Setting the population level

Understanding population levels shows the implication of populating tables at different levels when you are working with the hierarchical view. This topic explains more about the default population level and how to change the population level.

You set the population level for a table by selecting the required level from the Possible Levels list in the Select Level dialog box. You open this dialog box by clicking Edit Level on the Advanced view of the Define tab.

The list contains the names of the valid levels for your table and provides an option to select the default level. The name of the top level is always Top and the names of the lower levels are the same as the names of the corresponding loops.

This is the level at which a table is populated when you do not explicitly specify the population level. The default level depends on the level of any filters and of all of the variables that are in the table (including any numeric variables included in the cell contents):

▪If all of the filters and variables are at the same level, the default level is the level of the variables.

▪If all of the variables and filters are at levels that are direct descendents of each other, the default level is the level of the lowest-level variable or filter.

▪If some or all of the variables or filters are at parallel levels (levels that are not direct descendents of each other), the default level is the first common parent level. (For an example that illustrates this, see Tabulating variables from different “parallel” levels.)

Note that the default level is slightly different when a grid or loop slice is being used. See Grid and loop slices for more information.

To illustrate this, create the first seven tables shown in Understanding population levels:

1 Start UNICOM Intelligence Reporter - Survey Tabulation using the Household sample data set. See Sample data for more information.

2 On the Preferences tab, click the Modify button that is just above the list of cell contents.

3 In the Modify Cell Items dialog box, remove the Column Percentages item and click OK.

4 From the menu at the top of the Preferences tab, choose Set as Default.

6 Create the first table by adding the HouseType variable to the side axis and the Region variable to the Top axis.

7 Create the second table by expanding the Person loop and then adding the Occupation variable to the side axis and the Gender variable to the Top axis.

8 Create a third table that is identical to the second table, but this time change the level to the household (Top) level: click Advanced View; click Edit Level; and then select Top from the list.

9 Create the fourth table by expanding the Trip loop (which is inside the Person loop) and then adding the Country variable to the side axis and the Purpose variable to the Top axis.

10 Create a fifth table that is identical to the fourth table, but this time change the level to Person.

11 Create the sixth table by expanding the Person loop and adding the Gender variable to the side axis and then expanding the Trip loop and adding the Purpose variable to the Top axis.

12 Create a seventh table that is identical to the sixth table, but this time change the level to Person.

Notice that you set the population level for tables 3, 5, and 7. For all of the other tables, you used the default level:

▪Table 1 has two top-level variables only, so the default level is the top level.

▪Table 2 has two person-level variables only, so the default level is the person level.

▪Table 4 has two trip-level variables only, so the default level is the trip level.

▪Table 6 has one person-level variable and one trip-level variable. The trip level is a child of the person level, so the default level is the trip level.

Note You can use the Level field to show the population level in a header or footer. This is shown in the right header position by default. See Header and footer fields for more information.