In January 2003 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.
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.
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 2003, 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.es/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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.