Transferring data from Triple-S

You can transfer data from Triple-S files by using the Triple-S DSC. The Triple-S files must meet version 1.2 or version 2.0 of the Triple-S standard. Version 2.0 of the standard supports case data files that contain either fixed-format fields or comma-separated values, while version 1.2 of the standard supports only fixed-format fields. However, the Triple-S DSC cannot transfer hierarchical data (which was introduced in the version 2.0 standard). For more information, see Triple-S DSC.

You typically read a Triple-S case data file by using a Triple-S metadata file. You can also use a metadata document (.mdd) file to read a Triple-S case data file, although you would normally do this only if you created the Triple-S case data file using a data management script and you also output a .mdd file at the same time.

For more information about how the Triple-S DSC reads Triple-S files, see Reading from Triple-S files.

In the connection string in the InputDataSource section, specify mrTripleSDsc for both the Data Source and the MR Init MDSC connection properties. Specify the name and location of the Triple-S case data file, which will normally have a .asc, .dat, or .csv extension, for the Location connection property. Then specify the name and location of the Triple-S metadata file, which will normally have a .sss or .xml extension, for the Initial Catalog connection property:

InputDatasource(myInputDataSource, "My input data source")
  ConnectionString = "Provider=mrOleDB.Provider.2; _
    Data Source=mrTripleSDsc; _
    Location=<Name and location of .asc, .dat, or .csv file>; _
    Initial Catalog=<Name and location of .sss or .xml file>; _
    MR Init MDSC=mrTripleSDsc"
End InputDatasource

In the connection string in the InputDataSource section, specify mrTripleSDsc for the Data Source connection property, and leave the MR Init MDSC connection property blank. Specify the name and location of the Triple-S case data file for the Location connection property, and specify the name and location of the .mdd file for the Initial Catalog connection property:

This example uses the Triple-S DSC to read the first 100 records in the “Ski Demo” Triple-S sample metadata and case data files provided with the UNICOM Intelligence Developer Documentation Library(DDL):

InputDataSource(Input, "Input case and metadata")
  ConnectionString = "Provider=mrOleDB.Provider.2; _
    Data Source=mrTripleSDsc; _
    Location=C:\Program Files\IBM\SPSS\DataCollection\7\DDL\Data\Triple-S\skidemo.asc; _
Initial Catalog=C:\Program Files\IBM\SPSS\DataCollection\7\DDL\Data\Triple-S\skidemo_asc.xml; _
MR Init MDSC=mrTripleSDsc"
SelectQuery = "SELECT * FROM vdata WHERE serial <= 100"
End InputDataSource

This example is in the TripleSToDDF.dms sample DMS file, which is installed with the UNICOM Intelligence Developer Documentation Library. For more information, see Sample DMS files.