Card, column, and punch definitions

This topic summarizes the custom properties that are used for storing card and column information. The custom properties are stored in the DataSourceProperties collections on the Document, VariableInstance, and ElementInstance objects, and are normally set in the CardCol user context. However, when using the Triple-S DSC to read or write Triple-S files that contain comma-separated values, the custom properties that define card and column information are set in the CSV user context.

Note that the Metadata Model to Quantum component typically writes the custom properties to the DataSourceProperties collection on the Element objects rather than the ElementInstance objects. The Metadata Model to Quantum component can write to ElementInstance objects when you want to override the behavior of the Element objects. The Quantum DSC and other UNICOM Intelligence components still read from the DataSourceProperties collection on the ElementInstance objects. The MDM inheritance rules mean that DataSourceProperties on the ElementInstance object inherits from the Element object. For more information, see MDM custom properties.

Writing to the Element object has the advantage that the categories in category lists that are shared between questions will have the same punch codes in each question and has led to a significant reduction in .mdd file size in projects that have large numbers or grids, loops, or defined lists.

A string value that defines the punch codes to be allocated to the categories of categorical variables (single response and multiple response). The first category gets the first punch code in the list, the next category gets the second punch code in the list, and so on. When all of the punch codes have been used, the next category gets the first punch code and goes into the next column. AllocateMask must contain only characters that are included in the PunchMask custom property, but a subset of those characters can be used and they can be in a different order.

Used by: Metadata Model to Quantum

A Long value that specifies whether system variables should be allocated before or after the other variables. Valid values are 1 to indicate after all of the other variables or 2 to indicate before.

Used by: Metadata Model to Quantum

A Long value that defines the number of columns to be used for storing the card number on each card.

Used by: UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Paper, Quantum DSC, Metadata Model to Quantum

A Long value that defines the first column to be used for storing the card number on each card.

Used by: UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Paper, Quantum DSC, Metadata Model to Quantum

A Long value that defines the total number of columns on a card. This is used to calculate when a new card should be generated. A value of 0 indicates that one card of unlimited length is used.

Used by: UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Paper, Quantum DSC, Metadata Model to Quantum

A Boolean value that specifies whether the Codes variables that store the coded responses of open-ended questions are to be stored on one or more separate cards.

Used by: Metadata Model to Quantum

A string value that defines the product or component that wrote the card and column information.

Used by: Metadata Model to Quantum

A string value that defines the version of the product or component that wrote the card and column information.

Used by: Metadata Model to Quantum

A Boolean value that specifies whether the responses to multiple response questions are to be written to multiple single-coded columns rather than to one or more multicoded columns.

Used by: Metadata Model to Quantum

An integer value that stores the maximum length of the text in an n01 element in the Quantum specification. The default value is 100.

Used by: Quantum DSC

An integer value that stores the maximum length of the text in an n23 element in the Quantum specification. The default value is 100.

Used by: Quantum DSC

A Boolean value that specifies whether the Codes variables that store the coded responses of Other Specify categories are to be stored on one or more separate cards.

Used by: Metadata Model to Quantum

A string value that defines the punch characters that can be combined in a single column for a multiple response category: for example, &-0123456789, 0123456789XY, or 0123456789. The order of the characters defines the bitfield in the .dat file, with 0 being assigned to the first character, 1 to the second character, and so on. The punch mask must not contain more than 12 characters, all of the characters must be printable, and an asterisk (*) or space character ( ) must not be used. Single response categories can use other punch characters, but multiple response categories must use the punch characters defined in the punch mask. Note that this property must be set to “&-0123456789” if you are using Quantum DSC to export case data to an ASCII file for use with Quantum. Other punch masks can be used with Quantum DSC, but the ASCII file will not be compatible with Quantum.

Used by: UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Paper, Quantum DSC, Metadata Model to Quantum

A Boolean value that indicates whether the QTVisible custom property has been set on any variables in the Document.

Used by: Metadata Model to Quantum

A Boolean value that specifies whether Quancept-style punches are to be used. In this system, the first column used to store data for a single response variable uses the codes 123456789, and the second and subsequent columns use the codes 0123456789. If this option is used, the AllocateMask custom property must be set to “0123456789”.

Used by: Metadata Model to Quantum

A Long value that defines the number of columns required for the serial number field.

Used by: Metadata Model to Quantum

A string value that defines the FullName of the variable instance to be used as the serial number variable.

Used by: Metadata Model to Quantum, Quantum DSC

A Long value that specifies the number of spare columns to be allocated to each categorical variable.

Used by: Metadata Model to Quantum

A Boolean value that specifies whether short names are to be used for the axes in the Quantum specification. When set to True, short names are generated using the Alias Map component. The default is False.

Used by: Quantum DSC

A Long value that defines the card on which the first column used for the variable is stored or a value of * to indicate that the variable is included on every card. This is normally used for the serial number system variable. A value of 0 indicates that one card of unlimited length is used. A value of -1 in a text variable indicates that the data is stored in the .dau file. A value of -1 is not valid for other data types.

Used by: UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Paper, Quantum DSC, Metadata Model to Quantum

A long value that is used by the Triple-S DSC to define the width of each subfield in a Triple-S multiple variable that is stored as a series of consecutive subfields. For more information, see Custom properties used when writing to Triple-S files.

Used by: Triple-S DSC

A Long value that defines the total number of columns used to store data for the variable. When ColStart is -1, this should be 0.

Used by: UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Paper, Quantum DSC, Metadata Model to Quantum, Triple-S DSC

Any text indicates that the card and column specification is incorrect.

Used by: Metadata Model to Quantum

A Long value that defines the first column used for this variable. A value of -1 in a text variable specifies that Quantum data will be stored in a .dau file. A value of -1 is not valid for other data types or for a Triple-S text variable.

Used by: UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Paper, Quantum DSC, Metadata Model to Quantum, Triple-S DSC

A string value that defines how a categorical or date variable is stored in a Triple-S case-data file. For more information, see Custom properties used when writing to Triple-S files.

Used by: Triple-S DSC

A string value that defines the name of the variable to use to get the card column information. This is used when a categorical variable is created to hold the coded responses to an open-ended question. That categorical variable is then used to get the card column information to display.

Used by: UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Paper

When this Boolean custom property is set to True, it indicates that the variable instance should be included in the Quantum specification.

Used by: Quantum DSC, Metadata Model to Quantum

Used to store the abbreviated version of the full name, which is displayed in the first column of the Metadata Model to Quantum window.

Used by: Metadata Model to Quantum

A Long value that defines the column in which the punch for the element is stored. It is in the form of a number that is added to the variable's ColStart custom property. (An offset is used instead of a hard coded column number to allow for shared element lists.)