How do I handle synonyms in my plant names base?

[seanwhitcomb]

In this table I have a list of plant names (taxa) plus other information about the plant's habitat, etc. Plant names frequently change, and the old name is considered a synonym, while the current names is the "accepted" name. Accepted names can have multiple synonyms because the names have changed several times.

I want to show only accepted names in the main Taxa Table view. If a name changes, the currently listed name will become a synonym. I want to be able to automatically separate synonyms into a different view or table once I have designated them as synonyms. BUT the new accepted name will need to have all the same associated information (habitat, etc.). The synonym view/table can just be a few fields with the old name and related information, but it will need to link back to the accepted name.

Example: Mariosousa willardiana is now Mariosousa heterophylla. How do I replace the new name with the old name but still keep a record of the old name as a synonym and remove it from the current view or table into a separate synonyms view or table? And how to I keep the new accepted name linked to all of its synonyms so they're easy to see? I want this to be as automatic a process as possible.

[autumn]

I wonder if adding 2 linked record fields could be a way to accomplish what you need? One of the linked fields could be used to track Synonyms, and the other used to track when plants get a new accepted name (see screenshot)

Your main view can only include records where New Accepted Name is empty, and you can create an alternate view of "outdated names" where only records where New Accepted Name is not empty appear.

[seanwhitcomb]

Thanks for your response. In my case the "Name" field (actually called "Taxon Name") is a formula field made up of several concatenated fields. That field should only contain accepted names, not synonyms. I don't want a "New Accepted Name" field because that's what "Taxon Name" is for.