Reference Manual > Windows and dialog boxes > Data view

From the Main window menu [Data] [View data file] is used to view and edit the contents of a data file. This window can also be reached from Data check.

This window has a menu and a status bar

It is used to view data files showing the answers to each question for each questionnaire. To see raw data as the contents of data locations, use Raw data view or Raw CSV file view instead.

For an overview of the facilities available from this window, see User Guide, Handling data, Viewing data.

The body of this window shows a display of a data file contents in a data grid view control. Each questionnaire is a row and each column is an entry (question, filter, variable).

You can select which questionnaires and which entries to show.

When first invoked, it asks for the data file to view and then in background:

•Checks the structure (serial and card) and collates the serial numbers

•Calculates all the filters and variables, and checks all the question data

•Supplemental reject responses are added, where appropriate

If any errors are found then a Data log is displayed with a list of the errors.

IMPORTANT: The data file is not altered until it is saved. Until then only the view has been changed.

Data grid view display

The data is listed in a data grid with a row for each serial and the entries as the columns.

Any questions that had an error during checking are marked. Any rows with one or more errors are also marked.

The answers are shown for each question.

For single-coded questions and variables the response number is shown.

For multi-coded questions and variables the response numbers, separated by a space, are shown.

Filters are shown as check boxes that are checked if the filter definition is true.

You can restrict the rows and columns shown with the [View] menu.

You can sort the viewed data by any column by clicking in the header.

You can output the viewed data (sorted, selected rows and columns) to CSV or Excel spreadsheet format. The Excel output will only work if you have Microsoft Excel installed.

You can see the response texts of the selected responses by clicking in a cell. The responses are shown in the status bar.

There are menu items to alter the widths of all the columns.

There is also a menu item to set the row header contents.

Context menu

You can use the context menu by right clicking a row to request:

•Retrieval of the Call End Information if set by the dialler

•A plain text listing of all displayed entries with and answer, showing the entry name, response number(s), and response text(s)

Data changes

IMPORTANT: You need to set [Edit] [Updating allowed] to alter the data.

The answer to any question (not serial, filter or variable) can be changed by typing in the new value.

If the new answer is accepted, then the whole row is checked and the filters and variables are recalculated. The error marking is redone for this row only.

The checks that are done when changes are made can be selected from the [Checks] menu. There is also a module to recheck the whole file using the chosen checks.

You can choose to clean (force edit) the data by removing faulty answers as it is checked.

You can add new records and you will be asked for the new serial number with Input start.

You can select one or more rows and delete these records.

IMPORTANT: Once a data file has been changed it is locked to other users until it is saved.