Transfer a Project

Use Export project and Merge project to combine data entered for the same NAHPU project on different devices. A full transfer is a ZIP or TAR.GZ archive with a versioned nahpu-project.json manifest and its available media files.

For limited-internet uploads, turn on Light export to create a JSON.GZ export without media. JSON.GZ is suitable for merging project records, but it is not a full project backup. Use ZIP or TAR.GZ when media or a complete copy of the project is needed.

Export project is also the recommended daily field backup. It is smaller and faster than a database backup and easier on the battery, and because Merge project reads it back, one export per field day limits the loss from a broken or missing device to a single day. Keep Backup database for the weekly checkpoint and for the moment before a merge. See Backup strategy.

This is different from Darwin Core bundles, which are for publishing, analysis, archiving, or other third-party workflows and are not accepted by Merge project. A NAHPU Data Package contains the same project payload and media layout as a full project export, so it can also be selected for merging.

Export a project

1. Open the project on the source device.
2. Open the dashboard menu and select Export project.
3. Review the counts for personnel, taxonomy, sites, events, specimens, narratives, and media. Review warnings for missing media.
4. For a full project transfer or backup, leave Light export off and select ZIP or TAR.GZ. For a limited-internet upload, turn on Light export to use JSON.GZ without media.
5. Select Export project, then store or share the archive securely.

Only taxonomy referenced by specimens in the active project is exported. Project personnel photos, project media, and linked taxonomy media are included when their source files are available. Missing files are reported as warnings and their broken links are omitted.

Specimen transfer includes the taxon-specific attribute row. For arthropods, that means ecological interactions, environmental parameters, optional morphometrics, sex, and remarks. Replacing an imported arthropod specimen also replaces its arthropod attributes; parasite records are not created for it.

Merge into the matching project

Back up first

A merge is one of the two moments a full database backup is for. Create one before merging. The wizard requires you to acknowledge this reminder and provides a Back up now shortcut so you can recover the previous database if needed.

1. Open the receiving copy of the project.
2. Open the dashboard menu and select Merge project.
3. Choose a JSON.GZ, ZIP, or TAR.GZ project export, or a NAHPU Data Package.
4. Confirm the backup reminder.
5. Review project info, personnel, taxonomy, sites, events, specimens, and narratives one section at a time.
6. Resolve each match or conflict.
7. Review the final summary and select Merge project.

NAHPU checks the export and its relationships before showing the review. No records are written while you move through the wizard. At the final step, database changes are committed together. If the merge fails, database changes are rolled back and newly copied media files are removed.

Resolve conflicts

NAHPU initially keeps the current record when it finds a conflict. You can choose:

• Keep current - Preserve the current record and map imported dependencies to it.
• Use imported - Replace the matched record and its imported owned data.
• Import as new - Create a separate record and remap its dependencies. A new UUID is generated when required, and duplicate site IDs receive a unique imported suffix.
• Skip - Do not import the record. Dependent records that cannot be remapped are also skipped.

Project information is reviewed field by field. Personnel UUIDs and specimen UUIDs are used for identity; taxonomy is matched by normalized genus and specific epithet. Sites use a nonempty site ID. Events and narratives use their resolved site plus their date, time, and identifying fields.

Personnel and taxonomy are shared across projects in the database. The wizard warns when replacing one could affect another project. A specimen UUID already used by a different project cannot be replaced; import it with a new UUID or skip it.

Force merge a different project UUID

The normal workflow requires the export project UUID to match the active project UUID. A mismatch is blocked because it usually means the wrong project is open.

If the projects truly represent the same field project, enable Force merge and type the active project name to confirm. NAHPU then assigns the active project UUID to imported project-scoped records. Force merge does not automatically overwrite conflicts; all normal conflict choices still apply.