Custom properties on variable instances in the Triple‑S DSC

For each variable instance in the MDM document, and depending on the MDM variable type, the Triple-S DSC uses one or more of the following custom properties:

Valid MDM variable type: Multiple-response categorical

User context: CARDCOL or CSV, depending on the specified format of the Triple-S case data.

How this custom property is used: If the DataFormat custom property exists on the MDM variable and its value is set to "packed", the Triple-S DSC adds a width attribute to the corresponding Triple-S variable's <spread> element and sets the value of the width attribute to the value of this custom property.

Valid MDM variable type: All

User context: CARDCOL or CSV, depending on the specified format of the Triple-S case data.

How this custom property is used: The Triple-S DSC sets the value of the finish attribute in the corresponding Triple-S variable's <position> element by subtracting the value of this custom property from the value of the ColStart custom property and adding 1. Note that the finish attribute is not set if the specified format of the Triple-S case data is comma-separated values.

Valid MDM variable type: All

User context: CARDCOL or CSV, depending on the specified format of the Triple-S case data.

How this custom property is used: The Triple-S DSC sets the value of the start attribute in the corresponding Triple-S variable's <position> element to the value of this custom property. Note that if the specified format of the Triple-S case data is fixed-format fields, ColStart defines the variable's first column on the output record. If the specified format of the Triple-S case data is comma-separated values, ColStart defines the relative position of the variable on the output record.

Valid MDM variable type: Single-response or Multiple-response categorical, or Date

User context: CARDCOL or CSV, depending on the specified format of the Triple-S case data.

How this custom property is used: For a Single-response categorical variable, if DataFormat exists and its value is "literal", the Triple-S DSC adds a format attribute to the corresponding Triple-S variable and sets the value of that attribute to "literal". Note that the format attribute is not supported in version 1.2 of the Triple-S standard. If the value of DataFormat is "numeric", or DataFormat does not exist, the Triple-S DSC does not add a format attribute.

For a Multiple-response categorical variable, if DataFormat exists and its value is "numeric", the Triple-S DSC adds a <spread> element to the corresponding Triple-S variable. The <spread> element defines that the case data for the Triple-S variable will consist of the names of the categories included in the response, instead of a bitmap (that is, a string consisting of the characters 0 and 1, where 1 indicates that a category was included in the response). Note that the <spread> element is not supported in version 1.2 of the Triple-S standard. If the value of DataFormat is "bitstring", or DataFormat does not exist, the Triple-S DSC does not add a <spread> element.

For a Date variable, if DataFormat exists and its value is "time", the Triple-S DSC sets the variable type of the corresponding Triple-S variable to time. Alternatively, if the value of DataFormat is "date", the Triple-S DSC sets the variable type of the corresponding Triple-S variable to date. Note that date and time variable types are not supported in version 1.2 of the Triple-S standard.

Valid MDM variable type: All

User context: CARDCOL or CSV, depending on the specified format of the Triple-S case data.

How this custom property is used: The Triple-S DSC sets the value of the corresponding Triple-S variable's <filter> element to the value of this custom property.

Valid MDM variable type: All

User context: CARDCOL or CSV, depending on the specified format of the Triple-S case data.

How this custom property is used: The Triple-S DSC sets the value of the corresponding Triple-S variable's ident attribute to the value of this custom property.

Valid MDM variable type: All

User context: CARDCOL or CSV, depending on the specified format of the Triple-S case data.

How this custom property is used: The Triple-S DSC sets the value of the corresponding Triple-S variable's use attribute to the value of this custom property.

To force the Triple-S DSC to recalculate the value of these custom properties before writing Triple-S files, use the RewriteColumnInfo custom connection property (see Custom connection properties used by the Triple-S DSC).