This procedure shows how to import a list of sites into MapMate. It assumes that you have a list of sites, with grid references and vice-counties.

MapMate doesn't allow sites to be imported as sites, but you can import a set of dummy records, containing one record for each of the sites you wish to import. After importing, delete all the dummy records and you will be left with the new sites in your copy of MapMate.

When setting up the dummy records you should use a species that you have never recorded 'for real' - the template I've provided uses Killer Whale (Orcinus orca), but if you have genuine records for Killer Whales on MapMate you should change to another, unrecorded, species!

1. Download the spreadsheet template

2. Fill in the site names, grid refs and vice-counties for all the sites you wish to import

3. Copy the existing data in all the other columns, down as far as you need to match the number of sites you are importing

4. From the spreadsheet, "Save As", setting the "Save as type" to "Text (tab delimited)". When it asks "Do you want to keep the workbook in this format?" say "Yes"

5. Close the spreadsheet (say "No" when it asks if you want to Save it again)

6. Open MapMate, go to the File menu and choose Import, then Data from Tab Text Files

7. Find the file you saved in step 4, and import it in the usual way (see the MapMate Help files if you need more information about this)

8. Assuming the import proceeds successfully, accept the imported records

9. Run a query to get all your dummy records into a Browse list (e.g. by querying all records for Killer Whale) - DO THIS IMMEDIATELY, DON'T SYNC YOUR DUMMY RECORDS OUT TO ANYONE ELSE!

10. In the resulting browse list, click on the grey box to the left of the top row to highlight this record, then pres shift and click on the grey box to the left of the bottom row- this should highlight all the Killer Whale records

11. Right-click over one of the highlighted records and choose Remove Selected Records

12. Your sites should now be available in MapMate for use with genuine records

13. When you did the dummy record import in step 7, MapMate will have created a Reference for the import. It won't do any harm to leave this reference on your copy, but if you want to be tidy and delete the Reference you need to find it - it will be called "Centre [your CUK], [current year], Data Import by Centre [your CUK] on [date of import]

14. Once you've found it (e.g. from the Data Entry window, or from the Browse Tables - Browse References query), delete it