The Data Explorer provides a GUI which lists the variables in a tabular data file allowing searching, charting and cross tabulation analysis.
This stand-alone component is built to complement The Dataverse Project. It can be run locally on a webserver with the DDI metadata from an open Dataverse data file. The needed parameters are the siteUrl and fileId
As an example, viewing the metadate for https://dataverse.scholarsportal.info/api/access/datafile/8988/metadata/ddi can be done by taking the siteUrl (https://dataverse.scholarsportal.info) and fileId (8988) to create the following URL: https://scholarsportal.github.io/Dataverse-Data-Explorer/?siteUrl=https://dataverse.scholarsportal.info&fileId=8988
Instructions for easy implementation as part of your Dataverse instance are coming soon.
The main interface takes the first 10 variables from the data file and displays them on the screen. Paging controls on the bottom left allow you to view additional variables and a dropdown on the bottom right allows you to control the number of variables to display per page. The search field allows you to search across ID, Name and Label, updating the interface as you type. Clicking the row of a variable will display a chart for the data along with the summary statistics in the "Chart View" tab on the right. Clicking another variable will update the "Chart View" tab with the newly selected variable on top, pushing previous selections below for comparison. Clicking a selected variable will deselects it and clicking the "X" to the right of the tabs deselects all the selected variables.
Next to the "Chart View" tab (revealed when a variable is selected), is the "Table View" tab.
Clicking the "Table View" tab will display a cross tabulation of the selected variables.
By default selected variables are shown along a row in the cross tabulation.
They can be switched to columns by
either dragging the four-way arrow icon to the empty column on the left of the cross tabulation table and releasing when the column darkens,
or by clicking the "Add as Column" icon (beneath the "Add as Row" icon) on the left of the desired variable row.
With no variable selected, clicking either of these icons will display the "Table View" tab directly
A dropdown exists near the top of the interface which reads "Download". The first option "Download Subset" becomes enabled when one or more variables are selected. All other options remain enabled regardless of selection.
This project has been adapted from the Ontario Data Documentation, Extraction Service and Infrastructure known as ODESI