If anyone assumes the large task of developing an up-to-date database of
molluscan taxonomy in a format that can be incorporated by collectors
into their own catalogs, I suggest that it would be very useful to
include a field or fields that could be used to sort the collection in
taxonomic order from the highest level included in the database down to
subfamily level.  An alphabetic sort should be acceptable from the level
of genus.  The numeric or alphanumeric sorting field should have a
format with the flexibility to insert new entries as needed to account
for events such as subfamilies being elevated to families or new
families being described.  I use such an alphanumeric field in my
FileMaker Pro database (including only taxa in my own collection); but
it unfortunately doesn't have enough flexibility to allow it to be
modified easily to account for some the the major changes in taxonomy
that have occurred since I devised it, based on Vaught's book.  My field
includes a single digit or character for each level from Class to
Subfamily.  I used digits for levels that needed <10 entries and
characters for levels with >10 entries.  I probably should have used at
least 2 digits/characters per level with large enough intervals between
each level's entries to leave space for any needed insertions.  The
downside of the latter approach is the expansion of the field to a
length that is not as easy to fit on my labels.  I included Subfamily as
the lowest level for my sorting field so each specimen record would not
need to include any fields for taxonomic levels above Genus.  Of course
that approach requires using a relational rather than flat field
database.  The main files (or tables) in my database are one that has
one record per specimen or lot and another with one record per species,
with the 2 related by a calculated field that concatenates genus +
species.  The species file/table includes fields for taxonomic levels
above genus, so the specimens file/table doesn't need to include such
fields.  Both files/tables include the sorting field, which is
auto-entered in the specimens file for convenience in sorting the
collection.  Entering records of species new to my collection could
involve even less work if a complete taxonomic database could be
incorporated as a new related file/table.

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