- EpiData-list - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Error message
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 27 Dec '04

27 Dec '04

Hello! I tried to run a REC file, I was getting this error message: "The field definition in line 593 could not be read or interpreted" This does not show when I "preview" the QES file. The field mentionned above is a number field (##).Everything looks ok for me. Any tips? Thank you in advance! Happy & Safe 2005! /Ziad -- Ziad El-Khatib Clinical Cancer Epidemiology Z5:01, Karolinska Institutet 17 176 Stockholm Sweden Telephone: +46-8-517 72 946 Fax: +46-8-517 79 621 Mobile: +46-73-776 48 59

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Troubleshooting data file error message
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 20 Dec '04

20 Dec '04

The first thing to do when getting messages such as "Error in the data file <filename>" Would be to check if the latest backup copy you made gives the same answer (I assume everyone are taking regular backups). If you have no backup copy of the file in question and you have exported the data to SAS, just make SAS save the file as a delimited file and get it back via the qes file, which you have hopefully a copy of. An error often occurring is that users are saving other filetypes on top of data due to Windows NOT showing complete file name, but excluding extensions. Therefore one can by mistake think that there "save as .not file " (e.g. yourfile.not), but it was actually a .rec file (e.g. yourfile.rec). To exclude that possibility set up your windows to always show extensions for all types, also known files. Ask someone if you do not know how to- it is an option in explorer for folders. regards Jens Lauritsen EpiData initiator and coordinator.

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EpiData Analysis v0.9 build 16 released
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 17 Dec '04

17 Dec '04

Build 16 of analysis has been uploaded. Added or modified update shows which values are changed with if statements. if started with a pgm file, that file will be executed. internal representation of float variable changed from double to extended Testsystem improved (e.g. try startnist.pgm) Bug removal and modification: String variables of length 1 are saved correctly negative values in result variables fixed lre() function corrected for negative values Calculation of 10,25,75 and 90 percentiles corrected recode function corrected to include limits btw. groups Various interface problems Adapted Commands.htm and Howto.htm file. Download from Http://www.epidata.dk/testing.php Remaining issues before release as v1 are: Implementing a system to handle incorrect data when reading (e.g. years like 0203) Some aspects of reading dbf files - report errors. Table command - simplifying output for stratified tables Printing can be a problem accross printers - report problems. Defining Boolean variables impossible (<Y>) due to interference with html language, use integer instead. But for many standard types of analysis and basic graphs it works quite well. Regards Jens Lauritsen Coordinator and initiator of EpiData EpiData Association, Odense, Denmark

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Re: EpiData-list Digest, Vol 14, Issue 8 (Out of office)
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 17 Dec '04

17 Dec '04

I will be back at my desk on Tuesday 22/12/2004 morning. Until then I will have little opportunity to access my E-mail. Anything regarding the: Inter-Agency EMERGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH FORUM Please send your message again to interagency(a)lshtm.ac.uk If there is anything other requiring urgent attention, please contact: Rebecca.Collins(a)lshtm.ac.uk +44 020 7927 22 14 or Rachel.Clarke(a)lshtm.ac.uk +44 020 7927 22 14 Kind regards Kristof >>> epidata-list 12/17/04 18:20 >>> 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..."

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Troubleshooting data file error message
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 17 Dec '04

17 Dec '04

I am a new user of EpiData and I have successfully created data files and exported to SAS for analysis. One of the .rec files I recently created will not open and I get the following error message: Error in the data file <filename> The field definition in line 3 could not be read or interpreted. Any advice on how to correct this problem is appreciated.

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FW: [EpiData-list] EpiData guideline - released for testing
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 14 Dec '04

14 Dec '04

Dear Ziad, Could you please email me a copy? - My email address is NWilson(a)iuatld.org. Thanks and regards Nevin Dr.Nevin Wilson, M.B., B.S., Junior TB Consultant International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) 68, Boulevard Saint-Michel 75006 Paris, France Mobile : +91 94430 26848 Tele/Fax: +91 4262 266022 email: NWilson(a)iuatld.org website: www.iuatld.org -----Original Message----- From: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca [mailto:epidata-list@lists.umanitoba.ca] Sent: Friday, November 26, 2004 1:15 PM To: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca Subject: [EpiData-list] EpiData guideline - released for testing Hello! The file is done now and I am sending it to test it. If someone is interested to have a copy, please write me back with your email address so I can email it to you (it is around 5.5Mb size) in PDF format. It is free for distribution as well! And anyone is welcome to write back with questions and/or suggestions! Note: I have intention to go further in guidelines development in case there is interest and fund (maybe?) to keep the work on? Best regards! /Ziad Karolinska Institute Stockholm - Sweden

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Avoiding "jumps reset 9" in string fields.
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 13 Dec '04

13 Dec '04

To handle "jumps reset 9" for string fields this would have to be settled after the values are filled in. That is if the jump is to field "endnote1", then there could be a endnote1 before entry >IF (Q14=55) THEN > CLEAR Q15B > CLEAR Q16B >ENDIF end end Jens M. Lauritsen The EpiData Association, ps. The list does not disclose users e-mail adresses to minimise spam. If someone wishes to have direct comments you must add the e-mail directly in the text - as some did yesterday, but I suggest to do it in a way spam systems will not (should not) catch, e.g. "info at epidata.dk" that is put " at " instead of @

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New introductory guide to EpIData
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 13 Dec '04

13 Dec '04

Ziad has sent me the pdf file of the notes for distribution. Look on Http://www.epidata.dk/documentation.php for downloading. The e-mail for correspondance to ZIAD is placed on the frontpage of the note. Thanks for the contribution. Jens M. Lauritsen, Consultant,MD. PhD. The EpiData Association,

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Definition of Values, Jumps Reset
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 13 Dec '04

13 Dec '04

Jens, Thank you very much for your help. From reading the help file, I didn't realize that "JUMPS RESET 9" would actually fill in each variable with the full length. That actually works better for me. Is there anyway that I can reset only my numeric values to 9? I would prefer to keep my char variables clear when they're skipped. I tried writing: IF (Q14=55) THEN CLEAR Q15B CLEAR Q16B ENDIF I thought this might overwrite the "JUMPS RESET" for those variables, but it didn't work that way. Is there any other way to do this, aside from writing a bit of code (Q15A=99, CLEAR Q15B, etc...) for each variable between Q14 and ENDNOTE1? Also, regarding the message "Definition of values (comment legal, missingvalue, range ...)": In my program, I have code like in your example: v1 mustenter missingvalue 99 comment legal use label_q01 after entry if (v1 <> 8) and (v1 <> 14) and (v1 <> 21) and (v1 <> 99) then help "Wrong value entered" goto v1 endif end end The reason I did this is because I wanted the users to be able to override the legal values if they felt it was necessary to type in something other than 8, 14, 21, or 99 -- sometimes valid codes are added to our variables. Yet I wanted the users to still get a warning if they didn't use one of the legal values. I also had to add "range -9 99" in order for this to work with "comment legal use". As far as I understand, users cannot override legal values or range values. Please correct me if I am wrong. As a result, I stay away from using legal and range in my EpiData programs, unless I want to have value labels. While the after entry block above is seemingly unnecessary, it at least allows the user to click in the next appropriate field with their mouse and force the program to accept the value. Thank you, Katie Thornton Programmer Institute for Research on Poverty

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EpiData guideline - released for testing
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 13 Dec '04

13 Dec '04

Hello! The file is done now and I am sending it to test it. If someone is interested to have a copy, please write me back with your email address so I can email it to you (it is around 5.5Mb size) in PDF format. It is free for distribution as well! And anyone is welcome to write back with questions and/or suggestions! Note: I have intention to go further in guidelines development in case there is interest and fund (maybe?) to keep the work on? Best regards! /Ziad Karolinska Institute Stockholm - Sweden

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