Wiki Testing/datachk: Difference between revisions

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[[FreeForm|return to FreeForm]]
=Data Checking=
=Data Checking=


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For descriptions of the standard arguments (first eleven arguments
For descriptions of the standard arguments (first eleven arguments
above), see ([[Wiki_Testing/convs|Section 8.6]).
above), see [[Wiki_Testing/convs|Conventions]].


<blockquote>
<blockquote>
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Option flag indicating that only the maximum and minimum values of variables are calculated and displayed in the processing summary. Variable summary files are not created.
Option flag indicating that only the maximum and minimum values of variables are calculated and displayed in the processing summary. Variable summary files are not created.


; -o :
; -o ''processing_summary'' :
Option flag followed by the name of the file in which summary information displayed during processing is stored.
Option flag followed by the name of the file in which summary information displayed during processing is stored.


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*<font color='green'>latlon.sum</font> recaps processing activity, maximums and minimums
*<font color='green'>latlon.sum</font> recaps processing activity, maximums and minimums
*<font color='green'>latitude.lst</font> shows distribution of the latitude values in
*<font color='green'>latitude.lst</font> shows distribution of the latitude values in <font color='green'>latlon.dat</font>
<font color='green'>latlon.dat</font>
*<font color='green'>longitude.lst</font> shows distribution of the longitude values in <font color='green'>latlon.dat</font>.
*<font color='green'>longitude.lst</font> shows distribution of the longitude values
in <font color='green'>latlon.dat</font>.


==Interpreting the Summaries==
==Interpreting the Summaries==
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containing the format descriptions (<font color='green'>latlon.fmt</font>), whether
containing the format descriptions (<font color='green'>latlon.fmt</font>), whether
specified on the command line or located through the default search
specified on the command line or located through the default search
sequence (as detailed in chapter 4). In this case, it was located by
sequence. In this case, it was located by
default. Since <font color='green'>checkvar</font> only needs an input format description,
default. Since <font color='green'>checkvar</font> only needs an input format description,
it ignores output format descriptions. Next, you see the format
it ignores output format descriptions. Next, you see the format
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The name of each variable summary file (list file) output by
The name of each variable summary file (list file) output by
<font color='green'>checkvar</font> is of the form <font color='green'>variable.lst</font> for numeric variables
<font color='green'>checkvar</font> is of the form <font color='green'>variable.lst</font> for numeric variables and <font color='green'>variable.cst</font> for character variables. The data in *<font color='green'>.lst</font>, and *<font color='green'>.cst</font> files can be loaded into histogram plot programs for graphical representation. (You must be familiar enough
and <font color='green'>variable.cst</font> for character variables. The data in
with your program of choice to manipulate the data as necessary in order to achieve the desired result.) In Unix, there is no need to abbreviate the base file name.
*<font color='green'>.lst</font>, and *<font color='green'>.cst</font> files can be loaded into histogram plot
 
programs for graphical representation. (You must be familiar enough
<blockquote>NOTE: If you use the -v option, the order of variables in var_file has
with your program of choice to manipulate the data as necessary in
no effect on the numbering of base file names of the variable summary files. </blockquote>
order to achieve the desired result.) In Unix, there is no need to
abbreviate the base file name.


<blockquote>If you use the -v option, the order of variables in var_file has
no effect on the numbering of base file names of the variable
summary files. </blockquote>


The two example variable summary files, <font color='green'>latitude.lst</font> and
The two example variable summary files, <font color='green'>latitude.lst</font> and
<font color='green'>longitude.lst</font>, are shown next.
<font color='green'>longitude.lst</font>, are shown next.


 
<center>
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</center>


The variable summary files consist of two columns. The first indicates
The variable summary files consist of two columns. The first indicates

Latest revision as of 00:01, 7 October 2009

return to FreeForm

Data Checking

The FreeForm ND-based utility program checkvar creates variable summary files, lists of maximum and minimum values, and summaries of processing activity. You can use this information to check data quality and to examine the distribution of the data.


Generating the Summaries

A variable summary file (or list file), which contains histogram information showing the variable's distribution in the data file, is created for each variable (or designated variables) in the specified data file. You can optionally specify an output file in which a summary of processing activity is saved.

Variable summaries (list files) can be helpful for performing quality control checks of data. For example, you could run checkvar on an ASCII file, convert the file to binary, and then run checkvar on the binary file. The output from checkvar should be the same for both the ASCII and binary files. You can also use variable summaries to look at the data distribution in a data set before extracting data.

The checkvar command has the following form:


    checkvar input_file [-f format_file] [-if input_format_file] [-of output_format_file]

    [-ft "title"] [-ift "title"] [-oft "title"] [-b local_buffer_size] [-c count] [-v var_file] [-q query_file]  [-p precision] [-m maxbins] [-md missing_data_flag] [-mm] [-o processing_summary]


The checkvar program needs to find only an input format description. Output format descriptions will be ignored. If conversion variables are included in input or output formats, no conversion is performed when you run checkvar, since it ignores output formats.

For descriptions of the standard arguments (first eleven arguments above), see Conventions.

-p precision

Option flag followed by the number of decimal places. The number represents the power of 10 that data is multiplied by prior to binning. A value of 0 bins on one's, 1 on tenth's, and so on. This option allows an adjustment of the resolution of the checkvar output. The default is 0; maximum is 5.


NOTE:If you use the -p option on the command line, the precision set in the relevant format file is overridden. The precision in the format file serves as the default.

-m maxbins

Option flag followed by the approximate maximum number of bins desired in checkvar output. The checkvar program keeps track of the number of bins filled as the data is processed. The smaller the number of bins, the faster checkvar runs. By keeping the number of bins small, you can check the gross aspects of data distribution rather than the details. The number of bins is adjusted dynamically as checkvar runs depending on the distribution of data in the input file. If the number of filled bins becomes > 1.5 * maxbins, the width of the bins is doubled to keep the total number near the desired maximum. The default is 100 bins; minimum is 6. Must be < 10,000.


NOTE: The precision (-p) and maxbins (-m) options have no effect on character variables.


-md missing_data_flag

Option flag followed by a flag value that checkvar should ignore across all variables in creating histogram data. Missing data flags are used in a data file to indicate missing or meaningless data. If you want checkvar to ignore more than one value, use the query (-q) option in conjunction with the variable file (-v) option.

-mm

Option flag indicating that only the maximum and minimum values of variables are calculated and displayed in the processing summary. Variable summary files are not created.

-o processing_summary

Option flag followed by the name of the file in which summary information displayed during processing is stored.

Example

You will use checkvar with a precision of 3 to create a processing summary file and summary files for the two variables latitude and longitude in the file latlon.dat.

Here is latlon.dat:


-47.303545 -176.161101
-0.928001    0.777265
-28.286662   35.591879
12.588231  149.408117
-83.223548   55.319598
54.118314 -136.940570
38.818812   91.411330
-34.577065   30.172129
27.331551 -155.233735
11.624981 -113.660611
77.652742  -79.177679
77.883119  -77.505502
-65.864879  -55.441896
-63.211962  134.124014
35.130219 -153.543091
29.918847  144.804390
-69.273601   38.875778
-63.002874   36.356024
35.086084  -21.643402
-12.966961   62.152266

To create the summary files, enter the following command:

checkvar latlon.dat -p 3 -o latlon.sum

A summary of processing information and the maximum and minimum for each variable are displayed on the screen. The following three files are created:


  • latlon.sum recaps processing activity, maximums and minimums
  • latitude.lst shows distribution of the latitude values in latlon.dat
  • longitude.lst shows distribution of the longitude values in latlon.dat.

Interpreting the Summaries

The processing and variable summary files output by checkvar from the example in the previous section are shown and discussed below.

Processing Summary

If you specify an output file on the command line, it stores the information that is displayed on the screen during processing. The file latlon.sum was specified as the output file in the example above.

Here is latlon.sum:

Input file : latlon.dat
Requested precision = 3, Approximate number of sorting bins = 100

Input data format       (latlon.fmt)
ASCII_input_data       "ASCII format"
The format contains 2 variables; length is 24.

Output data format       (latlon.fmt)
binary_output_data       "binary format"
The format contains 2 variables; length is 16.

Histogram data precision: 3, Number of sorting bins: 20
latitude: 20 values read
minimum: -83.223548 found at record  5
maximum:  77.883119 found at record 12
Summary file: latitude.lst

Histogram data precision: 3, Number of sorting bins: 20
longitude: 20 values read
minimum: -176.161101 found at record 1
maximum:  149.408117 found at record 4
Summary file: longitude.lst.


The processing summary file latlon.sum first shows the name of the input data file (latlon.dat). If you specified precision and a maximum number of bins on the command line, those values are given as Requested precision, in this case 3, and Approximate number of sorting bins, in this case the default value of 100. If precision is not specified, No requested precision is shown.

A summary of each format shows the type of format (in this case, Input data format and Output data format) and the name of the format file containing the format descriptions (latlon.fmt), whether specified on the command line or located through the default search sequence. In this case, it was located by default. Since checkvar only needs an input format description, it ignores output format descriptions. Next, you see the format descriptor as resolved by FreeForm ND (e.g., ASCII_input_data) and the format title (e.g., "ASCII format"). Then the number of variables in a record and total record length are given; for ASCII, record length includes the end-of-line character (1 byte for Unix).

A section for each variable processed by checkvar indicates the histogram precision and actual number of sorting bins. Under some circumstances, the precision of values in the histogram file may be different than the precision you specified on the command line. The default value for precision, if none is specified on the command line, is the precision specified in the relevant format description file or 5, whichever is smaller. The second line shows the name of the variable (latitude, longitude) and the number of values in the data file for the variable (20 for both latitude and longitude).

The minimum and maximum values for the variable are shown next (-83.223548 is the minimum and 77.883119 is the maximum value for latitude). The maximum and minimum values are given here with a precision of 6, which is the precision specified in the format description file. The locations of the maximum and minimum values in the input file are indicated. (-83.223548 is the fifth latitude value in latlon.dat and 77.883119 is the twelfth). Finally, the name of the histogram data (or variable summary) file generated for each variable is given (latitude.lst and longitude.lst).

Variable Summaries

The name of each variable summary file (list file) output by checkvar is of the form variable.lst for numeric variables and variable.cst for character variables. The data in *.lst, and *.cst files can be loaded into histogram plot programs for graphical representation. (You must be familiar enough with your program of choice to manipulate the data as necessary in order to achieve the desired result.) In Unix, there is no need to abbreviate the base file name.

NOTE: If you use the -v option, the order of variables in var_file has no effect on the numbering of base file names of the variable summary files.


The two example variable summary files, latitude.lst and longitude.lst, are shown next.

latitude.lst
-83.224 1
-69.274 1
-65.865 1
-63.212 1
-63.003 1
-47.304 1
-34.578 1
-28.287 1
-12.967 1
-0.929 1
11.624 1
12.588 1
27.331 1
29.918 1
35.086 1
35.130 1
38.818 1
54.118 1
77.652 1
77.883 1
longitude.lst
-176.162 1
-155.234 1
-153.544 1
-136.941 1
-113.661 1
-79.178 1
-77.506 1
-55.442 1
-21.644 1
0.777 1
30.172 1
35.591 1
36.356 1
38.875 1
55.319 1
62.152 1
91.411 1
134.124 1
144.804 1
149.408 1

The variable summary files consist of two columns. The first indicates boundary values for data bins and the second gives the number of data points in each bin. Because a precision of 3 was specified in the example, each boundary value has three decimal places. The boundary values are determined dynamically by checkvar and often do not correspond to data values in the input file, even if the checkvar and data file precisions are the same.

The first data bin in latitude.lst contains data points in the range -83.224 (inclusive) to -69.274 (exclusive); neither boundary number exists in latlon.dat. The first bin has one data point, -83.223548. The fourth data bin contains latitude values from -63.212 (inclusive) to -63.003 (exclusive), again with neither boundary value occurring in the data file. The data point in the fourth bin is -63.211962.