- EpiData-list - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Definition of values (comment legal, missingvalue, range ....)
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 12 Dec '04

12 Dec '04

Often when users of EpIData send in files to epidata.dk for help it turns out that chk files are created more complex than actually needed. One example of this: From a chk file (opened in the editor, not in "Add/revise") example: labelblock LABEL label_q01 8 dog 14 Horse 21 "lazy tiger" end end v1 missingvalue 99 comment legal use label_q01 end In this situation only the values 8 14 21 and 99 plus "blank=missing" can be entered. If the v1 block is changed to: v1 mustenter missingvalue 99 comment legal use label_q01 end Only the values 8 14 21 and 99 can be entered. So there would be no reason to test in a "after entry .... end" block like this: 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 One other aspect of this is that sometimes people define the same values in a RANGE and LEGAL and COMMENT LEGAL and MISSINGVALUE Any value should only be in one of these definitions. regards Jens Lauritsen

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Definition of values (comment legal, missingvalue, range ....)
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 12 Dec '04

12 Dec '04

Often when users of EpIData send in files that are giving problems it turns out that the chk files are created more complex than actually needed e.g.: LABEL label_q01 8 dog

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Re: Jumps reset
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 12 Dec '04

12 Dec '04

The command "jumps reset value", e.g. Q14 TOPOFSCREEN JUMPS RESET 9 55 ENDNOTE1 END will do: after entry in field q14 EpiData will check "Is q14 = 55" if so then jump to field endnote1, but before "landing in endnote1" : RESET all numerical variables from Q14 to ENDNOTE1 to missing ("." or ""). and furthermore : RESET 9 : fill all variables from q14 to ENDNOTE1 with as many 9's as the width of each field. That is if you have a field of width 2 the value will be 99, a field of length 10 will be filled with all 9's. So you cannot do: jumps reset 99. Only one digit is allowed, but the variables passed with the jump will get 99 if these fields are of width 2. Regards Jens Lauritsen Initiator and Coordinator of EpiData

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MISSINGVALUE / JUMPS RESET commands
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 09 Dec '04

09 Dec '04

Send the chk + qes file to info(a)epidata.dk and we will check if it is a limit problem or what could be the cause. Also check that you are using most recent version, which is 3.02, but v3.1 is on the test page (www.epidata.dk/testing.php) - we are lacking final. In general it is a good suggestion to partition a study such that each type of data is in a particular file connected with relate. Also if you press F2 twice a small "debug" window will be shown with current file, variable and memory status. This can give further information. E.g. if you are working on the correct folder. Regards Jens Lauritsen Initiator and Coordinator of EpiData

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MISSINGVALUE / JUMPS RESET commands
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 08 Dec '04

08 Dec '04

Hello, I've really enjoyed using EpiData, and I have to say that the application I am creating will be a HUGE improvement over what our data collectors had been using. They're excited to start using EpiData. I am having problems using some check file commands, however. When I use the command "Jumps Reset 99", this code mysteriously disappears from my .chk file without warning after I save and exit. If I use "Jumps Reset 9", it stays. I need to use 99, though, because 9 is a valid code for some of my variables. I am also having trouble using the Missingvalue command. When I type in "MISSINGVALUE 98" in a field, this code will also mysteriously disappear from my .chk file, though not always immediately, like "Jumps Reset 99" does. I have tried using the missingvalue command in the before file block, but I've had no luck with this. I am wondering if the size of my .chk file has anything to do with these problems. I saw in the help file that there is a limit of 64Kb if you work in the editor, but I use the add / revise checks feature so I'm not sure if this affects me. My .chk file is 90Kb, and over 4200 lines long. If I can't use Jumps Reset 99, this will increase the size of my .chk file even further. Besides the above problems, everything is working OK. Any advice that you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Katie Thornton Programmer Institute for Research on Poverty

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Labels in stata after export from epidata
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 07 Dec '04

07 Dec '04

Correct. Thanks! However, in order for the value label to work properly in Stata, it seems that the value label must be written in ascending order, i.e. 0 No_Adjuv 1 Adjuv not the other way around. Halvor Sommerfelt At 00:28 07.12.2004 +0100, you wrote: >Most likely the problem is a Stata matter of how labels are shown in the >data browser > >Try in stata: >use xxxxxxxx (your file) >d >* check the formats >* set format for the variable with problems : >format %9.0g x (assume name is x) >browse > >Works here for me. If the display format is too narrow for a given >variable, then the label is not showing correctly in browse, but does show >correctly at : >label list >or >tab >or >freq >of that variable. > >If you still have problems send the rec+chk file as an attachment to >info(a)epidata.dk or indicate adress for download. > >regards > >-- >Jens Lauritsen >Coordinator and initiator of EpiData Project >http://www.epidata.dk > > >_______________________________________________ >EpiData-list mailing list >EpiData-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca >http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/epidata-list

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Re: labels in stata after export from epidata
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 06 Dec '04

06 Dec '04

Most likely the problem is a Stata matter of how labels are shown in the data browser Try in stata: use xxxxxxxx (your file) d * check the formats * set format for the variable with problems : format %9.0g x (assume name is x) browse Works here for me. If the display format is too narrow for a given variable, then the label is not showing correctly in browse, but does show correctly at : label list or tab or freq of that variable. If you still have problems send the rec+chk file as an attachment to info(a)epidata.dk or indicate adress for download. regards -- Jens Lauritsen Coordinator and initiator of EpiData Project http://www.epidata.dk

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Problems with variable labels after transferring data from Epidata to Stata
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 06 Dec '04

06 Dec '04

Hi: I'm a newcomer to Epidata and am holding a course on Data entry and analysis for our Masters students this week. I have a problem in that variable labels that seem to work well in Epidata 3.02 are not maintained properly after exporting the data to Stata. It works fine when exporting to SPSS. The pictures under http://www.cih.uib.no/presentations/hsommerfelt/EpidataLabels.JPG illustrate the problem. I would greatly appreciate advice on how to solve the problem. Yours sincerely Professor Halvor Sommerfelt, MD, PhD, DTM, Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Armauer Hansen Building, N-5021 Bergen, Norway Ph: +47 5597 4987 Fax: +47 5597 4979 http://www.cih.uib.no

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RE: STATA labels
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 30 Nov '04

30 Nov '04

Jens Thanks what you advise does fix the problem. However even if the uncompressed STATA file is used and Epidata wants 1.000 in stead of 1, 1.000 is stillnot recognised as a legal value, if you put in 1.000 it says illegal entry. However the whole problem is circumvented when compressing the file as you suggest. Thanks paul Rheeder -----Original Message----- From: epidata-list-bounces(a)lists.umanitoba.ca [mailto:epidata-list-bounces@lists.umanitoba.ca]On Behalf Of epidata-list-request(a)lists.umanitoba.ca Sent: 30 November 2004 20:03 To: epidata-list(a)lists.umanitoba.ca Subject: EpiData-list Digest, Vol 13, Issue 9 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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Importing from Stata - problems with labels and comment legal
by epidata-list＠lists.umanitoba.ca 30 Nov '04

30 Nov '04

The reason for problems of importing Stata files with defined value labels can be that in Stata one can attach a label like: 1 female 2 male to a real variable. e.g. #.#### But in EpiData this would mean that the legal value should be: 1.0000 female 2.0000 male So to avoid this before saving the data file in Stata do this: a. read the file (use yourfile) b. compact the file (compress) c. save the file (save newfile) Then you can import the file into epidata and use the labels as defined with 1 for female and 2 for male. Alternatively you can import the first file into EpiData and then make a qes file from the recfile and remove the decimals from that variable. regards Jens Lauritsen The EpiData Association, (EpiData Foreningen)

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