Hello,
I have a suggestion for the Epidata-Help-File, section
"Export to SPSS":
In Epidata you can use variable names (or field names) with
a maximum of 10 characters. In newer versions of SPSS (12
or 13) you can use long variable names (64 Byte = 64
characters), in older versions only 8 characters.
Exporting Epidata-fields with 10 characters to SPSS leads
to shortened field names with 8 characters (for SPSS
before Version 12). That causes a lot of work (e.g.
renaming variables), if you think that 10 characters are
exported.
A hint in the Epidata-Help, that if the Data will be
analysed in SPSS, the field names should have max. 8
characters, will be usefull.
Greetings
Juergen Spiegel
***********************************************
Freiburger Institut fuer angewandte Sozialwissenschaft e.V.
FIFAS
Erasmusstr. 16, D-79098 Freiburg
Telefon: (0761) 28 83 64 Fax: (0761) 29 27 493
Web: www.fifas.de
e-mail: info(a)fifas.de
A question that came to epidata.dk:
> In our EPI test.rec file we have made a 'clientnumber' field for a
> maximum of 7 numbers entry (#######), for example to enter
> clientnumber 3458. This test.rec file contains now several records.
> But now we need to use the same field for entering a letters and
> digits combination, f.e. P3467188.
> I realise that we should have designed a string field <a
>>.
>
> The clientnumber field not only needs to be longer than 7 numbers but
> should be suitable for letters as well.
>
> Is it possible to change that in our current test.rec file? We prefer
> that over making a new .qes file and an empty .rec file.
>
This is of general interest.
the solution:
0.
Make sure you have proper backup in case something goes wrong.
1. Either
add a new field in the qes file with the letter part
add a new field for combined letter + number
add
2. or
make qes and change to string field the same field
update the rec file (just enter and epidata will ask )
3. If you wish to add a certain letter to all previously added records add
a recode block to the chk file or other file and run recode from the tools
menu. See help file on recode
e.g. if new string type id field is idNew and the old numerical one is id
recodeblock
idletter = "F"
idnew = idletter + string(id)
end
plus to accomplish future records in same file:
idnew
noenter
end
idletter
mustenter
end
id
mustenter
after entry
idnew = idletter + string(id)
end
end
--
Jens Lauritsen
Coordinator and initiator of EpiData Project
http://www.epidata.dk
>>> <epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca> 25-05-2005 16:59:11 >>>
Why is this necessary? I see "LION", upper case and delineated with "
". Thanks, Kelly
Because assigning this :
if recnumber = 2 then animal = "LION"
to a stringvariable of length 10 gets the value:
"LION "
not the value
"LION"
Computers are stupid and the designer makes the choices. My choice is that
"LION " is different than "LION"
Someone would argue that we should always use the trimmed value of string variables, such that "LION " is the same as "LION"
but this would give the user a problem if he/she wanted to compare the full length string.
The strategy of EpiData for as well data entry as the coming release of analysis is that we make as few decisions as possible and let the end user decide.
This is in contrast to other software developers who often impose new and changed strategies and changed ways of doing things on the users (Who is then forced to keep upgrading and learning new ways of doing what they could do with the old principle).
EpiData tries NOT to invent new ways of doing things, but stick to the well founded principles of Epi6 (with appropriate extensions for those who wish to use the new principles of further documentation).
Regards
Jens Lauritsen
Initiator of EpiData
Coordinator EpiData Association
Hi.
It's possible to store comment legal values up to 80 characters long (EpiInfo / EpiData limit for string length). To do so, refer to a lookup table (see 'Comment legal' help section for that.)
______________________________________________
Gilles DELMAS
Institut de Veille Sanitaire
Dept. Maladies Infectieuses,
Unité infections entériques, alimentaires et zoonoses
12 rue du Val d'Osne 94415 Saint-Maurice cedex - France
+ 33 1 41 79 67 27
g.delmas(a)invs.sante.fr
______________________________________________
-----Message d'origine-----
De : epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca [mailto:epidata-list@lists.umanitoba.ca]
Envoyé : jeudi 2 juin 2005 15:03
À : epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca
Objet : [EpiData-list] value labels
Hello to all!
I have being using data entry software for my work and that of epi data is very interesting and smooth but my problem is that it can not take long value label with 256 characters. Is there anyone that can give me a suggestion of defining value labels for a variable with long characters.
SEDZRO KOJO MENSAH
P.O.Box AS 387
Ashaiman -Tema
Ghana
House : +233-22-300789
MOBILE : +233-244-458788
Open WebMail Project (http://openwebmail.org)
---------- Original Message -----------
From: epidata-list-request(a)lists.umanitoba.ca
To: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca
Sent: Fri, 27 May 2005 12:02:51 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: EpiData-list Digest, Vol 19, Issue 9
> Send EpiData-list mailing list submissions to
> epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/epidata-list
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> epidata-list-request(a)lists.umanitoba.ca
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> epidata-list-owner(a)lists.umanitoba.ca
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of EpiData-list digest..."
------- End of Original Message -------
In order to add only 1 related record (thus automatically go back to 'mother' datafile as soon 1 related record has been saved, just add '1' (without ') at the end of the RELATE command
Example:
RELATE IDENTFIELD DATAFILE2.REC 1
Best regards,
______________________________________________
Gilles DELMAS
Institut de Veille Sanitaire
Dept. Maladies Infectieuses,
Unité infections entériques, alimentaires et zoonoses
12 rue du Val d'Osne 94415 Saint-Maurice cedex - France
+ 33 1 41 79 67 27
g.delmas(a)invs.sante.fr
______________________________________________
-----Message d'origine-----
De : epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca [mailto:epidata-list@lists.umanitoba.ca]
Envoyé : mercredi 1 juin 2005 16:36
À : epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca
Objet : [EpiData-list] Relational database
Hello!
I have long questionnaire, so I divided it into two parts using through relational database.
At the end of part 2, the EpiData is starting again part 2, taking it as new subrecord.
How can I let EpiData start new record in part 1 (i.e. for a new person)?
Thank you in advance!
/Ziad
The EpiData-list has been set up with two topics today:
Analysis
Data Entry
A topic is a way to selectively receive only part of the mails from the
discussion list.
By default ALL mails are sent to all users.
Even annoying ones, such as when I forgot to turn off an "out of office"
message to the list last week (excuses) and all users received a message
in Danish.
How does topics work ?
If a user is signed up to only "analysis", then only mails which contain
the word "analysis" in the subject line or the first 15 lines of text in
the body of the message will be sent to that user.
If you wish to receive all mail: You do not have to do anything.
If you wish to select only mails for one or the other topic:
Go to this page in your browser
http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/options/epidata-list
and edit your user profile. Further information is given on that page.
For all users it is always good practice to choose wording of the subject
such that other users can see what this mail is about. This is
particularly true when topics are in effect.
Regarding release of analysis I can inform you that we are progressing,
but some errors in the basic handling of selecting data has postponed the
release. The problem is related to a valid way of separating float values,
such as e.g. 3.1 from 3.100000000001 and 3.097865491
Jens Lauritsen
Coordinator and initiator of EpiData Project
http://www.epidata.dk
Hello to all!
I have being using data entry software for my work and that of epi data is
very interesting and smooth but my problem is that it can not take long value
label with 256 characters. Is there anyone that can give me a suggestion of
defining value labels for a variable with long characters.
SEDZRO KOJO MENSAH
P.O.Box AS 387
Ashaiman -Tema
Ghana
House : +233-22-300789
MOBILE : +233-244-458788
Open WebMail Project (http://openwebmail.org)
---------- Original Message -----------
From: epidata-list-request(a)lists.umanitoba.ca
To: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca
Sent: Fri, 27 May 2005 12:02:51 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: EpiData-list Digest, Vol 19, Issue 9
> Send EpiData-list mailing list submissions to
> epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/epidata-list
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> epidata-list-request(a)lists.umanitoba.ca
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> epidata-list-owner(a)lists.umanitoba.ca
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of EpiData-list digest..."
------- End of Original Message -------
Hello!
I have long questionnaire, so I divided it into two parts using
through relational database.
At the end of part 2, the EpiData is starting again part 2, taking it
as new subrecord.
How can I let EpiData start new record in part 1 (i.e. for a new person)?
Thank you in advance!
/Ziad