OpenAtlas

Thank you for reporting, this could improve the usability at data entry quite a lot.

I guess it would be possible if we only copy the information from the entity form. When we are talking about other information, e.g. source links, this would be way more complex.
Even if we only talk about the base information we still would need additional links in some situations, e.g. at your example with human remains, we would need the connections to the archeological sub units hierarchy.
So it's quite hard to estimate how much work this will be but I put it at the end of our roadmap for now.

I was thinking about that and here are my thoughts, comments about them are welcome:

• Offer a copy function for most entity classes (where it makes sense)
• Instead at a form, offer this button at the entity detail view
  • Can than be used later too, not only when entering data
  • It's easier to implement, e.g. not having to deal with redirects after a form submission, especially if the form doesn't validate
  • At subunit forms there can be quite some submit buttons already, it could get confusing adding more
  • Even when entering data it would be just one click more: click on save which redirects to the detail view and than click on the copy button

• It would be like entering a new entity but fill the form like it is an update of the existing entity
• We would ignore other links (e.g. to references) for now
• We still have to take care about structure, e.g. keeping the "super" if it is a subunit

Although I initially thought that this might be easy to implement, just make an insert using the populate_update function, it turned out to be much more complicated.
E.g. some values are already set at the update form creation, and some are set later in the populate_update function

Because Nina, the author of the issue, said it's not that relevant anymore for her and we have more pressing issues, I put this back on the wishlist. Sorry about that.
On the bright side: I made some refactoring in the develop branch in preparation for this feature which also improved the general form functionality and will make it easier, if we pick up this issue again.

Although I put it back on the wishlist a few days ago it still bothered me. So I tried a different approach and "hijacked" the update function for the copy function which turned out to be much easier.
It is implemented in develop and will be part of the upcoming 7.12.0 release.