Populating Sample Pick Lists

Pick lists to select a single sample exist in several LIMS screens including Sample Login and the Results by Analyte and Results by Sample setup screens. These pick lists are designed to provide quick access to recently logged samples.

When you click the pick list’s dropdown arrow or use Alt+Down Arrow, LIMS lists recent samples in reverse chronological order. The number of samples included in the pick list is governed by a setting on the Workstation Configuration screen. Use the Populate Sample List option on the Settings tab of the Workstation Configuration screen to specify how many samples to list for the current workstation. Choose a setting that will present the most recent samples in a timeframe frequently used while minimizing the amount of samples the LIMS must retrieve from the database.

For example, with the Two Weeks option shown below all samples logged in the last two weeks will be listed when the pick list is expanded. Smaller timeframes are more efficient with a large LimsData database containing tens of thousands of samples.

The populating option that is best for your lab will depend on the size and location of your database and how often you use the pick lists. For best performance, choose the smallest timeframe that will be most useful for you.

Any time you need to select a sample that is older than your workstation’s default populating mode, simply double-click the pick list (or right-click and select Update Sample List) and select a one-time populating option from the Update Sample Pick List popup. Most LIMS screens with a sample pick list also include options to query samples, which you can use to find older samples. However, quickly repopulating the pick list is a handy alternative.