Create your first sample¶
Create the item¶
assets/screenshots/create-sample-modal.png — the create-item dialog with an ID typed in.
- Click Add an item.
- Choose the item type.
- Give it an ID, or let datalab generate one.
- Optionally pick a collection and a starting date.
Item IDs vs refcodes¶
This distinction trips up nearly everyone once:
| Item ID | Refcode | |
|---|---|---|
| Chosen by | You | The server |
| Can be changed | Yes | No |
| Unique across instances | No | Yes |
| Example | 2026-01-15-LFP-01 |
grey_ab123 |
Pick a naming scheme with your group, early
Item IDs are what you will type and read all day. A shared convention — date-first, or project-first — is worth agreeing on before the instance fills up.
Filling in the metadata¶
- Name and description (the description is Markdown)
- Chemical formula
- Date
- Location
- Constituents — what this sample was made from
Where it shows up¶
- In the sample table
- In any collection you assigned
- In the item graph, once it has relationships