epidata-list@lists.umanitoba.ca 25-05-2005 16:59:11 >>>
Why is this necessary? I see "LION", upper case and delineated with " ". Thanks, Kelly Because assigning this : if recnumber = 2 then animal = "LION" to a stringvariable of length 10 gets the value: "LION " not the value "LION"
Computers are stupid and the designer makes the choices. My choice is that "LION " is different than "LION"
Someone would argue that we should always use the trimmed value of string variables, such that "LION " is the same as "LION" but this would give the user a problem if he/she wanted to compare the full length string.
The strategy of EpiData for as well data entry as the coming release of analysis is that we make as few decisions as possible and let the end user decide.
This is in contrast to other software developers who often impose new and changed strategies and changed ways of doing things on the users (Who is then forced to keep upgrading and learning new ways of doing what they could do with the old principle).
EpiData tries NOT to invent new ways of doing things, but stick to the well founded principles of Epi6 (with appropriate extensions for those who wish to use the new principles of further documentation).
Regards
Jens Lauritsen Initiator of EpiData Coordinator EpiData Association