DDF Merge Utility

Developer Documentation Library > Data Model > UNICOM Intelligence Data Model accessories > DDF Merge Utility

DDF Merge Utility

Use the DDF Merge Utility to merge UNICOM Intelligence data (.ddf) and .mdd files that meet specific criteria more quickly. Generally, these criteria are met if the .ddf files are waves in a tracking study, but other files may meet the criteria.

The DDM Merge Utility creates a single version .mdd file that is the superversion of the .mdd files that you specify.

Criteria

▪The .mdd files have been used to create a .ddf file, and the .ddf files are as specified in the .mdd file. In other words, the .mdd and .ddf pair have been created with Export Data or a .dms.

▪There are no questions with the same name but different data types that cannot be stored with the new data type in the .ddf data format (SQLLite). For example, single response category questions can be stored in multiple response questions. If the DDF Merge Utility cannot handle any data type differences, it stops.

▪A SelectQuery is not required.

▪OnNextCase processing is not required.

To use the DDF Merge Utility

1 Create a .ini file to control the merge. For more information, see DDFMerge .ini file format.

Put the .ini file in the same folder as the .mdd and .ddf files.

2 At the command prompt, type the following command:

[INSTALL_FOLDER]\IBM\SPSS\DataCollection\<version>\Accessories\DdfMerge <ini_file>

To use the DDF Merge Utility in a script

See the following example:

[INSTALL_FOLDER]\IBM\SPSS\DataCollection\7\DDL\Scripts\General\mrScriptBasic\DdfBulkTransfer.mrs

DDFMerge .ini file format

The .ini file must have a section labeled [Options] which contains the following lines:

MDDs=<list_of_files>

(Mandatory.) A list of .mdd files to be merged. Separate the filenames by using semicolons. All the .mdd files must have associated .ddf files. The .ddf file is specified in the mrDataFileDsc DataSource property in the .mdd file.

The first .mdd file is the master. For more information, see The master version in a merge operation.

The .ddf files are appended in the order that you specify in this property.

MergedMDD=<filename>

(Mandatory.) The name of the merged .mdd file.

MR Custom=<list_of_properties>

(Optional.) A list of custom properties to be used in the connection string when opening the input sources. Separate multiple properties by using semicolons.

For more information about the properties that you can use, see Custom connection properties used by the UNICOM Intelligence Data File CDSC.

Example

[Options]
MDDs=MergeVerticalMaster.mdd;MergeVerticalSecond.mdd;MergeVerticalThird.mdd
MergedMDD=Combined.MDD