System variables
The UNICOM Intelligence products use a number of system variables. The way the system variables are used varies from product to product. For example, Respondent.Serial.SourceFile is used by UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Paper/Scan Add-on, but not by UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin.
Full list of system variables
Some data sets might have some but not all of these system variables.
Respondent.ID
The respondent ID that links a respondent record to log entries. When the respondent data is collected using IUNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin Web interviewing, this is either the ID from the sample record or an ID generated randomly by UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin. It can be supplied by the interview engine host using the RespondentID property. If it is not supplied, the Respondent ID will be stored as "".
Valid values: From 0 to 50 characters.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Text
Respondent.Origin
The origin of the respondent data. This is the ID of the software product that created the respondent data. In UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin it is supplied by the interview engine host using the Origin property. This must be set by the engine host and cannot be changed in script. If not supplied, the value is set to Other.
Valid values: From 1 to 6 of the following categories: Scan, HTMLPlayer, CATI_HTMLPlayer, CATI_TTYPlayer, DataEntryPlayer, Other.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Multiple-response categorical
Respondent.Origin.Other
The source software product name. This is used when the Other category is specified for Respondent.Origin. In UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin it is supplied by the interview engine host using the OriginName property. This must be set by the engine host and cannot be changed in script. If not supplied, the OriginName property is based on the Origin setting. If the Origin is also not set, the OriginName is empty.
Valid values: From 0 to 25 characters.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Text
Respondent.Serial
The respondent's serial number. The serial number is important for assigning a unique ID to the data for each respondent. In UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin it can be optionally supplied by the interview engine host using the Serial property. If not supplied, the next available serial number is used when writing the respondent record.
Valid values: A whole number from 1 to 2147483647.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Long
Respondent.Serial.SourceFile
A source file variable indicating where the respondent serial number can be found. Typically the path to a .tiff file created during scanning.
Valid values: From 0 to 1024 characters.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Text
DataCollection.BatchID
Records a unique ID for the batch.
Valid values: From 0 to 50 characters.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Text
DataCollection.BatchName
Records a readable name for the batch.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Text
Valid values: From 0 to 50 characters.
DataCollection.CurrentPage
The current page the respondent is answering. This is a number indicating how many pages have been answered. UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin numbers pages starting with 0 for the first page.
Valid values: A whole number from 0 to 2147483647.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Long
DataCollection.DataEntryMode
This represents the data entry case’s current mode.
Valid values: One of the following categories: Initial, Full, Partial, or Maintenance.
Initial is the default value and is used for initial data entry.
Full is for full verification.
Partial is for partial verification.
Maintenance is for future use
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Single-response categorical
DataCollection.Debug
The SIF stores some debugging information here. UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin does not use this variable.
Valid values: From 0 to 1024 characters.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Text
DataCollection.EndQuestion
When an interview is completed, stopped, or times out, this variable will hold the last question that was presented to the respondent. When an interview ends after a pause, this variable holds the pause ID number. The pause ID is a sequential number that represents the position in which the pause appears in the script. This variable is not set when an the interview crashes.
Valid values: From 0 to 255 characters.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Text
DataCollection.FinishTime
The time of the last clean finish of the interview, through, for example, the respondent stopping or completing it, a clean server shutdown, or a timeout. The time is written in universal co-ordinated time (UTC). This variable is not set when an interview crashes. This variable is reset to NULL when an interview restarts.
Valid values: Any valid value for the Date variable type.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Date
DataCollection.InterviewEngine
The version of the interview engine used for the interview. In UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin surveys that use the Interview Object Model, the version is of the form IOM major.minor (for example, IOM 3.0). This variable is set when the interview is created. It is not updated when the interview is restarted, even if a new version of the Interview Object Model is used for the restart.
Valid values: From 0 to 15 characters.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Text
DataCollection.InterviewerID
The interviewer ID. This property is not supplied for projects using inbound sample management (the variable is then set to "") unless the TrackWebSessions option is enabled. When TrackWebSessions is enabled, the interview session token is stored for the InterviewerID.
Valid values: From 0 to 50 characters.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Text
DataCollection.InterviewMode
The current interview mode.
Valid values: The following categories can be set:
▪Web - specifies web interview case data.
▪Phone - specifies CATI interview case data.
▪Local - specifies locally deployed case data.
▪DataEntry - specifies data entry case data.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Single-response categorical
DataCollection.InterviewerTimeZone
The time zone which the CATI interviewer is in. It is normally supplied by the interview engine host by using the InterviewerTimeZone property. If this property is not supplied, the ServerTimeZone is used instead.
Valid values: Any whole number that corresponds to a valid time zone. For more information, see
Time zone management.For more information, s
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Long
DataCollection.MetadataVersion
A derived categorical variable that makes it easy to filter case data on the metadata version used to collect it. This system variable is present at runtime only, is included only if requested, and is not persisted in the metadata. The MDM creates a category in this variable for each version that you select when you open or connect to the metadata. For example, if you open versions 1, 2, and 3, this variable will have three categories, one for each version.
Valid values: The category names are of the form ver_ n where n is the version name, and the category labels show the version name.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Single-response categorical
DataCollection.MetadataVersionGUID
The metadata version that was used for the interview, expressed as a GUID. In UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin it is set by the Interview Object Model when the interview is created., based on the current version of the supplied MDM document.
Valid values: A GUID, which is 36 characters long.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Text
DataCollection.MetadataVersionNumber
The metadata version that was used for the interview. In UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin this is set by the Interview Object Model when the interview is created, based on the current version of the supplied MDM document. If the interview is restarted, the original MDM version is used.
Valid values: From 0 to 15 characters.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Text
DataCollection.QuotaID
This system variable is no longer in use. It might still exist in metadata files that were created in UNICOM Intelligence Data Model 2.4 or 2.5.
Valid values:
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Long
DataCollection.Removed
Indicates if the case has been removed.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Boolean
Valid values: True when the case has been removed; False when a case is first created. False is the default value.
When this variable is set to True, the DataCollection.Status variable might automatically be set to Shutdown.
DataCollection.RespondentTimeZone
The time zone in which the CATI respondent is located. It is normally supplied by the interview engine host using the RespondentTimeZone property. If this property is not supplied, the ServerTimeZone is used instead.
Valid values: Any whole number that corresponds to a valid time zone. For more information, see
Time zone management.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Long
DataCollection.RoutingContext
The routing context that was used for the interview. This is taken from the Current property of routing contexts on the supplied MDM document.
Valid values: One of the following categories: PAPER, SIF, Web.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Single-response categorical
DataCollection.SeedValue
The seed value for the interview. This is a random value used to control the rotation of responses, questions, and loop control items. It ensures that when you snap back and redo parts of the interview, rotated items are presented in the same order as when they were first encountered. In UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin it can be optionally supplied by the interview engine host using the SeedValue property. If not supplied, the initial SeedValue is based on the current tick count.
Valid values: Any valid value for the Long variable type.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Long
DataCollection.ServerTimeZone
The time zone in which the CATI interviewing server is located. This is set by the Interview Object Model when the interview is created, and is based on the time zone of the local computer.
Valid values: Any whole number that corresponds to a valid time zone. For more information, see
Time zone management.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Long
DataCollection.StartTime
The interview start time, set when the interview is created. The time is written in universal co-ordinated time (UTC).
When storing the interview start and finish times, the UNICOM Intelligence Data Model automatically uses the locale of the component writing the data to convert the time to UTC. Similarly, when displaying the times, the UNICOM Intelligence Data Model uses the locale of the component displaying the data to translate from UTC.
Valid values: Any valid value for the Date variable type.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Date
DataCollection.Status
The status of the interview. In UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin this is based on the Interview status and the setting of the IsReview and IsTest properties as follows:
Active if interview status is isIdle or isPost.
Completed if interview status is isComplete.
RespondentStopped if interview status is isStopped.
Reviewed if the IsReview property is True.
ScriptStopped if interview status is isStopped (Suspend).
Shutdown if interview status is isShutdown. This setting might be automatically set when the DataCollection.Removed variable is set to True.
Signal if interview status is isComplete (Terminate).
Test if the IsTest property is True.
TimedOut if interview status is isTimedOut.
Valid values: From 1 to 3 categories as follows:
One of the following categories (numeric values in parenthesis): Active (7), Completed (6), RespondentStopped (10), ScriptStopped (9), Shutdown (11), Signal (13), TimedOut (8).
Plus, none, one, or both of the following categories: Reviewed (12), Test (14).
While the numeric values are provided here for reference, it is recommended that you use the category names whenever possible. The numeric values above might change in future versions of the product.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Multiple-response categorical
DataCollection.TerminateSignal
Signal used for termination of interview. DataCollection.Status should have the Signal category set.
Valid values: A whole number from 0 to 2147483647.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Long
DataCollection.Variant
Used by UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Paper to store the paper variant of the questionnaire. This provides a way of implementing regional differences and simulating randomization in paper questionnaires.
Valid values: From 0 to 255 characters.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Text
DataCleaning.Note
Records a note to indicate why the case data record was flagged for review, delete, etc.
Valid values: From 0 to 1024 characters.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Text
DataCleaning.ReviewStatus
Records additional information about the data cleaning status.
Valid values: From 1 to 4 of the following categories: FlaggedForReview, FlaggedForMove, FlaggedForCopy, FlaggedForDelete.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Multiple-response categorical
DataCleaning.Status
Indicates the cleaning status of the case data record. Typically DataCleaning.ReviewStatus and/or DataCleaning.Note will hold additional information when the NeedsReview category is set.
Valid values: One or both of the following categories: Clean, NeedsReview.
Metadata Model (MDM) variable type: Multiple-response categorical
See also
See also