About Data Bank
What it is
What you will find
In January 2007 Eustat added to its offer of statistics via the web, the possibility of
consulting its Data Bank (D.B.), in which draws together information from different
statistical operations carried out by the Eustat, as well as external sources, over periods
of time (in series).
Framed within subject areas, in turn divided into sub groups, you will find tables with
the corresponding information.
The D.B., besides offering historic data from the different operations, is permanently
being updated, incorporating the latest available data.
What you can do
Once you have found the table that interests you, it can be downloaded to your PC or
you can, from the table, make a selection of the values to carry out a customized query
to meet our needs.
Subsequently, with the table in view, you have further options, such as: change rows for
columns, create different types of graphics from the data, etc.
In addition, many of the tables have a geographic basis, either by provinces, districts or
municipalities. They can be represented as subject maps that show the spatial view in
which the data are distributed.
All the possibilities described to select, manipulate, view and map can be carried out
easily and intuitively with very few clicks on the mouse.
How it works
Px-Web
The Eustat D.B. is based on the statistical dissemination software Pc-Axis, made by the
Swedish Statistics Institute. The presentation and selection on screen is carried out using
a tool from the same family, Px-web. The current version in operation is from 2007, and
includes new features like the possibility to present subject maps from the selected data.
The Pc-axis programme can be obtained for use on your own PC, free at
http://www.eustat.eus/prodserv/downl_i.html and additional documentation can be found at
http://www.pc-axis.scb.se/
The D.B. files are in the native format of this application (*.px), although several
standard formats may be downloaded if you wish to work with another kind of software.
Access to the tables and/or selection of values
After accessing the D.B. through the link "statistical series by subjects” a thematic tree
appears where we can make a first selection from the area of interest. Once you have
clicked on a subject, a list of tables associated to the chosen subject appears.
ach table offers two possibilities: total download in *.px format (the size is stated) or,
from the data contained in the table, make a customized selection.
Choosing "query through the selection of values" you access the dialogue screen that
makes this operation possible via a system of windows that are easy to understand and
use. The screen is divided into windows that each show the different categories to be
chosen. The choice is completely free in each window, provided that at least one value
is selected for each of the categories.
This selection is made with the mouse, clicking on the desired option. Clicking and
dragging selects consecutive values and using the "control" key selects all of those you
click on, consecutive or not. Further information may be obtained by clicking onto
"Advice for selecting".
In the second row of windows you can choose the parameters of presentation or save the
resulting table. You are given the choice of 2 presentation modes for tables and 9 for
files, including the most common (excel, plain text, defined –it is also possible to
choose the definer-, dBase, html, lotus,...).
Under the title of the table appear the possibilities "Information" and "Footnotes";
clicking onto the former shows us information on the unit, the font used and
descriptions of the concepts used. “Footnotes" refer mainly to the base year and
provisional nature of the data, when applicable, and visible, once the query at the foot of
the table is executed.
Further possibilities
If you decide to save onto the hard disk, subsequent treatment of the file is left up to
you. If you have opted for one of the two possibilities to view the tables on screen, you
still have further presentation options.
Just above the resulting table, a row of buttons allows us to: change the viewing mode,
save in any of the possible formats, change rows for columns, eliminate rows of zeros,
carry out autosums, in addition to graphs and maps and print the table presented.
Graphs
One of the most interesting options with D.B. tables is the creation of graphs from data.
By pressing the corresponding tool button, the data appears, by default, in a line graph,
but if we consider another type of presentation to be more suitable for our table, there is
a total of 10 possible options: lines, bars, horizontal bars, areas, dots, population
pyramid, radar, histogram, piled bars and horizontal piled bars.
It is up to you to choose which of the possibilities best expresses the distribution of the
chosen data, although the system itself will tell you if it is not possible to show a
determined graph from the data chosen, for example, a pyramid from a table with more
than two variables.
In addition, it is possible to chose the size of the graph from 5 possible resolutions,
ranging from 200 to 1900.
To save a graph onto the hard disk, you only have to click the right button of the mouse
and choose "Save image as...". The resulting file will be type *.jpg or *.bmp.
Maps
The ability to create maps is the latest feature of the Eustat D.B. and consists of the
possibility of presenting in a map all the tables that have a geographic variable. At
present, the options are: provinces, districts and municipalities.
All the tables that have a geographic variable will offer the option to create the
corresponding maps and also, bearing in mind the power and importance of this
function, a second entry to the Data Bank (from the web) entitled "Maps" has been
enabled, which takes us to a thematic tree in which the only tables to appear are those
that can be made into maps. Furthermore, by entering this way, the possibilities of
presentation are reduced to "presentation on screen" and "map".
Due to its greater flexibility and updating facility, this Maps section substitutes the
"Atlas" section in "Statistical information" on the web.
Its operation is the same as for graphs up to the moment when the table is presented on
screen. Although at this point it is necessary to make some important prior
considerations:
- Maps cannot represent more than two dimensions. One of the variables will be
geographic so, from the other variables available, you can only choose several
categories for one variable. From the remaining, only one category.
- The geographic variable will include a total. In the list of municipalities, for
example, the value corresponding to the A.C. of the Basque Country as a whole is
included. If you are thinking of making a map representation it is important not to
select the value for the A.C. of the Basque Country, as it will form part of the
calculations, distorting the generation of ranks and, consequently, the end
representation.
Once the desired selections are made as has been explained, the “map” button will
become active.
If you press it you will enter a window where data in the thematic map is presented:
The window is divided in three sections: options, legend and the map itself.
The options that are not offered include: Available maps, Variable, Classification and
Size of map.
"Available maps" refers to the different geographic areas that can be represented with
the chosen data. The most common options will be the whole A.C. of the Basque
Country and each of the three Provinces individually.
The selection here of a different area does not mean a recalculation of the data, it is
simply a zoom. The programme works with your selection in a preview selection
window, so although you choose a sole Province here, you will see that the legend
continues to be the same and refers to the 250 in the Community (or whatever number
you have chosen).
"Variable" offers the categories that we have chosen on screen from the previous
selection. Remember, due to its importance: you can only choose several categories
from one sole variable; if you try to choose more than one, it is impossible for them to
be represented on the map. The programme only admits bidimensional representations.
"Classification" offers two possibilities: Quantil and Intervals. This refers to two
possibilities to distribute the values in the 5 ranks that are presented by default. Quantil
will distribute the municipalities in equal quantities in the 5 ranks. The equal Intervals,
as the name indicates, will create equal length ranks that will be filled with the
municipalities according to the value of each.
The size of the map is obvious. It makes viewing of the map bigger or smaller in
percentages between 50% and 500%.
The Legend presents the information from the selection represented, the colours of the
respective ranks and the number of cases for each rank. This legend will remain,
remember, although we change the map, territorial area (for example, from the A.C. of
the Basque Country to a Province), as it does not recalculate when the option is used. In
order to show only the calculations on the municipalities of a province, it is necessary to
return to the selection of values and select those desired. Finally, the source of the data
and maps is also shown.
Finally, the map.
They are presented in JPG format and you can choose the size, as has been explained, in
options from 179x204 to 1785x2035 pixels, or 357x407 pixels, which is the default
presentation.
You can save the map onto your user hard disk with this format and any of the sizes
offered.
Limitations
There is a limitation on the D.B.: you cannot present tables on screen that exceed 1000
rows or 50 columns.
As we are making selections we are informed of the number of rows and columns in the
resulting table, if the limit is exceeded, the only way to handle the table is to download
it to your PC and use your own software.
Saving tables
As seen from the above, tables can be saved onto the hard disk at three points in the
queries process of the D.B.
When the list of tables corresponding to the chosen subject is presented. In this case
you can download the complete *.px file. The size of the file appears beside the link to
the table. At this point you cannot choose a different format to that of PC-AXIS.
Alter opting for a selection of values from a table, you have the possibility of saving
the result of your choice instead of viewing it. In this case there are multiple options,
covering several types of most common files. These are: PC-AXIS, Excel, Text,
Defined with and without heading, HTML, Dbase relational, Dbase for maps and Lotus
wk1. If you choose the option "Defined" you can also select the definer from Tab,
Comma, Space and Semi-colon. If the option is Text, you are allowed to choose the
length of the Line, Page and Margin.
Finally, if you have decided to view the result of your selection on screen, you are
also given the option to save it using the buttons that appear with the presentation. The
formats permitted are the same as those shown in the previous section.