Export Survey Data (Pro Version)

Survey responses are stored in industry standard Dbase files, using the extension .DBF. The number of fields in the Dbase file will be equal to the number of questions. In other words, each field of each record contains the responses to a single survey question from one respondent.

DBF export options

The survey response data in the Dbase files can be exported to 12 different file formats with this menu option. Export file formats include MS Excel, MS Word, RTF, HTML, XML, DBF, Text File, CSV File, DIF File, SYLK File, LaTeX, SQL, and Windows Clipboard.

It may be desirable to expand some survey questions (fields) that contain multiple answers. For example, a Numeric Group question, could have up to 25 numbers saved in one text field. This field could be expanded so each of the numbers are placed in their own numerical field. The regular DBF file uses only one field for each question, and the data is stored as a character filed. The expansion would place each number in a numerical field. The Dbase file structure limits Expanded DBF files to a maximum of 254 fields.

exportpreview

Multiple Choice(Other), Multiple Scale, 2-Column Scale, Numeric Rank, Numeric Group, and 3-Column Numeric question types allow their data fields to be expanded. Clicking the checkbox next to the various question types will update the Export Column Count (the number of columns in the grid).

Question types with single letters are not expanded. If the letter appears in the field, it indicates that choice was chosen. For example, the 3-Column Array question keeps all the responses in a single field. The letters correspond to these positions. Letters A-I are used for the first column, letters J-R are used for the second column, and the letters S-Z and '[' are used for responses in the 3rd column. The program help file includes a table to visualize these column and row assignments.

Create Expanded DBF File
Clicking the 'Create Expanded DBF File' button will create the new DBF (in memory). To display the expanded DBF file, click the 'Preview Expanded Data' tab.

Export Expanded DBF
Clicking the 'Export Expanded DBF' button reveals another dialog. This data file can be exported to 12 different file formats.

Export Dialog
Clicking the Export Data button displays an Export dialog. The lower case letter 'x' is added as the first letter of the destination filename to prevent accidental overwrite of the primary data file. The filename can be edited. The 'Select' button can speed up the process of reselecting a changed filename. The file extension is automatically changed according to the export file format that is selected.

Open file after export - check this option to view the result file in the appropriate program after export.

Print file after export - check this option to print the result file after export, using your default printer settings.

export survey dialog

Export Type
Formats. Use this tab to select one of the 12 resulting export file types. According to the type you select, the file extension is changed automatically in the Destination file edit field.

Options. Use this tab to set general export options. If Go to the first record is checked, then export starts from the first table record. Set the number of first records to skip, if necessary, in the Skip ... record(s) field. Choose, if all the table records should be exported (Export all records, default) or set the limit of records to export in the Export only ... record(s) field.

Fields
Use this tab to select fields for export. Available fields is a list of the source table fields, Exported fields list contains fields, selected for export. To move all the fields from one list to another click the double arrow buttons (>> or <<) or drag and drop fields from one list box into the other (use Shift or Ctrl to select multiple fields). To move only the selected fields click the single arrow buttons (> or <), drag and drop the field from one list box into the other or double-click the field. If you don't select any fields for export, then all the table fields are exported default.

export field selection

Formats
Standard. Use this tab to define the formats of the exported fields. You can keep the default format values or edit some of them if necessary. User. Using this tab you can also define your own formats for numeric and Date/Time fields These fields (if there are any in your table) are available in the drop-down list at the top of the panel. Choose one of them, then choose its format from another drop-down list and click 'Add'. The field and its format will be added to the list box below. To edit the field format select the field in the list box and click 'Edit'.

To delete one click 'Delete'. To clear the list box click 'Clear'.

This tab is unavailable for DBF export type.

Header & Footer
Use this tab if you want some header or footer text to appear in the result document. You can define this text in the appropriate memo fields of this tab.

This tab is unavailable for XML and DBF export types.

Caption (& Width & Align) Allow captions - if this option is checked (default), the column captions are included into the result file.

Use the displayed grid to set the captions of the result table columns. Default column captions correspond to the database field names.

For some of the export types columns 'Width' and/or 'Align' are also available. In the 'Align' column you can select the text alignment for the certain column (Left, Right or Center). In the 'Width' column you can set the numeric value, defining the width of the result column.

This tab is unavailable for DBF export type.

Specific Options
Excel Options. This tab is available only if the chosen export type is MS Excel.

Data Format. This tab allows you to define a specific format for each data column, header, footer, column captions and aggregate functions. Select the field from the Fields list or select an element of the result Excel sheet (captions, footer, etc.) from the Options list and set its font, borders and fill. All the changes you make are displayed in the sample cell. For data columns you can also define aggregate functions ('Aggregate' tab): AVG (average value), MAX (maximum value), SUM (sum of the values), and MIN (minimum value). The aggregate function is added to the cell under the column. Click 'Reset item' to reset all format setting for the current item, click 'Reset all' to reset format settings for all items.

You can also define repeating styles for data columns or rows on the Styles tab. Click the add button to add a style and set its format. After you define all the styles, set the strip style to 'Col' or 'Row' (on this depends if these styles will be applied to columns or rows). To delete a style, use the minus button. To load and save styles use the open folder and save diskette buttons.

Advanced. This tab allows you to define headers and footers of the result document pages (the default page footer is the page number) and the sheet title.

Word/RTF Options. This tab is available only if the chosen export type is MS Word or RTF. It allows you to define properties of the default document font, row header font and page orientation (portrait or landscape).

HTML Options. This tab is available only if the chosen export type is HTML.

Preview. This tab allows you to define the colors of various elements of the result HTML document, such as: default font color, header font color, table font color, background colors and link colors. To change the color of some element just click this element and set the color you need. You can also use various HTML templates to make the result document look in the way you need. Select a template from the Template drop-down list or click 'Load template' to browse for templates. If you have changed some HTML elements manually and you like the result, you can save it as a template for future using by clicking 'Save as template' button.

Basic. This tab allows you to define the title of the result document and set the mode of the CSS (Cascade Style Sheets) using. The default CSS using is internal, but you can set to external and define your own CSS file in the CSS file name edit field.

Advanced. On the Body options panel you can set the default font name of the result document and set the document background. In the Advanced attributes edit field you can define any attribute values for the HTML tag .

The Table options panel allows you to define such attributed as Cell padding, Cell Spacing and Border. In the Advanced attributes edit field you can define any attribute values for the HTML tag. The Multi-file export panel allows you to export your data not to a single HTML document, but to a number of documents. Check option Use multi-file export to enable this mode and define the maximum number of records in each result file in the appropriate edit field.

ASCII Options. This tab is available only if the chosen export type is Text File or CSV.

TXT Options. If option Calculate column width is checked (default), then width of each column in the result file is set automatically depending on the maximum number of symbols in the column cells. Spacing sets the distance (in symbols) between the data columns in the result file.

CSV Options. If option Quote Strings is checked, then all the strings are exported as quotations, and the apostrophes are doubled. Comma defines the symbol, delimiting columns in the result file.

XML Options. This tab is available only if the chosen export type is XML. It allows you to set the encoding of the result XML document and define if the result document will be standalone by checking/unchecking Standalone option.

When you are done, click the Start Export button to begin export or click Close to close this export dialog.

Clicking the Help button will display this help file information.

Clicking the OK button will leave this survey data export screen, returning to the opening program screen.

Page last updated: May 26, 2009