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trouble with lookup file

Posted: August 30th, 2015, 6:54 pm
by willt_uga
Hello,

I'm developing a CAPI application for CSEntry on Android, and we would like to key on a household ID to bring in some data from a previously collected dataset on the same households.

I understand just fine in principle how to create a dictionary associated with an external data file and use the loadcase function to access variables from the data file. However, the lookup data dictionary does not correctly read the associated data file.

Specifically, the data file contains three columns: a 7 digit household ID, a string with the head of household's name, and a binary variable indicating treatment/control group. No matter how I format the data file (i.e. tab delimited text, comma delimited text, .dat, .prn), the dictionary appends the treatment variable to the name variable, leaving the treatment variable empty.

Any ideas what I may be doing wrong?

Thanks,
WMT

Re: trouble with lookup file

Posted: August 31st, 2015, 9:11 am
by willt_uga
Nevermind, I worked it out. Found the help file for importing data and went through it carefully. I think the problem was that I wasn't setting the length in the data dictionary to equal the column widths in excel. Also, I needed to leave type value blank.

WMT

Re: trouble with lookup file

Posted: September 1st, 2015, 10:59 am
by josh
In the future you may want to try the Excel2CSPro tool that is available as of CSPro version 6.1. It simplifies the process of making lookup files.

Re: trouble with lookup file

Posted: September 1st, 2015, 11:03 am
by willt_uga
I just discovered it, after many hours banging my head against the wall. Thanks, Josh.