Advanced expressions
You can define quotas whose characteristics are of almost unlimited complexity using the Expression Definition language. This is based on VBScript and supports all of the VBScript functions. It also includes additional functions that have been designed to meet the needs of the market research industry. For detailed information about the many functions that are available, refer to the Function Library documentation in the UNICOM Intelligence Developer Documentation Library.
When you create a simple expression, UNICOM Intelligence Quota Setup converts the expression into the Expression Definition language.
When you create an advanced expression, you write the expression in the Advanced Filter Specification window. It has buttons for the operators and functions that you are most likely to use, and lists of all of the variables and functions that are available.
Basic expression syntax
<variable <operator <value>
Parameters
<variable>
The name of a variable.
<operator>
A comparison operator, such as > (greater than) or = (equal to), or one of the functions for selecting respondents on the basis the answers given to a question (variable).
<value>
One or more answers held in the variable.
Enclose text values in double quotes: for example, "noisy".
Specify values of a categorical variable by defining a comma-separated list of category texts enclosed in braces and parentheses: for example, ({Assam, Darjeeling, China}).
Specify values from numeric variables as numeric values.
When a quota statement for an expression quota is executed during an interview, the expression is evaluated and returns a value of true for a respondent who has the quota characteristics and false for a respondent who does not have the required characteristics.
See also