• <GetStart>
  • CSPro User's Guide
    • The CSPro System
    • Data Dictionary Module
    • The CSPro Language
    • Data Entry Module
    • Batch Editing Applications
    • Tabulation Applications
    • Data Sources
    • CSPro Statements and Functions
    • Templated Reporting System
    • HTML and JavaScript Integration
    • Action Invoker
    • Appendix
      • Appendix A - Installation
      • Appendix B - Keys Summary
      • Appendix C - Menu Summary
      • Appendix D - Toolbar Summary
      • Appendix E - Application Properties
      • Appendix F - Converting Within IMPS or ISSA
      • Appendix G - Errors in Censuses and Surveys
      • Appendix H - File Types
        • File Types
        • JSON Specification Files
        • SQLite Use in CSPro
        • Importing Data to CSPro Format
        • Locking Application Files
        • Temporary Data File
        • CSPro DB File Format
        • Files Description
          • Data Dictionary File (.dcf)
          • Data Entry Application File (.ent)
          • Forms File (.fmf)
          • Logic File (.apc)
          • Message File (.mgf)
          • Question File (.qsf)
          • Application Properties File (.csprops)
          • Program Information File (.pff)
          • Binary Data Entry Application File (.pen)
          • Index File (.csidx)
          • Notes File (.csnot)
          • Status File (.sts)
          • Paradata Log File (.cslog)
          • Operator Statistics File (.log)
          • Listing File
          • Frequencies File
          • Batch Edit Application File (.bch)
          • Edit Order File (.ord)
          • Saved Arrays File (.sva)
          • Tabulation Application File (.xtb)
          • Table Specifications File (.xts)
          • Tables File (.tbw)
          • Area Names File (.anm)
          • Table Matrices File (.tab)
          • Table Matrices Index File (.tabidx)
          • Frequency Specification File (.fqf)
      • Appendix I - JSON Representations
  • <CSEntry>
  • <CSBatch>
  • <CSTab>
  • <DataViewer>
  • <TextView>
  • <TblView>
  • <CSFreq>
  • <CSDeploy>
  • <CSPack>
  • <CSDiff>
  • <CSConcat>
  • <Excel2CSPro>
  • <CSExport>
  • <CSIndex>
  • <CSReFmt>
  • <CSSort>
  • <ParadataConcat>
  • <ParadataViewer>
  • <CSCode>
  • <CSDocument>
  • <CSView>
  • <CSWeb>

Data Dictionary File (.dcf)

Each data file manipulated by CSPro must be described by a data dictionary. The data dictionary file contains information defining the layout of a data file, including levels, records, items, value sets and values.
CSPro allows you to explicitly open, close and save data dictionary files independently of other application files. You must be careful when you do so if more than one application uses the data dictionary.
CSPro applications may optionally contain data dictionaries which represent secondary files, such as lookup files, which are opened during data entry.
The data dictionary file is a JSON specification file that may be viewed with any text editor, such as Text Viewer or Notepad. It is not recommended to make changes to this file outside the CSPro environment.