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Areas

To visualize data correctly, the dashboard needs to know your administrative boundaries. The Areas interface provides a comprehensive directory for managing every individual geographic unit across all levels of the defined hierarchy. This is where names, codes, and map availability are displayed.

Areas

Areas Administrative View​

The primary dashboard for Areas provides a searchable, sortable list of every geographic entity in the system.

Search and Discovery: A real-time Search bar allows administrators to locate specific areas by name or code.

  • Download Import Template: Provides a standardized file format for bulk-uploading geographic data.
  • Import: Allows for the rapid population of the area database via file upload.
  • Delete All: A protected action to wipe the current area list for full re-indexing.

Summary Statistics: A status badge at the top displays a real-time count of total entities per level (e.g., 47 Counties, 348 Subcounties... 129307 EAs).

Importing Areas​

The Import interface allows administrators to upload hierarchical data containing area maps, names, and codes. Users can toggle between two specialized upload methods depending on the data source.

Shapefile Import​

The Shapefile tab is used to import spatial data and map boundaries for specific levels of the hierarchy.

Shapefile Import

  • Coordinate System Requirement: All uploaded shapefiles must use the EPSG:4326 - WGS 84 Coordinate Reference System (CRS) to ensure compatibility with the dashboard's map engine.

  • File Requirements: Users must upload the three core files that constitute a valid shapefile: .shp, .shx, and .dbf.

  • Data Structure: The shapefile's attribute table must contain dedicated columns for area names and unique codes.

  • Level Selection: Administrators must select which specific Area Hierarchy level (e.g., County, EA) is represented in the provided shapefile.

Spreadsheet Import​

The Spreadsheet tab is used to import the complete administrative hierarchy from a single flat file.

Spreadsheet Import

  • File Format: The system accepts .csv files formatted to include all areas across the hierarchical structure.

  • Column Mapping: For every level in the hierarchy (from the first to the last), the user must map the corresponding columns from their file to the appropriate fields:

  • Name: The column containing the display name for that level.

  • Code: The column containing the unique identifier for that level.

  • On-the-Fly Zero Padding: The interface allows users to specify the Zero pad code to length for each level during the import process.

  • Note: The default value of 0 means no padding will occur.