How to add, edit and remove terms of a dynamic term list

Owned by Jessi Weithman
Apr 18, 2024
3 min read

How to add, edit and remove terms of a controlled list

A controlled list (also called a term list, drop down and select box and pick list) is a limited set of terms arranged in a simple alphabetical order or in some other logically evident way. Lists are usually short and used to describe aspects of content objects or entities which have a limited number of possibilities. Examples include geography (country, state, city), language (English, French, Swedish), or format (text, image, sound). In CollectionSpace, controlled lists are also called Basic Vocabularies or Enumerations. Controlled lists appear in the User Interface (UI) as drop-down lists, as illustrated next:

This procedure describes how CollectionSpace System Administrators can control the contents of controlled lists (also called ) in the procedures and authorities of CollectionSpace.

CollectionSpace also contains static term lists. For more information about the difference between the term lists, see: An overview of term lists.

If you're looking for information about how to handle terms of a static term list, see: How to add a term to a static term list).

Prerequisites

The following tasks may be performed by a system administrator or user with write or delete permissions for term and term list management

Add a term to a term list
  1. Click Administration from the main menu
  2. Click the Term List Management tab
  3. Select the term list to which you want to add a new term
  4. A form will appear on the right
  5. Click the + button above the "Terms (Values)" list in the bottom of the form
  6. A blank line will appear in the "Terms (Values)" list. Enter the new term here
  7. This can be repeated for each term you want to add
  8. Click the save button
  9. A "Term List successfully saved" message will inform you that the action was successful

Edit an existing term in a term list
  1. Click Administration from the main menu
  2. Click the Term List Management tab
  3. Select the term list to which contains the term you want to edit
  4. A form will appear on the right
  5. Find the term you want to edit from the "Terms (Values)" list in the bottom of the form
  6. Edit the term as desired and click the save button
  7. A "Term List successfully saved" message will inform you that the action was successful
Delete a term from a term list
  1. Click Administration from the main menu
  2. Click the Term List Management tab
  3. Select the term list to which contains the term you want to edit
  4. A form will appear on the right
  5. Find the term you want to edit from the "Terms (Values)" list in the bottom of the form
  6. Click the little x symbol to the right of the term. This will delete the term from the list. To make this change permanent click the save button
  7. A "Term List successfully saved" message will inform you that the action was successful

Cannot delete term in use

Be aware that it is not possible to delete a term in use.

If a term is in use, you will be informed about this when attempting to delete it.

Test

You can immediately test the results of your updates by loading a record which contains the term list.

Summary

This procedure has described how CollectionSpace System Administrators can control the contents of controlled lists in the procedures and authorities of CollectionSpace.

Relevant pages: