General information on Triple-S

Triple-S system use 2 files : a file form the survey information (the sss file), and a file with data. In this plugin, the file with data is in DAT format : a fixed-length records format.

You can find more information on the Triple-S standard at the Triple-S website.

Triple-S version 1.2 and version 2 offer limited variable type, we use specific variable type for each question type. Some of this variable type and option can be updated in Global Settings.

Export Triple-S settings

sss XML version

XML version 2

XML Version 1.2

List of choice option

No answer code : offer ability to use a specific string for ’no answer’. This let you have a difference between not relevant question and not answered question in your data file

Ability to use numeric code : with XML2 : default system export real code in 5 character length. You can use another method : remove non-numeric character from the answer code or use the order of the answers, the ’other’ answer are the number of answers+1.

If you use a numeric code (order or remove non numeric) : you have to set the number for the other option

Add the real code before the label : you can choose to add the real code before the text label

Text answers

UTF8/ANSI export : Allow to specify the export character set, default is UTF-8. Some tools have difficulty for with of each character in UTF-8, use ANSI if the data seems broken. This will remove all accents.

Minimum size for text export (for each question type) : Export of data is done in DAT format. This format need a size for each column. You can set the minimum size for each question type. Final size is the minimum between this setting and the real size needed.

Numeric value

Question by question system by attribute : The plugin call the minimum value and the maximum value from the attribute. You can set the decimal set using .(dot) and number after this dot. some example

• minimum: -99.0, maximum : 99 : Export from -99 to 99 with 1 decimal
• minimum: 0. Export start by 0 without any decimal.

. The integer setting is used too.

Size of the integer part : If the attribute don’t set a max value or a min value : the default integer size. Default is set to 20 because LimeSurvey core save value with 20 number for integer part.

Size of the decimals part : If the attribute don’t set a max value or a min value : the default decimal part. Default is set to 10 because LimeSurvey core save value with 10 number for decimal part.

XML2 Triple-S type match Question type

Response ID

quantity as serial

Token date information

2 variable : one Date and one Time

Text question type

Export as character variable. Each question type have own setting for minimal length. When exporting, the final length is set to the minimum value between this setting and the real length in the response table.

"Other" part of question

Export as a character variable. Minimum length can be updated in global settings, final length is set according to real response table.

"Comments" part of question

Export as a character variable. Minimum length can be updated in global settings, final length is set according to real response table.

Single choice question (same for Array question type, Yes/No question ....)

By default export a single variable in literal format. Then the answer code you choose is used for data. "-oth-" is used of other answer.

Numeric question type (numerical to array number)

The answer is exported at decimal value, using specific system for length of integer part and length of decimal part. See more explanation at global plugin settings.

XML1.2 system

When able, XML1.2 use the same system than XML2.

With XML1.2, some variable can be used : the Date+Time variable didn’t exist, and the literal format for single didn’t exist.

Date time response part

2 choice are offered : export as character in format "YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ii" or in numeric value using "YYYYMMDDHHmmii" format.

Single choice question

2 choice : remove non numeric character from the answer part for answer with code; or the order shown to the user . Default is the order of the answers.

For fixed choice question type (Yes/No, Gender ..) the order is always used.

You can set a specific code for "other", by default it’s set to 999999