February 2009 - EpiData-list - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Autobackup-feature and current test of EpiData Analysis b160
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 23 Feb '09

23 Feb '09

The development is now at a crucial point in time getting to a certain "gate". Before the gate is opened EpiData Analysis will be released as v2.2 and some updates to EpiData Entry will also take place, e.g. hopefully fixing the reported "auto backup" problem reported. After the gate there will be a common core system for reading, writing and interpreting files for as well EpiData Entry, EpiData Analysis and EpiC. This will not be seen immediately by the end user, but will assure that all functions are doing the same regardless of which part of EpiData Software and errors only needs one place for bug fixes. The translation process will also be adapted and released in common for the three software parts, since after that all functions and commands in relation to reading and writing data files and chk files will have the same number code. The list and translators will be informed when possible on all of this later this quarter or beginning of next quarter. Meanwhile EpiData Analysis b161 has been placed for testing for download from the testing.php page of the main site. (by a mistake the first were called b160, but actually were b161) - if you report problems report the date of the build if this was b160). One new aspect is that one commented by J. Hockin in the Mantis issue number 335. (A template for SPC graphs in a menu like system): The technical principle is the following: A: An htm file is created by the user outside of analysis with a combination of EpiData Analysis commands and ordinary html coding. (here called spc.htm) B: This file is activated in the help window via an entry in the graph-spc toolbar menu/dialog. (the same as the command: helpview "spc.htm") C: When the user clicks on a given link in the file, certain commands are issued and information can be given in the output window - without closing the helpview file. J.Hockin argues in the Mantis issue that the strange window is difficult to close again and that it would be preferred to have the spc.htm file opened in the main results window. I experimented a bit with both solutions and it turns (to me) an easier approach to use the help window. This is the same approach used if one uses the menu "Windows->screen font". Users can develop other htm files for such menu systems and load them either into help window (helpview spc.htm) or result window (view spc.htm) and if you wish an easy return to such a file issue the "set START PAGE " command after which you can open your menu file with F8 or have the system open it at start of the exe file. For inspiration on creation of such files, see the startfont.htm and the spc.htm files. Apart from testing that new menu/command button principle it is important for us to get tests of the Statistical Process Control Graphs and the new features introduced. I will contact a number of users directly, but all are more than welcome to participate. The optimal is if users would : a1: Create simple datasets using the built in system accessible via the toolbar-graph-spc menu/dialog in such a way that the following can be documented: - freeze (where estimates are based on the first n data points - breaks (where the time series are split in sub-parts) - exclude (where individual data points are excluded from estimates) and the tests (t1-t5), which will show different tendencies/aberrations. The optimal is to send such datasets in a zip file to "info at epidata.dk" consisting of the data and the pgm file to run the tests, including expected results. Disregard the mail notion of the mail not being received - we will let these through the spam filter and contact you directly. regards Jens Lauritsen EpiData Association

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auto backup!!
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 20 Feb '09

20 Feb '09

Batch files are fine and easy to automaticly do stuff. Improving the last coment, I would sugest to put a Warning to press F10 before exit in after file block or in a before file block in the check file! Although this may not work 100%, it may help educate and remind the training!!! -- Abraço forte e que a força esteja com você, Pedro Emmanuel

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serious backup problem in epidata entry
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 20 Feb '09

20 Feb '09

Hello Friends I create many datasets at my hospital and instruct physicians on how to use it. I always add a backup section to my chk files. The problem is that after the user clicks 'save record to disk' and wants to exit, he/she usually clicks the top 'x' on the upper right side of the screen, which is the way most software works. Unfortunately, the backup is not done unless the user clicks the lower 'x'. There is no warning, and backups are not made. Am I doing something wrong? If not, is there a workaround. Failure to make backups has caused me many problems . I am using ver 3.1(120306). I would really appreciate any help with this problem. Thank you all Steve Blum Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center Department of Medicine Bronx, NY

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New Analysis - release candidate as v2.2
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 15 Feb '09

15 Feb '09

Since previous release of EpiData Analysis quite a few changes have been implemented. Most of these fall in two groups: a. Bug fixes of minor (spelling, parsing certain data sets etc) and major importance. Of major importance are a few in relation to aggregating data (aggregate and Stattables) and some if statements. Also some parts of other graphs, e.g. epicurves which would show incorrectly as connected rectangular bars when outcomes were separated by long periods. b. Enhancements and further implementation of SPC (Statistical Process Control Graphs) New chart types have been added (xbar-s, uchart , cchart), and further possibilities of doing proper analysis, e.g. freeze mean and limits based on first part of data, further warning tests (t4 and t5) and the setup of variables has been simplified. Additionaly a new "spc from scratch" menu has been added. You will find this on the graph toolbar submenu. c. Translation is now possible. But further documentation and contact to translators is needed. Users will find the translation tools on the testing page (in windows and linux versions). Please also test these. After test and removal of identified bugs this build will be released as v2.2. Known issues are: some datasets will give floating point error with xbar-s - please report on this. The internal validation routines used here are being updated to a new structure. Users are highly urged to test the new build and report problems here or in the feature and bug reporting database. The test versions are available from: http:\\www.epidata.dk\testing.php Other changes are expected soon in the documentation with a shift of core documentation (technical documentation) to a "wiki" based principle. After v2.2 a quite long period should be expected without new builds (apart from removal of identified serious bugs). The core parts are being rewritten to a common form for as well EpiData Entry, Epic and Analysis. And next test release will be based on this new core for all three parts. regards Jens Lauritsen EpiData Association

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export to spss
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 11 Feb '09

11 Feb '09

Hi to All, I have a very simple question: when I am trying to export data to spss, the export menu transform the .rec files into .sps files, ie syntax and not .sav files, ie data files. Any idea why? Thanks for your help Best Regards Jean-Francois Dr Jean-Francois Trani Leonard Cheshire Disability and Inclusive Development Centre University College London 4 Taviton Street London WC1H 0BT Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 4886 Fax: +44 (0)20 7388 2291 Email: j.trani(a)ucl.ac.uk Website: www.lcdisability.org/idc Thank you for thinking of the environment before printing this message

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Simple question
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 11 Feb '09

11 Feb '09

I am fairly new to epidata and wonder if someone can give me some advice on the following task: I am trying to determine if there is any significance in the difference between the number of days hospital outbreaks of norovirus last as against the length of community outbreaks. Is that something I could do in epidata, if so, which function would I use? Thanks Shakeel ----------------------------------------- ************************************************************************** The information contained in the EMail and any attachments is confidential and intended solely and for the attention and use of the named addressee(s). It may not be disclosed to any other person without the express authority of the HPA, or the intended recipient, or both. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not disclose, copy, distribute or retain this message or any part of it. This footnote also confirms that this EMail has been swept for computer viruses, but please re-sweep any attachments before opening or saving. HTTP://www.HPA.org.uk **************************************************************************

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Link updata to learning/teaching material in portuguese
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 11 Feb '09

11 Feb '09

Lauritsen, Recently, I realized that the web adress to the Epidata Entry learning/teaching material in Portuguese changed. Therefore, the link right beside the Epidata entry portuguese file download is broken. Ther correct link from now on is: http://www.pesquisaclinica.ipec.fiocruz.br/cgi/cgilua.exe/sys/start.htm?inf… Best regards, -- Abraço forte e que a força esteja com você, Pedro Emmanuel

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Re: EpiData-list Digest, Vol 64, Issue 4
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 11 Feb '09

11 Feb '09

Hello Dr Jean-Francois! That is the default epidata export to SPSS . if you want to have access to the file in .sav format, please follow the procedure. 1. Launch your spss software. 2 Go to file menu ->Open-> Syntax. 3. In the syntax window, select all and click on run. With this steps you can have you files in data file(i.e .sav) instead of the syntax file. regards Mensah On Tue, Feb 10, 2009 at 6:00 PM, <epidata-list-request(a)lists.umanitoba.ca> wrote: > 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..." > > EpiData-list mailing list > ___________________________________ > Today's Topics: > > 1. export to spss (epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca) > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > To: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:14:13 +0000 > Subject: [EpiData-list] export to spss > Hi to All, > I have a very simple question: when I am trying to export data to spss, the export menu transform the .rec files into .sps files, ie syntax and not .sav files, ie data files. Any idea why? > Thanks for your help > Best Regards > Jean-Francois > Dr Jean-Francois Trani > Leonard Cheshire Disability and Inclusive Development Centre > University College London > 4 Taviton Street > London > WC1H 0BT > > Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 4886 > Fax: +44 (0)20 7388 2291 > Email: j.trani(a)ucl.ac.uk > Website: www.lcdisability.org/idc > Thank you for thinking of the environment before printing this message > > > ________________________________________ > EpiData-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/epidata-list > > -- SEDZRO KOJO MENSAH P.O.Box AS 387 Ashaiman -Tema Ghana House : +233-22-300789 MOBILE : +233-244-458788 -------------------------------------------------- The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.

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re: export to spss
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 10 Feb '09

10 Feb '09

Hi to All, > I have a very simple question: when I am trying to export data to > spss, the export menu transform the .rec files into .sps files, ie > syntax and not .sav files, ie data files. Any idea why? Thanks for > your help Best Regards Dr Jean-Francois Trani , London. The explanation is quite simple. SPSS, SAS and other commercial software companies like M$ are using closed (proprietary) data formats, which they are not documenting. Therefore we cannot export to .sav format. This is in contrast to e.g. EpiData or Stata, where the file formats are fully documented and available for general download. I suggest you write an e-mail to SPSS and ask why they have a secret data file format. I would be astonished if they even answered your mail. The system of closed formats is even more strange. Earlier we had (in my hospital department) license for SAS for some years (cost around 1200 Euro per year for one PC) for about what EpiData Analysis can do. And now we cannot even use our licensed exe files to read the data again...... This is one of the reasons why we develop EpiData Software. ... For users in extensive need of converting data I suggest to look at the EpiC utility we develop or you can look at StatTransfer, which is working quite well and has the policy "once paid - use as long as you like". Kind regards Jens Lauritsen EpiData Association

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SPSS export
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 10 Feb '09

10 Feb '09

Did you try running the syntax to see what happens? My guess is that you going to have a good surprise!!! -- Abraço forte e que a força esteja com você, Pedro Emmanuel

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