This describes the body (most of) the Entry details window when looking at a variable entry.
This window enables you to create or amend a variable, using the following tabs:
Variable tab
This tab has the basic information about the variable entry:
Name
The variable name is used to identify the entry, see Entry name rules.
It is usually also shown with the text in reports.
You cannot change the name for an existing entry, use Entry rename from the Main window menu instead.
Type
The type of answer, see Variable types.
For CATI
In CATI projects you can specify that this question is a:
•Sample point entry - used to control which sample records are to be selected
•Quota point entry - used to stop interviewing when a specified number of interviews have been completed for each response.
Ignore case when testing characters
If this is set then the case (upper, lower, or mixed) is ignored when testing character questions. For example, "$title/'MR'" will be true if title is MR, mr, or Mr.
Allow forward references
This setting stops error messages for references to entries that are after this variable in the project.
This is sometimes needed in randomised sets of questions to enable it to look all the randomised entries including later ones that may be moved during input to before this entry. Any entries referred to that have not been reached yet will be empty (blank).
Structure and data locations
Depending on the question type selected:
•Width (number of data locations)
•Max responses allowed (for multi-coded)
•Decimal places (for float)
•First data location
Text
This describes the contents. See Entry rules, Text rules.
Arithmetic
For integer and float variables a user control is used to define the arithmetic definition and the text for the variable.
See the separate section for a description of an Arithmetic user control.
Responses
For convenience the responses to single-coded and multi-coded variables are shown on this tab. Clicking in this response list will switch the view to the "Responses" tab where responses can be added and altered.
Filters tab
This tab has a list of the filters applied to the variable, see User Guide, Project definition, Filters, Applying a filter for more details.
Response filters cannot be applied to a variable.
You can set a base text (filter description) to use if more than one question filter is applied. For analysis this text will be used instead of the text in the filters applied to the entry.
The toolbar and context menu enable you to:
to:
Apply a filter to the whole entry with Entry choose.
Apply a negative (NOT) filter to the whole entry with Entry choose.
Select all the applied filters.
Cut selected applied filters to clipboard.
Copy selected applied filters to clipboard.
Paste applied filters from clipboard.
You can also drag entries from the main window and drop them into the list. This will add them to any filters already present.
If all the applications are selected then copy (and paste) will also copy the base text.
If more than one filter is applied, they are sorted into entry sequence order.
Responses tab
This tab has the response list for a variable. For a description of a response see User Guide, Project components, Responses.
The toolbar and context menu enables you to:
Add a block of responses after the selected response using Responses add.
Insert a new response after the selected response.
Insert a new response before the selected response.
Reserve responses at the end of the response list.
Select all the responses.
Cut selected responses to clipboard.
Copy selected responses to clipboard.
Paste responses from clipboard after the response with focus.
To move all selected responses one space up the list of responses.
To move all selected responses one space down the list of responses.
Select the first response in the response list.
Select the response above the currently selected response (previous).
Select the response below the currently selected response (next).
Select the last response in the response list.
Make all selected responses false.
Response settings for selected response
Response logic definitions and the response texts are defined with a Logic definition user control which is described in a separate user control section.
Shortcut settings for responses
There are shortcut buttons to make a (usually newly added) response:
•F "false" which will be empty (no records)
•T "true" into which all respondents (who pass any filter) will go
•S "sum" to make this response the sum of the previous responses when used as the rows of a table
•R "reject" to include any records not otherwise included in the definition
IMPORTANT: R "reject" should only be used as the last response.
Analysis settings for selected responses
Individual responses can have analysis settings for reports including a score value for use in mean score calculations. These are allocated using the "Analysis settings" tool window.
You can view the "Response analysis settings" tool window from the Entry details window menu or toolbar. The tool window remains open until you close it and can be used to change the analysis settings for all the responses highlighted for questions and variables.