In This Topic

Defining a Sequence Column
Changing the Sequence Column Heading>
Updating event Reference Numbers
Forcing events into order
Sequence column conflicts when Importing a chronology

The first column in a chronology table can be a Sequence column, which provides two main benefits:

it can contain a reference number for each event
you can use it to specify the order of events on a particular day when you do not know their times

Defining a Sequence Column

The Case Review Administrator can define a Sequence column when setting up the chronology document.

End-users can define one using the Tools > Sequencing > Add column button. (This is the only change Chronolator allows to Administrator-defined column headings).

When adding a column this way, it is automatically populated with sequence numbers.

Changing the Sequence Column Heading>

The default heading for a Sequence column is Seq, but you can change it after it has been added (unless it was defined by the Case Review Administrator):

Press Tools > Sequencing > Change Column Heading
In the form which is displayed, type the new heading - for example Reference - and press OK.

Updating event Reference Numbers

When adding a Sequence column, Chronolator automatically adds a reference number to each event. The numbers can be updated at any time – for example, if some events are added or removed.

Press Tools > Sequencing > Update – sequential to give each event a unique number:
Press Tools > Sequencing > Update - group by day if you want the numbering to start at 1 on each new day:

Forcing events into order

Sometimes you might not know at what time events happened on a particular day, but you do know their order. You can use the Sequence column to specify it.

In this example from a multi-agency chronology, the time has only been given for one of the events of March 15, and events are in the wrong order (in the first one an infant has collapsed, while in the second he seemed well):
We can put them in the right order by adding a Sequence column (if there is not one already) and typing the correct sequence numbers in it . . .
. . . and then pressing Sort Tables > Ascending

You do not have to update sequence numbers in all the events, as the sort recognises decimal numbers. For example, suppose that you now wanted to put event 4 before event 2 (this might not make sense in terms of the story, but we will do it here just to illustrate the feature).

Replace the 4 in the event with a number between 1 and 2 - 1.5 say:
Press Sort Tables > Ascending to put the events into the requested sequence:
Press Tools > Sequencing > Update - group by day / sequential to replace any decimals with whole numbers:

If you force events into an incorrect date/time sequence using a Sequence column, Chronolator will detect the problem when it checks for errors.

Sequence column conflicts when Importing a chronology

Because anybody can add a Sequence column it might happen that an Internal Chronology has one but not a Composite Chronology - and vice versa.

When such conflicts occur, Chronolator lets you decide whether to keep or discard the column. See the descriptions of Messages 1030 and 1031 for more details.