Defines the minimum and maximum number of responses that are valid. Setting max_categories to 1 defines the question as a single response question. Leaving max_categories undefined or setting it to a value greater than one, defines the question as multiple response. When min_categories is greater than zero, it means that the respondent must choose at least one category in response to the question.

In UNICOM Intelligence Data Model 2.8 and later, you can use [1] as a shortcut for [1..1], which indicates a single response question that must be answered.

You use the optional expression keyword to create one or more categories and variables using a formula defined in expression_text. This feature is typically used to create categories based on the responses to other categorical questions.

You can also specify the following optional keywords with expression:

Derive categories from the expression. This is the default if no categories have been defined for the question.

Do not derive categories from the expression. This is the default if one or more categories have been defined for the question.

For an example of using the expression keyword to create categories, see example 6 at the end of this topic.

You can optionally specify either an initial answer or a default answer to the question. An initial answer can be seen by the respondent, whereas a default answer can not be seen. If either type of answer is defined, the respondent does not need to answer the question. If the question is a multiple response categorical, you can specify that the answer consists of more than one response. For example:

If a default answer is not accepted when you run the interview script, in other words, the message “Missing Answer(s)” is displayed, see mrScriptMetadata FAQs.

Defines the question's category list, as follows:

The category list is to be rotated by one category before each presentation.

The category list is to be presented in randomized order.

The category list is to be reversed before each presentation. This means that the list is presented top-down to the first respondent, bottom-up to the next, and so on.

The category list is to be sorted in ascending alphabetical order.

The category list is to be sorted in descending alphabetical order.

When the category list is a sublist within a higher-level category list, forces the sublist to retain its original position when the higher-level category list is sorted, rotated, randomized, or reversed.

Indicates that the category names should be namespaced based on the list name. This means that the full names of the categories will include the name of the list. By default category names are not namespaced.

This format defines a category within the question's category list:

This is an alternative format for directly specifying a group of categories within the question's category list:

This is an alternative format for using a defined list (see Define. (or “shared list”) to specify a group of categories within the question's category list:

For more information, see Names and labels.

Defines the category as a Don't Know, Refused to Answer, or No Answer special response. When you use one of these keywords, the exclusive, fix, and nofilter keywords will be automatically set for the category. When using the DK, REF or NA keywords, you can use a hyphen (-) as the category name to specify that the category name should be the same as the keyword.

If you have a standard list of special response categories that you want to use for more than one question, you can set the categories up as a defined list. For more information, see Define.

Defines the category as exclusive, which means that it is a single-choice category. Typically, you use this to define a single-choice category in a multiple response question. For example, multiple response questions sometimes have a None of the above single-choice category.

You can use the optional factor keyword to set a factor value for a category. Factors are numeric values that are used in statistical calculations. You can also set a factor value for the special response categories, DK, REF and NA.

You can use the optional keycode keyword to specify a custom keycode for individual categories. Keycodes are used in the UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Offline for Windows application to help limit the number of keystrokes required when entering response values.

Forces a category to retain its original position when the category list is sorted, rotated, randomized, or reversed.

Prevents the category from being excluded when using a filter in UNICOM Intelligence Reporter or the UNICOM Intelligence Professional Tables option. Typically, you use this keyword for Other Specify categories.

Defines the name and label for a group of categories. list_name is useful if you are using the namespace option. list_label defines a subheading for the group of categories. For more information, see Names and labels.

Specifies a defined list to use. When using a defined list, you can use a hyphen (-) as the list name to indicate that you want to use the defined list’s name.

Defines the category as an Other Specify category, as follows:

This is a category that allows the respondent to enter an answer that is not on the category list. Using this keyword means that a helper field will be created in the metadata for the categorical to store the response. When using the other keyword, you can use a hyphen (-) as the category name to specify that the category name should be the same as the keyword.

By default, the helper field created will be a text variable. For example, the following single response question includes an Other Specify category called other_museum that will store the response in a text helper field called other_museum:

However, you can specify that another data type, such as a numeric, should be used instead. For example, the following single response question includes an Other Specify category called other (indicated by a hyphen) that will store the response in a long helper field called exact_age:

Defines a special type of helper variable that is used to store numeric data that is associated with the category, as follows:

By default, UNICOM Intelligence Reporter and the UNICOM Intelligence Professional Tables option 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 is used as the increment.

You use the optional expression keyword to create a category or variable using a formula defined in exp_text. Generally you use this feature to create a derived variable that is based on one or more other variables.

exp_text must be an expression that is supported by the UNICOM Intelligence Data Model and can optionally include functions from the UNICOM Intelligence Function Library. Double quotation marks " must be escaped using a second double quotation mark (for example, ""yyyy""). Check your syntax and spelling carefully, because the expression is stored without being validated. For more information, see Expression evaluation.

You use the optional elementtype keyword to create a special element that can be used by UNICOM Intelligence Reporter to assist in the analysis of data. In general, it is easier to use Axis expressions to add special elements, as the axis specification syntax enables you to include special elements without having to define them. However, you might prefer to define the special elements so that they are permanently attached to a variable. This can be useful if you know in advance the types of special elements that will be required to analyze the variable.

Analysis elements are not used during data collection, so you typically specify the elementtype keyword for a category in a derived variable, that is, a variable whose categories include the expression keyword.

type_value defines the type of special element and can be any of these values:

A base element. When used in a crosstabulation, the base element typically shows the total number of cases in the variable.

An element that is used only for analysis. You can use this value for categories that you do not want to appear in interviews.

An analysis element that is used to show the maximum value of a numeric variable.

An analysis element that is used to show the mean value of a numeric variable.

An analysis element that is used to show the minimum value of a numeric variable.

An analysis element that is used to show the sample variance of a numeric variable.

An analysis element that is used to show the standard deviation of a numeric variable.

An analysis element that is used to show the standard error of a numeric variable.

A subheading element. Typically, this is used to provide a label for a group of elements. For example, in a list of car models, subheading elements might be used to display manufacturer's names.

A subtotal element. This typically shows the total of the cell values since the previous subtotal or base element.

An element used to store summary data for use in analysis.

A total element. This typically shows the total of the cell values since the previous total or base element.

When specifying the text value, you do not have to enclose the text in double quotation marks. For example, the following are equivalent:

There are two ways of defining how the special element will be calculated. The first method is to add the expression keyword to the element and define the formula in the expression text. This method is useful when you want to define a non-standard formula, for example if you want to exclude some cases from the base element. The second method does not require an expression, but does require you to set Custom properties on the special element. By setting the correct custom properties, the calculation will be done automatically. For example, for a base element, setting the HasNoData and ExcludedFromSummaries custom properties to True, as shown in the following example, will result in the base figure being calculated automatically:

In addition, special elements of types AnalysisMean, AnalysisSampleVariance, AnalysisStdDev, and AnalysisStdErr, require the variable to include additional special elements of type AnalysisSummaryData. These additional elements are sometimes called “helper elements”, and custom properties must also be set on them. Helper elements assist with the calculation, but do not appear in the tabulation. The following example shows one type of helper element, which is called SumN and has four custom properties:

For more information about the custom properties that must be set on a special element, and the helper elements that are required, see Special elements and helper elements in metadata. Example 8 at the end of this topic is a complete example of derived categorical variable that includes a mean element and helper elements.

When using the elementtype keyword, you can use - (hyphen) to indicate that the category name should be the same as the type_value text. However, do not use this if you are using the same type_value more than once in a categorical question (for example, to create two or more subheadings), because it leads to duplicate names, which causes an error.

By default, the categories in defined lists are included in category-ordering operations such as randomize and ascending that have been specified for the question. For example, the categories in the animals question are listed in ascending order, that is, cat, cow, dog, giraffe, hamster, horse, lion, tiger.

If you don't want the categories in a defined list to be affected by category-ordering operations, specify the sublist keyword, like this:

The categories will now be listed in the following order: cow, horse, “pets” sub heading, dog, cat, hamster, “wild_anmals” sub heading, tiger, lion, giraffe. Notice that the categories in each defined list are still in their original order, but that the list names, pets and wild_animals, have been sorted along with cow and horse. In addition, the list names are now displayed as sub headings.

If you specify the sublist keyword, you can also order the categories in the defined list using the same category-ordering keywords that can be used for the question. For example,

The categories are now listed in this order: cow, horse, “pets” sub heading, hamster, dog, cat, “wild_anmals” sub heading, tiger, lion, giraffe. Note that the categories in the pets list are now sorted in descending order.

You do not need to specify the sublist keyword if you directly specify a group of categories within the question's category list (that is, you specify a group of categories without using a defined list) as that type of group is a sublist by default.