November 2005 - EpiData-list - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

string variables
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 16 Nov '05

16 Nov '05

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new to epidata: 2 questions
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 15 Nov '05

15 Nov '05

I'm fairly new to Epidata and have a couple of questions: 1 In the file manager, the check file I've created has "recovered file fragments" as the file type. Is that correct? 2 I've discovered I need to delete a number of variables from the data file. This seems straightforward since I can simply delete them from the .qes file and they will be deleted from the .rec file. What happens to the .chk file when I open the new .rec file with deleted variables? Will Epidata revise the .chk file by deleting the checks for variables that no longer exist? Many thanks for any help. Richard Herrell NIMH --------------------------------- Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

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EpiData Entry and EpiC - new build/release (14nov2005)
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 15 Nov '05

15 Nov '05

(141105): Bug fix and modifications to EpiData Entry has been released for all languages: * o New startup parameter /FINDvarname=text e.g. EpiData.exe mydata.rec /FINDid=45 would start epidata.exe, look for number 45 in field id. If not found then add a new record and put the value 45 into field id. o If EpiDatastat.exe is found in same folder as EpiData.exe, then show tools with Analysis. o Adding of verified End Of Record status marker ^ (verified) in double entry o Bugfixes: Find-record did not respect filter AutoSearch error fixed (affected if same value as last record was entered) Save Record will not save an empty record Type statusbar error when autosearch and type statusbar was in same field Double Entry could not save records marked for deletion * In the next few days we will further check on the reported errors with double entry (lack of moving to new records) Kind regards Jens Lauritsen EpiData Association

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Version 1.1 of Analysis ready for testing
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 14 Nov '05

14 Nov '05

V1.1 of analysis is ready for testing. Major news is: * Modified Output file principle - default file will open on start of programme * New commands o aggregate (abbreviation agg) - create aggregated statistics o stattables (abbreviation stattab) - tabulate aggregated statistics o label variables (label "text" ) * Modifications to set o "Set window font size" defines size of "F3/F2/F7" windows on right side of screen o "Set editor font size" defines size of font in editor o "Set graph colour" defines bar chart colouring (default value: 123456) o Variable label addition to tables, graphs etc. controlled with "set var label" and "set var name" * Modified Commands o SPC charts: Test1 modified for Run Charts o SPC charts: Missing in count variable allowed o temporary select "if" must be placed at the end of a command except: select and count "if" must follow select/count o Variable label added to frequency tables o Link to introduction pdf file added to help menu o Right mouse click on variable (F3 window) shows all variable definitions o Default colouring of bar charts: Each bar separate colour o Graphs addition of Y axis text: /Ytext= and /Xtext= (default is variable label of x-variable) * Bugs fixed: o error with parsing of if command - which could replace data o Means group error with one observation in a group Please see all changes on: http://www.epidata.dk/analysisinfo/docs/versioninfo.htm The stattables / aggregate command will produce summary statistics based on grouping of the dataset and optionally save the results as a file or shift from current file to the aggregated file. A number of statistics are available, see command reference for further information. For Epi Info v6 users the Stattables is a replacement for the sumfreq and sumtab command. regards Jens Lauritsen

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RE: [EpiData-list] Reserved words
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 04 Nov '05

04 Nov '05

there must be a misunderstanding. i said that when EpiAnalysis encountered the reserve word DATE in the .REC database there was no error message provided. all Analysis did was stop functioning properly. countless hours of searching for the problem and seeking assistance from others would have been avoided if Analysis had provided an error message about reserve words. thanks for the info on screen format. i eventually used the editor in EpiAnalysis and kept everything to the left of the shaded 80 column line provided....just another way. -----Original Message----- From: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca [mailto:epidata-list@lists.umanitoba.ca] Sent: Fri 11/4/2005 2:23 AM To: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca Cc: Subject: [EpiData-list] Reserved words and a warning on using "if constructs" 1)A member commented on the use of date as a reserved word and the use of chk and dbf files. CHK files are only read with REC files. If you read CSV (delimited files) or DBF files no CHK file of the same name as the csv or dbf file will be used. If you wish to add labels (comment legal) for data in dbf or csv files then do: read myfile.dbf savedata xname * create a chk file with the name xname.chk read xname // obviously any name can be used xname is just an example On the topic of reserved names it is difficult because so many different languages exist. But in general do not use names of functions. E.g. avoid year, date and month use instead Y, d , m or vyear vdate vmonth 2. Using if the use of temporary select is a strong facility, e.g.: count if age > 50 tab sex agegrp if HbA1c > 6 tab sex agegrp if Country = 1 but currently DO NOT USE IF in combination with options for any command, e.g.: tab sex agegrp /Missing if Country = 1 this would be read as: tab sex agegrp /Missing Country = 1 meaning that all data was recoded for variable country. With next release this will be fixed. A new build is on the way fixing this and the other known (few) bugs. But I wish to finalize the aggregate (summary output statistics) command first. 3. Screen fonts in EpiData dataentry can be defined with options and a combination of the use of @ and blanks. See the help file. Screen fonts in analysis are defined with the "Set viewer font name", see the documentation on output formats installed with the programme. Regards Jens Lauritsen EpiData Association

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Reserved words and a warning on using "if constructs"
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 04 Nov '05

04 Nov '05

1)A member commented on the use of date as a reserved word and the use of chk and dbf files. CHK files are only read with REC files. If you read CSV (delimited files) or DBF files no CHK file of the same name as the csv or dbf file will be used. If you wish to add labels (comment legal) for data in dbf or csv files then do: read myfile.dbf savedata xname * create a chk file with the name xname.chk read xname // obviously any name can be used xname is just an example On the topic of reserved names it is difficult because so many different languages exist. But in general do not use names of functions. E.g. avoid year, date and month use instead Y, d , m or vyear vdate vmonth 2. Using if the use of temporary select is a strong facility, e.g.: count if age > 50 tab sex agegrp if HbA1c > 6 tab sex agegrp if Country = 1 but currently DO NOT USE IF in combination with options for any command, e.g.: tab sex agegrp /Missing if Country = 1 this would be read as: tab sex agegrp /Missing Country = 1 meaning that all data was recoded for variable country. With next release this will be fixed. A new build is on the way fixing this and the other known (few) bugs. But I wish to finalize the aggregate (summary output statistics) command first. 3. Screen fonts in EpiData dataentry can be defined with options and a combination of the use of @ and blanks. See the help file. Screen fonts in analysis are defined with the "Set viewer font name", see the documentation on output formats installed with the programme. Regards Jens Lauritsen EpiData Association

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EpiData editor, set tables
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 03 Nov '05

03 Nov '05

greetings. (1)the problem with the set command NOT working was because when the .DBF data set was imported and then saved as a .REC the 'new' data set contained the var. name DATE. EpiDataStat went crazy, sorta. no error message about reserved words or anything so helpful. so, it wasn't the .CHK constuct. (2) how does one control the EpiData editor? i spent considerable time creating a data collection instrument and the result was less than desirable when trying to print the form either at Data Entry or from the editor. so there must be something in the fine print which i haven't seen. how to get it to wrap at 80 cols., what about type size, etc. page length etc. thanks

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