Upload the Colorado Dataset

Uploading the Colorado dataset is the most time consuming and dangerous part of the PLAR process.  This primarily because this dataset does not come with proper headers in the spreadsheet, but instead has question numbers that must be manually matched to variable codes.

  1. The first thing you need to do is to add variable codes to the header using Excel.  Follow the instructions at https://docs.lrs.org/public-library-annual-report/add-variable-codes-to-the-colorado-dataset-using-excel/.
  2. Once you have completed that, congrats, because it is the most tedious part of the process.
  3. Copy the worksheet to a new spreadsheet.
  4. Delete the first two headers (the ones containing question numbers and VLOOKUP formulas).
  5. Set the format of all cells to “General.”
  6. Save as a .CSV file (for Windows)
    1. The filename should be an underscore followed by the report year, e.g. _2017, _2016, _2015.
  7. From this point on we will follow a different process than the one we used for the preliminary dataset.  We don’t want to replace the data that’s already in the database, but instead want to update it.  The process for that is different in LRSi.
  8. Go to the “Upload .csv File” page in LRSi at https://www.lrs.org/public/data/tools/upload-csv/ and upload the .CSV file.
  9. Go to the “Import .csv Data” page in LRSi at https://www.lrs.org/public/data/tools/import-csv/ and, under “Import and update using data within the following file:”, select the file you just uploaded.
    1. This is extremely important.  The Colorado dataset will not have all of the data we previously imported from the preliminary dataset.  If you overwrite those data then they are gone.  Well, not gone, but there’s a tedious process to restore them that requires working directly in the database.
  10. Go to the “Update Statistics-years Relationships” page in LRSi at https://www.lrs.org/public/data/tools/update-stats-relationships/.  Select the PLAR year and “Submit.”
    1. This will tell LRSi to identify new variables in your uploaded data and to associate them with the existing dataset.
  11. Go to the “Create/Update Columns For Dynamic Statistics” page in LRSi at https://www.lrs.org/public/data/tools/create-dynamic-columns/.  Select the PLAR year and “Submit.”
    1. This will tell LRSi to (re)create columns and (re)calculate values for dynamically calculated stats.

That’s it, you’re done.  If this is the final dataset, be sure to remove the preliminary marking by following the instructions at https://docs.lrs.org/public-library-annual-report/mark-data-as-preliminary/

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