Getting Started

7 Getting Started

7.1 Overview of Steps to be Performed with WinIDAMS

In this example, an IDAMS dictionary for the description of data collected by a questionnaire is prepared and data for a few respondents are entered. A set of IDAMS control statements (a "setup") is then prepared and used to produce frequency distributions of Age, Sex and Education (number of years) bracketed into 4 groups. The steps below are followed:

Create an application environment.

Prepare and store an IDAMS dictionary describing the variables in the data.

Enter the data (this step would be eliminated if the data were prepared outside WinIDAMS).

Prepare and store a "setup" of instructions specifying what is to be done with the data.

Execute the IDAMS program as given in the setup.

Review the results and modify the setup if necessary; then repeat from step 4.

Print the results.

To get started, first launch WinIDAMS. You will see the WinIDAMS Main window.

7.2 Create an Application Environment

The application environment allows you to predefine full paths for three folders. All input/output files will be opened/created by default in one of these folders. This saves you from having to enter the full folder path.

The Data and Dictionary files: in the Data folder.

The Setup and Results files: in the Work folder.

The temporary files: in the Temporary folder.

Click on Application in the menu bar and then on New. You now see the following dialogue:

We will create a new application with the name "MyAppl" and with application folders C:\MyAppl\data, C:\MyAppl\work and C:\MyAppl\temp by entering these names in the corresponding text-boxes.

For each application folder entered which does not exist, you will see a dialogue like this:

Click on Yes for each new folder and then click on OK. Now you see the WinIDAMS Main window again.

7.3 Prepare the Dictionary

We will create a dictionary to describe data records containing the following variables:

Number Name Width Missing Data code
1 Identification 3
2 Age 2
3 Sex 1 9
1 Male
2 Female
9 MD
4 Education 2

Press Ctrl/N or click on File/New. These commands open the New document dialogue:

The dialogue displays the list of document types used in WinIDAMS. Choose "IDAMS Dictionary file", already selected by default.

Click in the File name field and enter the name "demog". Then click OK. Note that extension .dic is added automatically to the file name.

You now see:

the Application window;
a 2 pane window for entering variable descriptions and optional associated codes and labels. The full Dictionary file name "demog.dic" is displayed in the tab.

Click on the first cell in the row of the pane for describing variables and enter the first variable number. As soon as you begin to enter information in the row marked with an asterisk, a new row is created just after the current row and the row you are editing displays a pencil in the row header. Pressing Enter or Tab you move to the next field. Now enter variable name and width. Skip the rest of fields by pressing Enter or Tab and accept the description by pressing Enter or Tab on the last field. Note that the default location is provided by WinIDAMS when variable description row has been accepted.

When you press Enter or Tab on the last field, the pencil disappears which means that the row has been accepted after some rudimentary checking of the fields. The current field is now the first field of the next row (marked with an asterisk) and you can enter the description for the 2nd variable, Age. Do the same for variable 3, Sex, but give this variable an MD1 (missing data) code of 9 (the non-response code).

After accepting the description of variable 3, the first field (variable number) of the row with an asterisk becomes the current field. Click on any field of the row just entered (variable 3, Sex) to make it the current row.

Switch to the pane for codes and their labels by clicking on the code field in the first row. Note that this pane is synchronized with the variable selected in the pane for describing variables.

Enter 1 in the code field. Again, as soon as you begin to enter code label, a new row with an asterisk is created just after the current row and the row you are editing displays a pencil. Press Enter to move to the next field, enter Male in the label field. Press Enter. The current field is now the code field of the next row and you can enter code 2 with label Female and similarly for code 9.

Go back to the variable description pane by clicking on the variable number field of the row with an asterisk. Enter the information for variable 4.

To delete rows, click at the side of the row and select Cut from the Edit menu.

Save the dictionary by clicking on File/Save As, and accepting the Dictionary file name "demog.dic".

7.4 Enter Data

Press Ctrl/N or click on File/New. The same New document dialogue as we have seen above for the dictionary is displayed.
Select the "IDAMS Data file" item from the list and enter the name of the Data file. By convention, it is better to use the same name for the Data file and the Dictionary file which describes the data. Only the file extension changes, ".dic" for the Dictionary file and ".dat" for the Data file. The dictionary and data make up an IDAMS dataset. Enter "demog" as file name and click on OK.
A File Open dialogue now displays the dictionaries which exist for the active application and asks you to select the dictionary which describes the data. Select "demog.dic" and click Open.
A window with three panes now appears. You enter data only in the bottom pane. The 2 other panes are synchronized for displaying the current variable description and the code labels if any. The full Data file name "demog.dat" (extension .dat is added automatically) is displayed in the tab.
Note that in illustrations presented below the Application window has been closed.
Click on the first field of the row with an asterisk and type the first line of data as given below, pressing the Enter key after entering each data value. As soon as you begin to enter data, a new row is created just after the current row and the current row header displays a pencil which means that you are editing this row.
After entering the value for the last variable V4 and pressing Enter, the first field of the next row becomes the current field.
Enter the data for the 5 cases given below.
Click on File/Save to save the data in the file "demog.dat".

7.5 Prepare the Setup

Press Ctrl/N or click on File/New.
Select the "IDAMS Setup file" item from the list and enter a name, e.g. "demog1" for the Setup file. Click OK. Note that extension .set is added automatically to the file name and the full file name "demog1.set" is displayed in the tab.
You will now see an empty window for entering the setup. Type the following:

The $RUN identifies the desired IDAMS program; following the $FILES command, the Data file and associated Dictionary file are specified; the $RECODE command followed by Recode statements (here the recoding is used to bracket years of education into 4 groups); the $SETUP command followed by the parameters for the task (in this case requesting univariate frequency distributions) are given (according to the rules for the TABLES program).
Click on File/Save and save the setup in the file "demog1.set".

7.6 Execute the Setup

From inside the Setup window, click on Execute/Current Setup. The current setup is saved in a temporary file and executed. A dialogue appears during the execution and disappears if the execution is successful.
The results are, by default, written into the file "idams.lst". It can be changed by adding a PRINT line under $FILES for giving the name of Results file, e.g. "print=a:demog1.lst" to store the results in a file on diskette.

7.7 Review Results and Modify the Setup

The Results file is loaded automatically when the execution is finished.
The table of contents provided in the left pane allows quick location of parts of the results. Open it by clicking "idams.lst" and pushing button with an asterisk on the numeric pad. Then, click on the element you want to see.
If you want to change something in the setup while reviewing the results, then click on the tab "demog1.set" and make the required modifications. Press Ctrl/E to execute.

7.8 Print the Results

Select File/Print.

Select the pages that you wish to print and click on OK.

Number	Name	Width	Missing Data code
1	Identification	3
2	Age	2
3	Sex	1	9
	1 Male
	2 Female
	9 MD
4	Education	2