E-DATAAID: Editing Data [22806]

E-DataAid supports editing of the values within a data file, but does not function exactly like other spreadsheet applications. Specifically, due to the hierarchical nature of experimental data, E- DataAid structures the spreadsheet to maintain the hierarchical relationship between data collected at higher and lower levels (e.g., block level, trial level, etc).

Data from one level in an experiment is hierarchically related to the data in other levels. Higher level data is shared by many trials (e.g., the same subject number applies to all trials run by that subject). However, spreadsheets require a flat grid format.  Thus, because the rows in E- DataAid’s spreadsheet represent the lowest level of data in the data file, E-DataAid must repeat the data values collected for higher levels down many rows of the spreadsheet.

In order to maintain the hierarchical nature of the data while displaying in flat grid format, E- DataAid creates pointers from the individual cells to the piece of data they display. Cells containing lower level data (e.g., trial level data) may share upper level data (e.g., block or session level data), such that many cells are pointing to the same piece of data. For this reason, when an individual cell is edited, all other cells pointing to the piece of edited data will automatically be modified when the new value is accepted in the edited cell.

In addition, to help preserve the integrity of the data, E-DataAid keeps an audit trail of any modifications made to a file. For each modification to a file, a comment describing the modification is written as an annotation to the file. When a value is edited, the application stores the annotation with the session containing the modified value, updates the session’s modified date, and updates the file’s modified date.

E-DataAid allows modification of the experiment name, subject or session number, individual cell values, variable names, or level names. In addition, variables may be added, annotations may be created, and text may be added to existing annotations. If a cell cannot be edited, it will appear in gray, and the cursor cannot be placed in the cell. Any cell in a column displaying level numbers for any level below the session level will be read-only (i.e., block numbers, trial numbers, etc.). Because of the hierarchical nature of experiment data, the application does not allow these cells to be edited. Any cell in a column on which an Administrator places a security restriction will also be read-only.

Each modification writes an annotation describing the modification to the data file. The image below illustrates an Annotations record for a file containing a sequence of file merges, as well as a data alteration (i.e., changing the subject number).

For each value modified, the application stores an annotation with the session that contains the modified value, and updates the session’s modified date. All other annotations are stored globally in the data file. All modifications result in the updating of the file’s modified date.

In the spreadsheet, all data alterations, including edits to a cell value or a variable name, are displayed in color. By default, data alterations are displayed in red.

The display color for data alterations may be changed to blue or green by using the Options command in the View menu. Data alterations result in the marking of the file as containing data alterations.

Editing Experiment Name

The experiment name may be edited with the restriction that every session must have an experiment name, the experiment name cannot be white space, and it cannot exceed 80 characters in length. To edit a session’s experiment name, select a cell in the ExperimentName column for any row containing data for that session. The application will acknowledge the edit when the Enter key is pressed, the cell is exited, or the file is saved.

Each data file may contain sessions from different experiments, and each session stores the name of the experiment to which it is related. Therefore, when an experiment name is changed for one session of data, only the cells related to that session are modified. To change the experiment name for more than one session at a time, use the Replace command in the Edit menu.

A file can contain data sessions from more than one experiment. Therefore, when a session’s experiment name is modified, the application checks for values which will result in a duplicate subject number, session number, and experiment name combination. If the combination of subject number, session number and experiment name is duplicated in the data file, the application will display a warning, and the user will be given the opportunity to cancel the operation.

Editing a session’s experiment name will mark the file as containing altered data, will store an annotation with the session, and will update the modified dates for both the session and the data file containing that session. Modified dates may be viewed in the file’s properties.

Edit Subject and Session Number

Subject and Session numbers may be modified with the restrictions that every session of data must have a subject and session number, and that these numbers must be positive integers (up to 32,767). To edit a subject or session number, type the new number in one of the cells in the appropriate column (Subject or Session column) containing the value for the change. The value will not be accepted until the {Enter} key is pressed, until the cursor is placed in another cell, or until the file is saved. When the new value is accepted, all of the cells to which the modification applies will be changed to display the new value, and the edited data will be displayed in red.

A file can contain more than one experiment. Therefore, when subject or session number is modified, the application checks for values which will result in a duplicate subject number, session number, and experiment name combination. If the combination of subject number, session number and experiment name is duplicated in the data file, the application will display a warning, and the user will be given the opportunity to cancel the operation.

Editing subject and/or session number will mark the file as containing altered data, will store an annotation with the session, and will update the modified dates for both the session and the data file containing that session. Modified dates may be viewed in the file’s properties.

Editing Cell Values
Individual cell values may be modified with certain restrictions. Integer and float variables may only be modified with number input, the application truncates any decimal point and places for integer types, and the application does not check for data values that are too small or too large for the defined type. To edit the value in a cell, type the new value directly in the cell. The value will not be accepted until the Enter key is pressed, until the cursor is placed in another cell, or until the file is saved.

To “delete” the value in a cell, use the Delete command in the Edit menu, or simultaneously press the Ctrl+D key combination when the appropriate cell is selected. The application requires this method because data may not actually be deleted. The Delete command sets an internal flag for the selected piece of data to missing.

Editing a cell value will mark the file as containing altered data, will store an annotation with the session, and will update the modified dates for both the session and the data file containing that session. Modified dates may be viewed in the file’s properties.

Fill Down

The Fill Down command in the Edit menu fills all cells in the selected range of cells within a single column with the contents of the first cell in the range. This command is only available for editable cells. Select a range of cells by clicking in the first cell and dragging down the column to highlight the desired area. With the desired area highlighted, select the Fill Down command from the Edit menu. The value from the first selected cell will be filled into the other cells in the selected area.
 

Undoing Edits
E-DataAid supports undoing all modifications made during the current E-DataAid session. The most current modification may be undone by using the Undo command in the Edit menu or the Undo tool button on the toolbar.

To undo previous modifications, continue to use the Undo command until the desired operation is reversed. If no modifications have been made to the file (i.e., there is nothing to undo), the Undo button and command are disabled.

Deleting Data

The Delete command in the Edit menu designates the selected cells as having missing data (NULL). The Delete command is only available for cells containing data for variables that may be edited. To designate the value of a cell as missing data, use the Delete command. The Delete command sets the underlying data to NULL. Entering an empty string in a cell or actually typing the word “NULL” into the cell sets the underlying data to the string value “” or ”NULL”, respectively.

It is important to distinguish between deleted values and values set to the string “NULL”. Typing the word “NULL” sets the underlying data to the string value “NULL”. Similarly, copying a cell with no data to another cell does not delete the data in the other cell, but rather sets its value to the string value “NULL”. In order to determine whether a value has actually been deleted or is set to the string value “NULL”, view the file’s annotations. If the value was deleted, NULL will appear in the annotation without quotes. If the value was set to the string value “NULL" in quotes.

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