List File Attributes

Brief Data Dictionary

When you choose Brief as the data dictionary format, a brief listing will be produced; the Brief format is more readable but less complete than the default of a Standard listing. Next, you are asked for a destination for the listing's output at the "DEVICE:" prompt. You can specify any valid printer or press the Enter/Return key to send output to your screen as illustrated below:

    Select LISTING FORMAT:  STANDARD//   BRIEF
    ALPHABETICALLY BY LABEL?  NO//  

    DEVICE:  

Here is a sample of a Brief data dictionary listing of an elementary file of patients:

BRIEF DATA DICTIONARY #16026 -- PATIENT FILE          05/31/91  PAGE 1
SITE: KDEMO V7   UCI: VAH,KXX                                                  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NAME                           16026,.01    FREE TEXT 
                                        
                                   Answer must be 3-30 characters in length. 

SEX                            16026,1    SET 
                                          'm' FOR MALE;
                                          'f' FOR FEMALE;


DATE OF BIRTH                  16026,2    DATE 
                                        TYPE A DATE BETWEEN 1/1/1860 AND 1963 

RELIGION                       16026,3    POINTER TO RELIGION FILE (#13) 

DIAGNOSIS                      16026,4  16026.04  
   Multiple 

  DIAGNOSIS                    16026.04,.01    FREE TEXT 
                                        
                                   Answer must be 3-30 characters in length. 

  AGE AT ONSET                 16026.04,1    NUMBER 
                                        
                           Type a Number between 0 and 100, 0 Decimal Digits 

  HISTORY                      16026.04,2  16026.42  WORD-PROCESSING  

PROVIDER                       16026,5    VARIABLE POINTER 
              FILE  ORDER  PREFIX    LAYGO  MESSAGE
               6      1    S            n   STAFF PROVIDER 
               16     2    O            y   OTHER PROVIDER 

SSN                            16026,6    FREE TEXT 
  Social Security Number                Enter 9 numbers without dashes.

The information in the data dictionary reports originated in the definition of the file and its fields.

NOTE: The "Creating Files and Fields" chapter explains in detail the source of the information displayed by the List File Attributes option.

This data dictionary listing tells you that for each patient, the following information may be available:

• A NAME that is from 3 to 30 characters long.
  
  
• A recorded SEX of either m (MALE) or f (FEMALE).
  
  
• A DATE OF BIRTH.
  
  
• A RELIGION (for a list of all valid religions, we would have to consult a RELIGION file).
  
  
• One or more diagnoses and for each DIAGNOSIS; DIAGNOSIS is a Multiple-valued field that has the following information:
  
  
  • An AGE AT ONSET
    
    
  • A HISTORY
  
  
  
• A PROVIDER (e.g., a primary care physician). For a list of valid PROVIDERs, you would consult File #6 and then File #16. If the PROVIDER's name does not appear, it can then be entered in File #16, since LAYGO (Learn-As-You-Go) has been allowed.
  
  
• A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (SSN).

Reviewed/Updated: March 4, 2007