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

New EpiData Analysis b170 uploaded
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 23 Aug '09

23 Aug '09

Public Release Version *2.2.1* build 170 - Aug 23th 2009 * Extended o Histogram Now groups data into bins. o /CLOSE added to Generate command. o Added: /FONTSIZE and /SUBFOOT added to graph commands. * Bugs fixed o Removed Sigma3 from legend in runchart command. o Freq sorted incorrectly by default, and using /SA or /SD. o Variable name with "if" in, cause pre-processor to incorrectly insert "set option" text the wrong place. o Labelvalue command gave no error with incorrect construction. o Use of /W in tables command deleted wrong variable in some instances regards Jens Lauritsen EpiData Association

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Emulating check boxes in Epidata Entry
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 20 Aug '09

20 Aug '09

I have been working on a data entry form that was previously in Access. It has a lot of check box fields in Access (boolean fields that are represented on the screen by a box that alternates between being checked (true) and empty (false) when clicked. There is a way to do this in Epidata, which can be useful when presenting a long list of symptoms/signs or exposures to be completed. The trick to doing this is to create Yes/No fields that cannot be entered using the tab or cursor keys. They can, however, be entered using the mouse. In this example, clicking in one of these fields will toggle the value of the field between "Y" and missing. Perhaps others will find this useful. Jamie Hockin 11 1 VLAB _label1 1 1 30 0 0 0 0 112 Emulate check boxes #id 1 3 30 4 3 12 5 112 id #age 1 5 30 5 5 0 2 112 age _sex 1 6 30 5 6 3 1 112 sex _label2 1 8 30 0 0 0 0 112 Check as many boxes as you want _a 1 10 30 3 10 5 1 112 a _b 6 10 30 9 10 5 1 112 b _c 12 10 30 15 10 5 1 112 c #xnotused 1 12 30 10 12 0 1 112 xnotused #action 1 14 30 8 14 0 1 112 action _label3 9 14 30 0 0 0 0 112 Anything to finish up 1 12M Y ! 2 11FY Y ! 3 10MYY ! * Emulate check boxes age range 0 99 end sex comment legal M Male F Female end * this is the last field before the check boxes * jump to the field beyond the check boxes goto action end * this is a checkbox field that can only be entered * by clicking the cursor * If Epidata gets to this field, it must be that the * user has clicked in the field. This means that the * value of the field is toggled between Y and missing. * Note that any other cycle of changes is possible * Y to N to Y, Y to N to blank to Y, etc * Just program the nested if ... then ... endif blocks * These blocks MUST be NESTED and not sequential. a before entry if a = "Y" then a = . else if a = . then a = "Y" endif endif goto action end end b before entry if b = "Y" then b = . else if b = . then b = "Y" endif endif goto action end end c before entry if c = "Y" then c = . else if c = . then c = "Y" endif endif goto action end end * This field is used to block going to field c * with the cursor. Cursor UP from field ACTION will * come here and immediately go back to field ACTION xnotused before entry goto action end end Emulate check boxes id <idnum> age ## sex <A> Check as many boxes as you want a <Y> b <Y> c <Y> xnotused # action # Anything to finish up

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Out of the office
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 20 Aug '09

20 Aug '09

I will be out of the office starting 2009-08-19 and will not return until 2009-08-31. Though I will have access to email and will try to respond to correspondence, for urgent CFEP matters please contact Gisele Jolicoeur at 613-941-0709.

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Trouble in export to SAS
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 20 Aug '09

20 Aug '09

Hello for my first post, In .recfile I had a numeric variable X like /_##_/ In SAS program I get .../... /INPUT X _1_/ etc... .../... that implies in the SAS table a variable like . (missing variable). On correcting with _/1-2/_, it works. Thanks for explanation. best regards, D

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Status on EpiData developments (August 2009)
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 10 Aug '09

10 Aug '09

Dear all During the most recent year development has been focused on SPC methods in Analysis (SPC: Statistical Process Control graphs and analysis), but also directed towards the longer sustainability issue of converting all EpiData Software to Open-Source and a unified approach, including a new principle of translation (not put into practice yet). Such that regardless of variety (Entry, Analysis, EpiC) the same function will do the same. The other aspect is to run on several operating systems (linux, windows, Mac). A major break through in this respect was reached upon release of the first test version for Linux and Windows in May/June this year. In the near future (weeks/days) two aspects will become visible: a. Minor update of EpiData Analysis with key reported problems such as: Histograms (are essentially bar graphs until now), Parsing of varible names containing "if", Setting font size in graphs via dialogs b. Next step in the core project, where users can test the future "engine". The current and next release allows reading and writing of text files, including "intelligent" guessing of variable format. A new aspect is that decimal separator can be defined by the user. With a bit of luck also a Mac variant of the core module will appear in a few weeks (if no major problem shows up). The principle now is that known problems mainly are solved in the core project rather than a temporary solution in e.g. Analysis. The coming phases of development are expected to be: A - getting to the point where translation can be applied (the principle is visible - but not implemented fully at: epidata.info/asger3) - rewriting EpiC to use the core module - develop a batch testing principle for reading and writing files B - Inclusion of the new core in Analysis C - Development of a GCP/FDA part 11/EMEA (Good Clinical practice for US and EU officially approved data entry) compliant data-entry client. The GCP principles will follow guidelines as shown on the European Clinical Network research ECRIN - page and published by an international working group in which I was a member, see http://www.ecrin.org - publications and find: GCP-compliant data management in multinational clinical trials. ECRIN-2, Deliverable D10, Version 1, 15 September 2008. In between these aspects some further development of Analysis and other products (Entry and EpiC) will take place, but focus will be on getting it all together on the new core to ensure sustainable development. Actually the current year marks a decade since first relase of EpiData Software and the autumn might contain special activities to celebrate this. I should mention that the project as a whole could not have been completed without the efforts of donors, the user base, the critical input, the specific work of people involved (see www.epidata.dk/credit.htm) . In particular for the rewriting focused donations from a number of institutions mentioned on the www.epidata.dk/funding.htm page has been essential. Such that full time employed Torsten Christiansen has been extended beyond the first year to a full two year period. Without the skillful efforts of Torsten in the first year leading to funding for a second year the whole rewriting would not be possible. I could also add, that without the thorough programming efforts by Michael Bruus in Entry and EpiC in the first ten years the rewriting would also not be possible in a two year period. The coming year again seems to give the EpiData Society as a whole (users and developers) another fruitful season. Warm Regards to all Jens Lauritsen Coordinator and initiator of EpiData Project http://www.epidata.dk

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Access violation
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 07 Aug '09

07 Aug '09

Hello, I created a data entry system for a project which includes five relational databases. When we open EpiData and choose "enter data" all of the screens open, but we get the following message: Access violation at address 00464077. Write of address 0000000C I will appreciate any help I can get on this issue. Thanks, Regina Harders

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date field: check fails
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 07 Aug '09

07 Aug '09

Dear all, I'm just starting to use epidata entry so I have probably overlooked something. Any pointers are appreciated! I defined a date field as follows in the .qes file: DOB date of birth <dd/mm/yyyy> in the .rec file I added the following sanity check: DOB MUSTENTER AFTER ENTRY IF ((year(DOB) < 1900) OR (DOB > TODAY)) THEN HELP "This date is not allowed" TYPE=ERROR CLEAR DOB GOTO DOB ENDIF END END Most of the time the field behaves as I expect it to: dates in the future or far in the past are not allowed. However, the following typo gets accepted without triggering an error: 05/08/20001. Adding an extra trailing zero (05/08/200010) results in a prompt conversion to 05/08/3402, and the sanity check works again. Some experimentation seems to confirm that values between 20000 and 20099 are accepted as valid for year, bigger values trigger either my check or are converted to some weird value, again triggering the check. How can I prevent this from happening? thanks in advance, Peter version info: epidata v3.1 (270108), on windows XP.

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