- EpiData-list - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

testing manager version 0.3.2.9
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 28 Jan '10

28 Jan '10

Heemskerk 28/01/2010 Hello JENS and ALL, While testing this I got a message when I tried to read a DBF file, it says that it is a corrupted ZIPfile !! In true it is a perfect DBF file made by EPIDATA 3.1. Reading TXT, CSV, REC, QES files works perfect. Shifting the fields on the screen with the mouse : OK. Would appreciate more explanation about the SETTINGS, not all clear to me. A possibility to change the type of an already existing field would be nice.. I add a recxml file that contains some remarks. Yours, Louk. <?xml version="1.0"?> <EPIDATA> <SETTINGS> <VERSION>0</VERSION> <DATESEP>/</DATESEP> <DECIMALSEP>.</DECIMALSEP> <MISSINGMARK>.</MISSINGMARK> </SETTINGS> <METADATA> <LABELS> </LABELS> </METADATA> <FIELDS> <FIELD TYPE="15"> <NAME>label_1</NAME> <TAG>F1</TAG> <LENGTH>0</LENGTH> <DECIMALS>0</DECIMALS> <POS X="31" Y="19"/> <LABEL X="31" Y="19">Label text to clarify PURPOSE file.</LABEL> <COLOUR>FFFFFF</COLOUR> </FIELD> <FIELD TYPE="15"> <NAME>label_2</NAME> <TAG>F2</TAG> <LENGTH>0</LENGTH> <DECIMALS>0</DECIMALS> <POS X="31" Y="43"/> <LABEL X="31" Y="43">++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</LABEL> <COLOUR>FFFFFF</COLOUR> </FIELD> <FIELD TYPE="1"> <NAME>V1-short string</NAME> <TAG>F3</TAG> <LENGTH>10</LENGTH> <DECIMALS>0</DECIMALS> <POS X="198" Y="68"/> <LABEL X="130" Y="73">[SHORTY]</LABEL> <COLOUR>FFFFFF</COLOUR> </FIELD> <FIELD TYPE="1"> <NAME>V2-long string100</NAME> <TAG>F4</TAG> <LENGTH>100</LENGTH> <DECIMALS>0</DECIMALS> <POS X="198" Y="118"/> <LABEL X="123" Y="123">[VERYlong]</LABEL> <COLOUR>FFFFFF</COLOUR> </FIELD> <FIELD TYPE="15"> <NAME>label_5</NAME> <TAG>F5</TAG> <LENGTH>0</LENGTH> <DECIMALS>0</DECIMALS> <POS X="198" Y="144"/> <LABEL X="198" Y="144">Very nice that such a long field is possible !!!!.</LABEL> <COLOUR>FFFFFF</COLOUR> </FIELD> <FIELD TYPE="0"> <NAME>V3-Integer</NAME> <TAG>F6</TAG> <LENGTH>4</LENGTH> <DECIMALS>0</DECIMALS> <POS X="198" Y="194"/> <LABEL X="133" Y="199">[Number]</LABEL> <COLOUR>FFFFFF</COLOUR> </FIELD> <FIELD TYPE="6"> <NAME>V4-Floaty</NAME> <TAG>F7</TAG> <LENGTH>11</LENGTH> <DECIMALS>6</DECIMALS> <POS X="198" Y="224"/> <LABEL X="130" Y="229">[Floatfield]</LABEL> <COLOUR>FFFFFF</COLOUR> </FIELD> <FIELD TYPE="11"> <NAME>V5-Holiday</NAME> <TAG>F8</TAG> <LENGTH>10</LENGTH> <DECIMALS>0</DECIMALS> <POS X="198" Y="267"/> <LABEL X="112" Y="272">[Normaldate]</LABEL> <COLOUR>FFFFFF</COLOUR> </FIELD> <FIELD TYPE="16"> <NAME>V6-THISDAY</NAME> <TAG>F9</TAG> <LENGTH>10</LENGTH> <DECIMALS>0</DECIMALS> <POS X="198" Y="297"/> <LABEL X="120" Y="302">[Todayfield]</LABEL> <COLOUR>FFFFFF</COLOUR> </FIELD> <FIELD TYPE="12"> <NAME>V7-IDfield</NAME> <TAG>F10</TAG> <LENGTH>4</LENGTH> <DECIMALS>0</DECIMALS> <POS X="198" Y="350"/> <LABEL X="74" Y="355">[RECORDNUMBER]</LABEL> <COLOUR>FFFFFF</COLOUR> </FIELD> <FIELD TYPE="15"> <NAME>label_3</NAME> <TAG>F11</TAG> <LENGTH>0</LENGTH> <DECIMALS>0</DECIMALS> <POS X="72" Y="399"/> <LABEL X="72" Y="399">NOTE ! Each time when I click in a field , this field moves one pixel to the bottom. !!!</LABEL> <COLOUR>FFFFFF</COLOUR> </FIELD> <FIELD TYPE="15"> <NAME>label_4</NAME> <TAG>F12</TAG> <LENGTH>0</LENGTH> <DECIMALS>0</DECIMALS> <POS X="143" Y="428"/> <LABEL X="143" Y="428">Writing the FIEDLABELS between square brackets keeps the aspect tidy...</LABEL> <COLOUR>FFFFFF</COLOUR> </FIELD> </FIELDS> <RECORDS> </RECORDS> </EPIDATA>

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updated manager
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 26 Jan '10

26 Jan '10

An updated manager has been placed on the testing.php page now. Changes are shown on that page. Basicly bug-fixes for what was reported on the list since last week. e.g.: labels snap onto nearby fields access violation when using encrypted fields adapted and documented use of keyboard shortcuts If you place the pdf introduction document (also from testing.php) in a subfolder to the exe, you can call the pdf from the help menu (possibly not on Mac). Work will now concentrate on the first prototype of a dedicated EntryClient, after which adding checks and controls is in the workplan. The manager will only be fixed for reproducible bugs until an EntryClient exists. regards Jens Lauritsen EpiData Association

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New EpiData Manager ready for (next) test
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 23 Jan '10

23 Jan '10

The EpiData Data Manager will gradually replace the existing EpiData Entry software as development goes on. Why change to EpiData Manager ? Since release of first EpiData software in 1999 many aspects have changed. The main reasons for development of the new strategy are: • New users are increasingly ”graphicly” oriented and focused on mouse usage. ◦ not understanding the well known qes-chk-rec principle • There is a need for multiplatform development (Linux, Mac, Windows, PDA …..) • Font management is changing to UTF-8 to avoid nationalisation problems • We wish to implement GCP (Good Clinical Practice) required for many medical data projects. This demands encryption and logging of editing at a very detailed level. • There should be a common ”engine” for all EpiData software, such that handling of data and metadata (labels etc.) are based on the same internal routines. • When doing data entry it should not be immediately easy to change rules or structure for data entry personnel. Therefore a dedicated EpiData EntryClient will be developed – serving only data entry. How will a project manager see the new strategy ? The work process is more clearly divided into what the manager does and what the data entry persons do. The EpiData Manager is a tool for the project person, which: • Defines data structures, adds metadata (labels and definitions), documents data and exports for analysis. • Updates data with new fields, changed formats for fields (e.g. More decimals) and is used for control of data. • There is a choice of using computers with either Linux, Mac or Windows A short introduction document is found next to where the test application can be downloaded. See http://www.epidata.dk/testing.php Apart from fixing many bugs, the new version now includes an editor, a revised interface and allows for pasting from a qes file or the editor. Next phase is to add checks and develop the Entry Client. For the planning please comment on the new release, which includes an editor. Also we should have a discussion on which are the "core" check commands that almost everyone uses and which are enhanced. regards Jens Lauritsen EpiData Association

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Epidata and check
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 22 Jan '10

22 Jan '10

I am having a small problem with Epidata. I have this field with place for 2 numbers. How do I check that this field contains something? I need this because from this field I have to make a jump depending on whether this field is blank or not. Thank You. Venlig hilsen/Kind regards Antonio Sylvester

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additional core commands
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 22 Jan '10

22 Jan '10

Hello Please add these very important commands: 'comment legal show' 'comment legal use' confirm Thanks For implementation in the first updated entry client we need to define a basic core set of basic check commands Suggestion: (please comment): backup value label, legal, range and missing value definitions type comment jump / goto hide topofpage mustenter repeat message (help) key unique Did I miss any ? The core set of check commands will be part of the main recxml file, whereas further specifications will be contained in a separate (chk) file. regards Jens Lauritsen EpiData Association _______________________________________________ EpiData-list mailing list EpiData-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/epidata-list Steve Blum

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Which check commands do you consider as the basic ones ?
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 22 Jan '10

22 Jan '10

For implementation in the first updated entry client we need to define a basic core set of basic check commands Suggestion: (please comment): backup value label, legal, range and missing value definitions type comment jump / goto hide topofpage mustenter repeat message (help) key unique Did I miss any ? The core set of check commands will be part of the main recxml file, whereas further specifications will be contained in a separate (chk) file. regards Jens Lauritsen EpiData Association

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EpiData-list
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 01 Jan '10

01 Jan '10

Good Happy Year for EPIDATA ! Thanks to Jens and his team for continuing EpiData development. Two small questions still relevant : - regression line (in or out of scatter plot) : this is very important for the teacher in statistics ++ - true P50 in lifetable : when ? Thank you for your work. Bernard BRANGER, Nantes, France -- J’utilise la version gratuite de SPAMfighter pour utilisateurs privés. Jusqu’à présent SPAMfighter a bloqué 1154 courriels spam. Nous avons en ce moment 6 millions d’utilisateurs de par le monde entier. Les utlisateurs payants n’ont pas ce message. Vous pouvez télécharger la version gratuite: http://www.spamfighter.com/lfr

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EpiData Manager text editor
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 31 Dec '09

31 Dec '09

Thanks to Jens and his team for continuing EpiData development. I think new users would require a text editor which gives the different data formats as EpiData Entry currently does via the field pick list because new users would not be sufficiently familiar to use the correct field formats when using some other text editor. In addition, the editor used in EpiData Entry is a rather nice editor, superior (in my opinion) to Notepad which perhaps most users would otherwise utilise. The Manager seems to have the look and feel of the Windows Epi-Info with the disadvantage in an outbreak situation of a lack of speed of database construction if restricted to function keys and/or mouse clicks while users may also not like having to utilise more than one package to construct a database. ----------------------------------------- ************************************************************************** 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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Re: EpiData-list Digest, Vol 74, Issue 5
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 29 Dec '09

29 Dec '09

Hello Everybody, Thank's for the new release and the great work done. I was wondering if it would be possible to edit qes file as in the previous epidata entry? I think this function is useful to quickly design a new data structure. Best Regards Olivier Hacquet, Paris, France epidata-list-request(a)lists.umanitoba.ca a écrit : > 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. First public test of the EpiData Manager available for Mac, > Linux and Windows (epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:50:30 +0100 > From: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > Subject: [EpiData-list] First public test of the EpiData Manager > available for Mac, Linux and Windows > To: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > Message-ID: <4B2FEDA6.5010608(a)epidata.dk> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > Dear all > > Early October I announced the new XML format and mid November followed > up with a six point strategy. The first part of this is now ready for > testing. > > The overall design of the future EpiData software has now evolved to > this decision: > a. EpiData Manager: data and project manager > b. EpiData Entry Client: data entry client > c. EpiData Analysis: analysis and reporting > (plus epic for some batch operations) > > The products are not ready yet in the new rebuilt versions, but just now > you are welcome to test and comment on the first public test release > version of the EpiData Manager. > > The test release supports operating systems. (Win, Mac, Linux) in 32 and > 64 bit versions. > Please download from: Http://www.epidata.dk/testing.php > > Just download and unzip (un-tar etc) the file, which contains only one > exe file. > > What you can test is: > a read datafiles in supported formats (qes, rec, dta, dbf, csv ..) > look at the dataform created based on the contents of the read file. > b. create a new datastructure from scratch > add fields by clicking on a toolbar or using command keys > c. move fields around with the mouse (does not work in Mac yet) > d. save files in the new recxml file documented on the wiki. See the > testing.php page. > > Please discuss the interface design, implementation and test results in > your opinion on this list. Reproducible errors can be reported to the > bug-reporting database. See the testing.php page. > > Development continues with more aspects. Just using say 15 minutes > should tell you whether the new principle is intuitive or not. > > Meanwhile I am starting a quest for more funding to continue > developments beyond the current plans ending quite soon. Any ideas for > funding or donations are welcomed. It seems to me we should all try to > get funding to secure the current staff (one person plus partial > payments for a few others) for another year before the whole package is > ready for general release as open-source in a sustainable way. The > current test release should work as a "proof of concept" in relation to > the shift and release for several operating systems. > > regards > Jens Lauritsen > EpiData Association > > > > ------------------------------ > > ________________________________________ > EpiData-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/epidata-list > > > End of EpiData-list Digest, Vol 74, Issue 5 > ******************************************* > >

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Epidata Manager exe file not opening
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 29 Dec '09

29 Dec '09

Dear Jens, I wanted to test the new Epidata Manager. The archive when extracted does not open. When I click the exe file the message displayed is as follows; "epidatamanager.exe is not a valid Win32 application" I an using Pentium with Win XP. Any suggsetions / Dr. Shavinder Singh Deptt. Community Medicine,

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