ASCII Fixed Field exports allow for the manipulation of field spool order via data maps. When ASCII Fixed Field is selected as the export type from the Create Export screen in the Deliverables applet, the following menu appears (default options shown).
The ASCII Fixed Field Options menu contains the following sections.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Datamap | Allows the user to select an existing datamap to use for the export or Create New. |
| The following appear when Create New is selected from the Datamap menu. If a map is selected, these options are already configured for that map. | |
| Columns | Specifies the number of character columns in the export. Defaults to '99999'. |
| Include numeric open-ends | Indicates to include numeric open-end fields if checked (default). |
| Limit ID field to 16 characters | Truncates the trans_id field to a maximum of 16 characters if checked (default). |
| Add padding after each field | Adds a specified number of blank columns around each data field (defaults to '0'). |
| Encoding | Indicates the text encoding standard to use for the export. Options include UTF-8 (unicode) (default) and UTF-16 (windows unicode). |
If need be, the following Advanced Export Options can also be applied. By default, both Compress data file and Expand stacked fields are checked.
Click Next to continuing creating the export.
This will bring users to the final screen of the Create Exports applet where users will see the results of the file being created. If the file is successfully created, users will have the option to download the file, save the export, or both. Note that the Save Export button will not be active unless a file name is entered in the Description field. If need be, users may alter the exports settings via the <<Adjust file button at the bottom of the screen.
Create a custom data map
To create a new custom data map, click the Gear icon next to the Datamap menu, then select Download. A pop-up notification will appear when the data map is ready for download. Click Download Datamap to continue.
The system generates a CSV file containing the default data map based on the variable order as it is defined within the survey source. When the system finishes generating the data map file, click the notification box's Download button. A zip file will be downloaded containing a .txt file and a spreadsheet. The resulting spreadsheet consists of two pages – the first being the Data Map, the second containing the Questions. The Data Map page will look something like this:
| Field | Option | Expression | Row | Start Column | End Column |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| trans_id | 1 | 1 | 100 | ||
| Q1 | 1 | 101 | 102 | ||
| Q2 | 1 | 103 | 103 | ||
| Q3 | 1 | 104 | 104 | ||
| QWHEN_WHERE | 1 | 105 | 107 | ||
| Q4 | 1 | 108 | 108 | ||
| Q5R1 | 1 | 109 | 110 | ||
| Q5R2 | 1 | 111 | 112 | ||
| Q5R3 | 1 | 113 | 114 | ||
| Q7 | 1 | 115 | 122 | ||
| etc. |
The number of character columns per field will be sized to match the option IDs for that field. Field order can be manipulated, but column sizes should be preserved. When the file is ready, it can be uploaded by selecting Upload in the Gear menu next to the data map option in ASCII Fixed Field Export options.
Click Browse, locate the file, and add a description, then click Upload. The map will then be included in the list of maps in the Datamap menu.
Save data map settings
To save ASCII fixed field configuration options, but not customize the map further via download and upload, select the desired options, then click the Gear icon next to the Datamap menu, and click Save As. Enter a name, then click Save. The selected configuration options are now saved as this new map.
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