STD*MIS - FAQ - Reports Issues

Installing New or Modified Reports

Q1: How do I install a new report into STD*MIS?

Follow the instructions located on the appropriate reports download page.

Q2: How do I install a modified report into STD*MIS?

The process for this issue is to download the appropriate report from the STD*MIS Web Site and uncompress the file directly into the STD*MIS directory. You should overwrite the existing report with the new one you just downloaded. Since you are simply correcting an existing report, there is no reason to go through the entire installation procedure.

Updating the Report Menu

Q1: How do I modify an existing entry on the Report Menu of STD*MIS?

In STD*MIS choose Reports - Update Report Menu. Then choose Modify. Using your arrow keys on the keyboard, scroll up/down to highlight the report you would like to modify. Once highlighted, press <enter>. You will then have six items that you may modify: TYPE of report, NAME of report, EXTENSION, DESCRIPTION, STAND-ALONE, and COMMAND. *Existing entries should only be modified to change Type of Report and/or Description.* What type of report is this: Morbidity, Laboratory, Worker, etc.? What is the executable NAME of this report? DESCRIBE this report. Can this report run independent of any other program? If this is an Epi Info report, you should answer this question NO. If this report is written in Epi Info the answer to the final question is ANALYSIS, because analysis is the program used to access the data.

Q2: How do I create a new Report Menu Option in STD*MIS?

In STD*MIS choose Reports - Update Report Menu - Add. You will then have six questions that will need to be answered: TYPE of report, NAME of report, EXTENSION, DESCRIPTION, STAND-ALONE, and COMMAND. What type of report is this: Morbidity, Laboratory, Worker, etc.? What is the executable NAME of this report? DESCRIBE this report. Can this report run independent of any other program? If this is an Epi Info report, you should answer this question NO. If this report is written in Epi Info the answer to the final question is ANALYSIS, because analysis is the program used to access the data. The new report must be saved in the same directory as STD*MIS for the report to be functional.

Q3: If I copy the latest REPTMENU.DBF into STD*MIS (and overwrite the old one), will it delete any local changes I have made to the Report Menu?

Yes. If you have made any local changes to your Report Menu, it is recommended that you always follow the proper report installation procedures to install new reports. By following the normal process of installing new reports, you can be sure that the latest Report Menu will only append to the existing Report Menu. You will not lose any locally entered options. However, it is always recommended that you create a copy of the affected existing files prior to installing new reports.

Report Errors

Q1: When a report fails before issuing results, how do I determine what caused the failure?

Issues surrounding report failures are varied, so explaining how to interpret these failures is not efficient in this medium. However, you should know that when STD*MIS fails, a text file is generated to explain to the programmers what went wrong. The same thing happens when a report fails. If you have a system failure brought on by a report you should contact your State/Project Area's STD*MIS Support Person and be prepared to e-mail a copy of the file REPTERR.TXT. This will assist in diagnosing your problem.

Q2: Who should I contact whenever a report fails to complete it's analysis?

You should contact your State/Project Area's STD*MIS Support Person.

Q3: When I send my 688 report directly to a text file (688.TXT) I cannot print it correctly using EPED. It will print correctly if I allow the system to send it to the laser printer. What can I do to make this file print correctly from EPED?

Several Epi Info Reports (Morbidity) in STD*MIS can only print correctly using the print output option in the report itself. This is because the programs used to generate these reports automatically reset your report to correctly resize font and other formatting to fit the appropriate printer type. We suggest that you print a copy (or copies) of the report specifically for your hard copy records and rerun the report so that you can output it in text file format for electronic viewing.

Q4: When I run the 998 report I get one county with multiple entries. How does this happen and how do I remedy the problem?

There are generally two reasons this happens:

1. The county has been entered into GEO_AREA.DBF with a spelling different from the other entries for the county. For example, the correct spelling for a county is DeKalb, and you have two lines in the 998 report that relate to this county. One is spelled as above, but the other is spelled De Kalb.
2. The county FIPS code entered with an existing county is incorrect. For example, DeKalb has a FIPS code of 053 and a second entry for this county has a FIPS code of 53.

Both of these issues can be modified very quickly by identifying the incorrect spelling or FIPS code. You can determine which record is incorrect by doing a quick analysis on GEO_AREA.DBF. Select the incorrect county or FIPS code (found on the 998 report) and do a frequency on CITY.

Once identified, you should access the appropriate record through System Utilities-Update Reference Files-Geo. Areas. Then Modify this record with the correct information.

Understanding the Reports Bundled With STD*MIS

Q1: I have to evaluate the accuracy of the reports STD*MIS generates, but I am having trouble determining how the reports accumulate the statistics. Where can I find a guide to these reports?

We have attempted to make this a much simpler task by documenting many of the most complex reports. See the STD*MIS Documentation page to view, print, and/or download the descriptions for STD*MIS bundled reports.

Q2: I would like to modify some of the reports in STD*MIS. What programming language is used to write these reports?

There were two different languages used to write reports that come bundled with STD*MIS: Epi Info and Clipper. The reports listed as "Morbidity" type reports are all written in Epi Info. Modification of the Epi Info programs and reports can be achieved by accessing the particular report/program using the EPED function of Epi Info. The reports are extremely complicated and great care should be taken before modifications are attempted. In fact, it is suggested that you make a copy of the existing programs and reports and store them in a safe directory prior to attempting any changes.

Modification of the clipper reports is a bit more complex. You first must have the technical capacity to undertake such an effort. Any project area wishing to make changes to STD*MIS 3.2 reports would need to purchase a copy of Clipper 5.3a and Blinker 4.0 or higher. You will also need the STD*MIS Source Code (which we can provide to you). Additionally, if your area is utilizing Advantage Database Server Software, you would need Advantage Client Libraries.

Q3: Given the complexity of modifying the reports myself, as well as the monetary commitment, can CDC make modifications to these reports for me?

Currently, we are focusing our resources on preparing STD*MIS for a migration to a Windows based product. With this in mind, we are not able to make changes to existing reports. However, if problems are discovered in any of the 3.2 reports, we will take steps to "fix" those issues. If you discover an error in the existing 3.2 reports, please notify your STD*MIS Support Person.