code already exists and never overwrites or deletes an existing row. A standard value behaves exactly like one you add yourself — there is no schema difference between them.

Load all defaults at once

This action requires the Administrator role. To seed the standard values across every reference-data type in one step — useful when first setting up an installation — use the Administration bulk loader:

1. Go to Administration → Reference Data Defaults.
2. Select Load All Defaults.

The loader is additive and idempotent: it adds only the standard values not already present and skips the rest, so it is safe to run more than once. If everything is already loaded, it reports that no changes were made.

Retire a value

To stop a value from appearing in pickers without removing it, edit the value and clear Active. The row stays in the list (marked Inactive) and existing records that reference it are unaffected. This is the way to retire a value that is in use, because such a value cannot be deleted.

Result

The value is in the list and applied across Erde. New records can select it in the relevant picker, and imports and reports that reference the type draw from the updated list. Active values appear in pickers; inactive ones are hidden from selection but stay in the catalog.

A value in use cannot be deleted

Deleting a reference-data value that domain records already reference is blocked. The delete returns a conflict naming the value — for example, "Matrix cannot be deleted because it is still in use." when a Sample uses that Matrix, or the same message for a Site Type a Site uses. To take a value out of circulation, clear Active to mark it Inactive instead.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Resolution
"...cannot be deleted because it is still in use."	Domain records reference this value.	Edit the value and clear Active to retire it instead of deleting.
"...with that name already exists."	Name must be unique within the type; matching is case-insensitive.	Use a different Name, or edit the existing value.
"...with that code already exists."	Code is optional but unique when supplied; matching is case-insensitive.	Use a different Code, or leave it blank if the type allows.
Add / Edit / Delete not visible	You lack the Data Manager role; the catalog is read-only for you.	Ask an Administrator to grant the Data Manager role — see Users and roles.

Related

• Reference data — the concept: why Erde centralizes lookups and how records reference them.
• Users and roles — granting the Data Manager role.
• Permissions and scoping — how authorization policies decide who can edit.