Weightings
SuperCROSS can be used to tabulate against sample surveys where each record in the sample survey has one or more associated weights. Population estimates are calculated by summing these weights, and estimates of means are also computed with these weights.
Survey design, planning, and implementation is outside the scope of SuperSTAR. The weightings must be calculated outside of the SuperSTAR system, and then included in the source unit records as measures when they are channelled into SXV4 format.
Configure Weighting in SuperCROSS
This section only applies to weightings applied locally (client-side) in SuperCROSS.
If you are using both SuperCROSS and SuperWEB2, and you want to apply consistent weightings across both clients, then you are recommended to use SuperSERVER weightings instead. See Weightings for more details.
To configure weighting in SuperCROSS you must create two XML files that define the weight definitions and the available functions:
| weightings.xml | This file defines the weights to be used by a given SXV4 database. There must be one weightings file for each SXV4 that you want to weight. |
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| formulas.xml | This file defines all the formulas/functions that are made available to SuperCROSS users via the Define Recode dialog. A single formulas file can be shared between multiple databases. |
Location of Weighting and Formula Files
The location where you need to save the weighting and formula files depends on how you accessed the SXV4:
| SuperCROSS Local Mode | If you opened the SXV4 in local mode (through the Local Access section in the Catalogue - Select Database or Table window), then the two XML files should be in the same directory as the SXV4. To find out the location of the SXV4 on disk check the |
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| SuperSERVER | If you opened the SXV4 through SuperSERVER, then the two XML files must be located in the The default DB path is not set by default, so if you have not already done so you will need to specify a directory, either by adding it to the ssii.ini configuration file directly or by going to Edit > Options > Configuration > SXV4 and Local Access in SuperCROSS and setting the SXV4 Default DBPath. You will need to restart SuperCROSS to apply this change. |
Select the Weighting Setting
From version 9.7 onwards some changes have been made to allow for consistent weighting across both SuperCROSS and SuperWEB2.
As a result of the changes, each SXV4 database now has a weighting configuration setting (auto, client, server or off) that determines whether to use client-side weighting in SuperCROSS or SuperSERVER weighting.
To use SuperCROSS client-side weighting, a database's weighting configuration setting must be either auto (this is the default; it replicates the behaviour in earlier releases) or client. See Understanding SuperSERVER, SuperCROSS and SuperWEB2 Weighting Differences for more details about the changes to weighting as well as how to configure the weighting setting for a database.
Weighting XML Filename
The filename of the weighting XML file depends on the weighting setting that has been configured for the SXV4 database:
auto | <database_id>_weightings.xml (see below for details on how to find out the database ID). |
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client | <sxv4_filename>_sa_weightings.xml (where <sxv4_filename> matches the name of the SXV4 file on disk, not including the .sxv4 file extension). |
Database ID
When creating the weightings XML file, you need to know the database ID. This is used both in the filename, and also in the weightings file itself (in the dbid attribute of the <DATABASE_WEIGHTINGS> element). If you do not know the database ID you can find it as follows:
| SuperCROSS Local Mode | For databases opened in local mode, you can find the ID by checking the
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| SuperSERVER | Use the cat command in SuperADMIN to find out the ID of databases that have been added to SuperSERVER. Check with your system administrator if you do not have access to SuperADMIN. |
Using a Weighted Database in SuperCROSS
To use weightings in SuperCROSS with a given SXV4 database:
- Make sure that the weightings have been included in the SXV4 database. Each weight that you want to use must be included in the source fact table as a measure. You will need to know the display names of these columns in order to configure weighting.
- Create your weightings XML file for the database.
- Create your formulas XML file for the database (or ensure that the weightings XML file links to an existing formula file).
In SuperCROSS, select File > New to open the Catalogue - Select Database or Table window, then select your SXV4 database.
- You can now select the weightings you want to use by recoding the Summation Options for your database. See Weighted Datasets for more details.
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