Initialise Wizard: Type

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Choose the type of virtual variable to create.

The four types of variable are:

Selector

A selector variable will hold one value for each record on the table that the variable is created on.  That value has to be only one from a certain list of categories.  If the variable type will be a Selector variable then the next step of the wizard will ask for the number of categories to define.  An example of a Selector variable might be postal district, where each household has one and only one postal district.

Numeric

A numeric variable can hold integer or real numbers up to a certain precision.  An example of a Numeric variable might be the cost of an order.

Text

A text variable will hold text strings up to a certain length.  An example of a Text variable would be a street name in an address.

Flag Array

A Flag Array variable is similar to a Selector variable in that it can hold values chosen from a set of categories.  However, unlike a Selector variable, a Flag Array can hold 0, 1 or more values for each record.  An example of a Flag Array variable might be what newspapers someone reads.  A person might not read any newspapers and so the value of the variable for them would be blank.  A person may read one newspaper and so the value of the variable for them would be "The Times".  Or a person may read several newspapers and so that value of the variable for them would be "The Times, The Sun & The Scotsman".

 

Click Next to go to Selector if you are creating a Selector or Flag Array

Click Next to go to Numeric if you are creating a Numeric

Click Next to go to Label if you are creating a Text

Click to return to Table