Special usage types
There are some special types of variables that need to have their usage type defined in order for UNICOM Intelligence products to recognize their special usage. For example, when you define fields for use as filters and weights, you need to define the usage type as Filter and Weight, respectively, in order for them to be recognized as filter and weighting variables in UNICOM Intelligence Reporter.
Syntax
Specify the usage type at the end of a Long, Double, Text, Date, Boolean, or Categorical question as follows:
usagetype ( "<usage-type-value> (, <usage-type-value> )* " )
Parameters
<usage-type-value> defines the usage type and can be any of the values shown below.
Filter
Applies to fields of type: Boolean
Filter variables define an expression to be used as a filter, typically for use during analysis.
Weight
Applies to fields of type: Numeric
Weighting variables are used to weight the data during analysis. If the weighting is to be defined using the UNICOM Intelligence Professional Weight component, the field must be of type double.
Multiplier
Applies to fields of type: Numeric
A multiplier variable is a special type of helper variable that is used to store numeric data that is associated with a category. By default, UNICOM Intelligence Reporter and the UNICOM Intelligence Professional Tables option will increment the cell count for a category by one for each respondent. However, if a multiplier variable has been defined, the value of that variable will be used as the increment. A multiplier variable is created automatically when you use the
multiplier keyword on a category. This means that you do not need to set this usage type explicitly. See
Categorical for more information.
Coding
Applies to fields of type: Categorical
Coding variables store the responses to open-ended questions after they have been sorted into categories. They are also used to define special responses for questions. Coding variables are created automatically when you use the
codes keyword and you do not need to set this usage type explicitly. See
Text for more information.
SourceFile
Applies to fields of type: Text
Source file variables are used to store the name of a file that contains an image or a recording of a question response (such as a .TIFF file containing a scanned image of a hand-written response, or a sound file that contains a recording of an open-ended response in a Quancept CATI interview).
OtherSpecify
Applies to fields of type: Text
Other Specify variables store the open-ended responses to Other Specify categories. An Other Specify variable is created automatically when you use the
other keyword on a category. This means that you do not need to set this usage type explicitly. See
Categorical for more information.
HelperField
Applies to fields of type: Any type
Helper field variables store additional information for a question, such as the responses to an Other Specify category. Helper fields are sometimes referred to as helper variables. Generally, you do not need to set this usage type, because it is set automatically when you use the
helperfields syntax. See
Helper variables for more information.
Examples
This example creates a double variable called Weight and sets the usage type to Weight to define it as a weighting variable:
Weight "Weighting variable" double usagetype("Weight");
The next example creates a Boolean derived variable and sets the usage type to Filter to define it as a filter variable:
YoungWomen "Young women filter" boolean
expression ("Gender = {Female} And Age * {Y11_16, Y17-20, Y21_24, Y25_34}")
usagetype ("Filter");
For examples of setting the usage type on helper variables, see
Helper variables.
See