Array slides – Creating array slides using import plugin

[Johan Vallon-Christersson]

In BASE2, array slides can be created one-by-one or by using the “Multiple slides wizard”. In either way, barcodes must be typed in one-by-one. In a production setting this is inconvenient as it takes time and is typically an excellent source of typo related errors (wrong barcode is entered).

The possibility to import array slides using a plugin would be very useful. Array slides could be imported directly to the list page of array slides or in the view page of a specific batch. When running the plugin the user will specify the batch that slides are to be associated with (default when running in the view page of a specific batch is that specific batch).

The plugin would read data from a text file in which Name, Batch index, Barcode, and Description can be listed (Name would be required).

The plugin could be able to run in two modes, create or update. In create mode new array slides are created in update mode existing array slides are updated, e.g., existing slides could be updated with barcodes. There could be an error check for the update mode so that overwriting existing information is allowed or skipped, e.g., when updating barcodes; allow to update existing barcodes or only update if existing slides lack barcode value.

[Johan Vallon-Christersson]

We have plans to create specifications for a more general item importer/updater coreplugin, and this coreplugin might solve the needs specified in ticket:954

[Johan Vallon-Christersson]

In ticket:993 functionality to enhance usability of the existing Multiple slides wizard is described. Specifically, the possibility to paste multiple barcodes when creating array slides.

[Nicklas Nordborg]

This will be probably be implemented as a more generic import plug-in some time in the future.