Output Format - Conversion Profile

This popup box enables you to select which output format will be used during data file conversion. ScanTools data files can be converted into the following formats. Click on the format you want to show a description of that format:

• Delimited
• Fixed
• SPSS for Windows
• DOSSIER
• IBM 3881
• Y2K Compliant

NOTE: The following output format types can no longer be defined when creating or modifying conversion profiles. If you have existing conversion profiles with these types, you may still run them: DIF, Sheet Compile, and SPSS/PC+

Delimited ASCII (.DLM, .TXT, or .CSV)

This format enables you to define how to mark (delimit) the beginning or end of a field. When you select this format, you must specify:

Output extension

If you select Delimited ASCII, you will also be able to specify whether Output Field Names are also written to the converted file and what Output extension to use with your file name: .DLM, .TXT, or .CSV. The default is .DLM. See Output Extension - Conversion Profile for more information.

Record delimiter

This is the character that ends every document record. The default is the Carriage Return/Linefeed (CR/LF) character pair.

Field delimiter

This is the character that separates data fields. The default is a comma.

Text envelope

In ScanTools software, this is the character that marks the beginning and end of every field. The default is the double quote ( " ) mark.

The default settings are compatible with the comma-separated field format that is easily imported to many popular database and spreadsheet programs.

Fixed Length Records (.SDF)

The format is identical to the standard data file format used by ScanTools software with the following exceptions:

• The document record delimiter (which are the CR/LF characters in the standard format) can be changed to any other character string you specify.
• The data file is not terminated by a Ctrl-Z character.
• When converting data from multiple documents with record formats of varying lengths, ScanTools software does NOT pad the records with spaces.
• Data fields can be omitted.

DIF

The DIF format can no longer be defined when creating or modifying conversion profiles. If you have existing conversion profiles with this type, you may still run them.

SPSS for Windows (.SPS and .DA1)

This format is used by the SPSS for Windows statistical analysis program. When you specify this format, ScanTools software creates one or two files, depending on which converted file header format (2- or 4-digit) you selected in the NCS Header Year Format - Conversion Profile:

• A text file (with the .SPS extension) containing commands used by SPSS. The text file is always produced, regardless of whether you selected a 2- or 4-digit year for the converted header. The text file is used with the appropriate data file, .DAT or .DA1. If you selected a 2-digit year for the converted header, the .SPS file works with the standard ScanTools data file (.DAT).

NOTE: The SPSS conversion format does not support appending to the converted output file. Instead, the converted output file will be replaced.

• A converted data file (with the .DA1 extension) is created ONLY if you selected a 4-digit year for the converted header year format. This file is a copy of the original data file (.DAT) but without the end-of-file marker. Also, the converted data file is longer, because it has a 42-character header to accommodate the 4-digit year in the header; the file is in SPSS-compatible format.

When SPSS for Windows is used, you cannot change the "During scanning" option to choose which files are created during scanning. ScanTools software determines and produces the appropriate files, depending on which NCS Header year format is currently selected (2- or 4-digit).

NOTE: When ScanTools software creates an .INC file, the field names which do not conform to SPSS variable naming conventions are aliased to similar names that are acceptable.

You can select any of the following SAVE options:

• Do not save active file
• Save as compressed system file
• Save as uncompressed system file
• Save as portable file (EXPORT command)

The SPSS variable count gives you the number of variables created by SPSS as a result of the conversion. You cannot change this number.

Refer to the documentation for your SPSS for Windows program for information on these options.

SPSS/PC+ (.INC and .SPS)

The SPSS/PC+ (.INC and .SPS) format can no longer be defined when creating or modifying conversion profiles. If you have existing conversion profiles with this type, you may still run them.

DOSSIER (.DSA or .DSE)

The DOSSIER format enables emulation of NCS Sentry 7008 and 7018 scanners. It contains document record headers with control fields that describe the data in each document record. You can specify that data files be written in either ASCII (.DSA) or EBCDIC (.DSE) code. The following table lists the contents of the DOSSIER document record header:

Sheet Compile (.STC)

The Sheet Compile (.STC) format can no longer be defined when creating or modifying conversion profiles. If you have existing conversion profiles with this type, you may still run them.

IBM 3881 (.ASC or .EBC)

The IBM 3881 format emulates the structure of files created by an IBM 3881 optical mark reader. Files can be written either in ASCII (.ASC) or EBCDIC (.EBC). ScanTools software enables you to select the following parameters for the IBM 3881 conversion profile:

Character set

ASCII or EBCDIC. The default is EBCDIC.

Record delimiter

Any character, or none. The default is none.

Serial numbering

Yes or No. The default is no.

Select on

Select document record on any of the following conditions:

• Output stacker (default) (NCS Header position 29)
• Pass flag (NCS Header position 22)
• No flag (do not select).

Input multiple

Defines the character which represents multiple responses within a response position. The default is asterisk ( * ).

Output multiple

Defines the character in the converted file that represents multiple responses within a response position. Options are:

• EBCDIC 3F (default)
• @ symbol

Y2K Compliant (.Y2K)

This format produces a converted file nearly identical to the ScanTools data file, except the date scanned in the NCS Header is always a four-character year (either 19xx or 20xx), not a two-character year. Like the ScanTools data file, when scanning multiple documents that use record formats of different lengths, each output record is padded with spaces, if necessary, to make all records equal in length to the longest record format. A carriage return/line feed terminates each record, and an end-of-file marker (Ctrl-Z) appears after the last record. This converted file type uses the file extension .Y2K.