DevInfo 7 Data Admin

Creating and Editing

Templates
User Guide
DevInfo Support Group
Last updated: 22 April 2013 (r3)

Abstract
This guide provides a step-by-step tutorial in how to create and edit templates using
the DevInfo 7 Data Admin Template module.

Document Version Summary

Version
No
3

Date
22 Apr 13

Reason for Change

Updated document to reflect
changes in functionality and
user interface related to the
release of version 7.1.0.0

Sections Updated
All

Acknowledgment
This database software has been developed by the UN system. The product has
been adapted from UNICEF ChildInfo technology. UNICEF owns and maintains the
source code for DevInfo.

Contents
Chapter 1: Getting started ............................................................... 6
Introduction ............................................................................................................. 6
Template module commands ................................................................................. 8
Updating the Global DevInfo Registry .................................................................... 9

Chapter 2: Creating a new template: defining indicators, units

and subgroups ................................................................................10
Using the toolbars ................................................................................................. 11
Overview: Step 1 - Indicators ............................................................................... 12
Importing indicators, units and subgroups ............................................................ 13
Viewing and managing indicator-unit-subgroup combinations ............................. 20
Entering indicators manually ................................................................................ 22
Entering and associating units ............................................................................. 23
Subgroups in DevInfo ........................................................................................... 25
Entering subgroups manually ............................................................................... 26
Setting minimum and maximum range values against IUS combinations ........... 32
Finalizing IUS associations................................................................................... 33

Chapter 3: Creating a new template: linking indicators to

classifications .................................................................................35
Overview: Step 2 Indicator classifications ......................................................... 35
Importing indicator classifications ......................................................................... 37
Entering indicator classifications manually ........................................................... 38
Linking indicators to indicator classifications ........................................................ 39
Setting the display order of sectors and IUS combinations.................................. 41

Chapter 4: Creating a new template: adding areas ......................42

Overview: Step 3 areas ..................................................................................... 42
Importing areas ..................................................................................................... 44
Entering areas manually ....................................................................................... 46
4

Editing area level captions.................................................................................... 47

Finalizing your template ........................................................................................ 48

Chapter 5: Editing and merging templates ...................................49

Editing an existing offline template ....................................................................... 49
Editing the template of an existing database........................................................ 50
Merging two or more templates ............................................................................ 52
Setting default options .......................................................................................... 54
Editing GIDs ......................................................................................................... 56

Chapter 6: Using registries to standardize templates ..................58

Updating your local copy of the Global DevInfo Registry ..................................... 58
Using SDMX registries ......................................................................................... 59
Making your template registry-compliant.............................................................. 61

Getting started
Introduction

The first step to building a DevInfo database is creating a template. The template
provides the structural model for building a DevInfo database, by specifying the
elements against which data can be entered into the database.
Each record in a DevInfo database must contain, at a minimum, the following eight
elements:

Indicator
Unit
Subgroup (such as sex, location, age group, and/or combinations of these)
Area
Area ID (which uniquely identifies the area and associates it to a map file)
Time period
Source
Data value

Indicators are associated with units and subgroups to form indicator-unit-subgroup

(IUS) combinations. Along with the areas and area IDs, these are entered via the
Template module. Time periods, sources and data values are entered during the
data entry process. Fig. 1.1 below provides a graphic summary of this process.

Fig. 1.1
6

There are two ways to create templates in DevInfo. The first method, recommended
for individuals new to DevInfo, involves performing each of the following tasks using
the Template module of the DevInfo Data Admin application:

Defining indicators
Defining units of measurement
Defining subgroups, such as sex, location, age group and others
Linking indicators, units and subgroups to form IUS combinations
Categorizing IUS combinations under various classifications
Defining geographic areas

An alternative method for creating templates, recommended for more experienced

DevInfo database administrators, involves importing indicator-unit-subgroup
combinations and indicator classifications directly from a pre-formatted Excel
spreadsheet. This method uses the DX Import IUS AND IC utility available under
the Data Exchange module of the DevInfo Data Admin application. Please consult
the DX Import IUS AND IC User Guide for more details.
A template can contain global, regional, national and/or local (user-defined)
elements. Global elements, which are displayed in a different color, are imported
from the Global DevInfo Registry and cannot be modified by the user. Regional and
1
national elements can be imported from SDMX registries or from existing
templates/databases. Local (user-defined) elements can be created and modified
by the database administrator.

Database administrators are encouraged to set up a database-specific SDMX registry at

the time of publishing their DevInfo 7 databases, in order to facilitate the orderly flow of their
data to external data consumers.
7

Template module commands

The Template module contains the following commands (Fig. 1.2):

Fig. 1.2
New

Allows you to create a new template

Open

Opens an existing template for editing, including a

template from an existing database file

Save As

Saves the working file under a different file name or

in a different location

Update registry

Updates your local copy of the Global DevInfo

Registry and any specified SDMX registry

Edit GIDs

Allows you to edit the global identifiers assigned to

DevInfo database elements

Merge template

Allows you to merge two or more templates

Compliance to registry

Checks the consistency of your template elements

against the Global DevInfo Registry

Set default options

Allows you to set the default subgroup for

indicators, which will appear at the top of user
search results in DevInfo 7
8

Each of these options will be explained in the subsequent chapters of this User
Guide.

Updating the Global DevInfo Registry

After installing DevInfo Data Admin 7, you will need to update the Global DevInfo
Registry on your system. (Note that you must be connected to the Internet to update
your registry.) The Global DevInfo Registry contains a repository of all the
indicators, units, subgroups, indicator classifications, geographic areas and maps
included in the latest official Millennium Development Goals (MDG) database, which
is maintained by the United Nations Statistics Division. This database is the default
database hosted at www.devinfo.org.
From the expanded Template module, click Update registry, and then click Click
here to update (Fig. 1.3).

Fig. 1.3
Note that it may take a few minutes to update your local copy of the Global DevInfo
Registry, depending on the speed of your Internet connection. Click Finish when
done to exit and save all changes.

Creating a new template: defining

indicators, units and subgroups

Creating a new DevInfo template involves doing each of the following tasks:

Defining indicators
Defining units of measurement
Defining subgroups, such as sex, location, age group and others
Linking indicators, units and subgroups to form IUS combinations
Categorizing IUS combinations under various classifications
Defining geographic areas

From the expanded Template module, click New to begin. The application opens a
template wizard, guiding you through three steps (as shown in the Step box) to
create a template (Fig. 2.1):

Step 1 Indicators
Step 2 Indicator Classifications
Step 3 Areas

Fig. 2.1

10

Using the toolbars

The following tools on the various toolbars are available in most of the windows,
which can help you create and edit your template.

New

Allows you to create/enter a new element

Edit

Allows you to edit the selected element

Delete

Deletes the selected element(s)

Save

Saves the template with all data currently entered

Information

Displays metadata, if available, for the selected indicator.

Note that metadata may not always be available for
imported indicators.

Import

Allows you to import elements from other DevInfo

databases/templates, the DevInfo Global Registry or SDMX
registries

Export

Allows you to export the list of elements to any of various

common file formats

Print

Exports the list of elements to a PDF file for convenient

printing

11

Overview: Step 1 - Indicators

Step 1 allows you to enter the desired indicators, units and subgroups in your
template and then associate them to form indicator-unit-subgroup combinations.
You can do this in two ways:

Import the elements from the Global DevInfo Registry, SDMX registries,
or other DevInfo databases/templates
Enter the elements manually

It is always recommended that you import elements whenever possible instead of

entering them manually, both to save time as well as to ensure harmonization
across global, regional, national and local databases.
Furthermore, it is recommended that you first seek to import elements from the
Global DevInfo Registry, followed by SDMX registries, and then followed by other
DevInfo databases/templates, to foster greater data harmonization and international
data comparability.
Note that the Step 1 Indicators window is divided largely into three panes: the
Indicator pane, the Unit pane, and the Subgroup pane (Fig. 2.2).

Fig. 2.2

12

As a rule, you should first specify the indicator, then its associated unit, and then its
associated subgroup(s), as explained in further detail below.

Importing indicators, units and subgroups

From the Indicator pane, click
window (Fig. 2.3).

Import from the toolbar to open the Import

Fig. 2.3
By default, the Global DevInfo Registry option button is selected, allowing you to
import indicators from the Global DevInfo Registry. This registry contains a list of
global database elements included in the latest Millennium Development Goals
database. Note that global elements are displayed in a different color (blue) from
non-global elements.

13

To import elements from an SDMX registry, select the SDMX registry option
button, enter the web address of the desired registry, and click Connect (Fig. 2.4).

Fig. 2.4
NOTE: Most of the national and regional DevInfo databases uploaded under the
Catalog feature of the DevInfo 7 web application at www.devinfo.org have had
their database configured into an SDMX registry. To import elements (e.g.
indicators, units, subgroups, areas, etc.) from any of the databases available
under the Catalog, just enter its primary URL (e.g. www.devinfo.org/afghaninfo) in
the SDMX registry field. The application will automatically check whether an
SDMX registry is available for the specified URL and if so, connect with the
registry to retrieve the requested records.

Please allow several minutes for the application to retrieve the elements and create
a local copy of the selected SDMX registry on your machine (Fig. 2.5).

14

Fig. 2.5
Note that you do not need to connect to that particular SDMX registry again, unless
you wish to update it at a later time.
To import indicators from other files, select the File option button and then click
to browse for the desired file. Note that you can select from the following file
types (Fig. 2.6):

Fig. 2.6

15

DevInfo Template (.tpl)

Allows you to import indicators and other

associated elements from a DevInfo template. If
you select a DevInfo 6.0/6.1 template, the
application will first convert it to DevInfo 7 format
before displaying the available results. Note that
this process may take some time, depending on
the size of the underlying template.

Microsoft Access (.mdb)

Allows you to import indicators and other

associated elements from a DevInfo database. If
you select a DevInfo 6.0/6.1 database, the
application will first convert it to DevInfo 7 format
before displaying the available results. Note that
this process may take some time, depending on
the size of the underlying database.

Microsoft Excel (.xls/.xlsx)

Allows you to import indicators from another

DevInfo
template/database
listed
on
an
Indicator.xls/.xlsx file previously generated via the
Tools/Export module.

XML (.xml)

Allows you to import indicators from an indicator

code list generated as an SDMX 2.1 artefact

To import elements from a DevInfo Data Entry Spreadsheet, click

to browse

for the desired file. A new window opens, prompting you to click
to browse for
a DevInfo Data Entry Spreadsheet previously exported from the DevInfo 7 Data
Admin application (Fig. 2.7).

Fig. 2.7
16

When importing indicators, it is strongly recommended that you also import units,
subgroups and indicator classifications (sectors) when possible. Again, this will both
save you time as well as foster greater data harmonization across global, regional,
national and local databases.
To import units and subgroups already associated with indicators in the underlying
registry/database/template, select the Retrieve unit and subgroup check box (Fig.
2.8).

Fig. 2.8
If you select the Retrieve unit and subgroup checkbox, you will not need to
manually import/enter and associate units and subgroups to your imported
indicators (unless you wish to associate units and subgroups not available in the
displayed list).

17

To import sectors and other indicator classifications already associated with the
indicators, select the Sector check box (Fig. 2.9).

Fig. 2.9
Use the column dividers to adjust the width of the various columns in the Import
window for better viewing.

18

You can also type keywords in the search box to search for indicators by keyword.
For example, if you wish to add the indicator Infant mortality rate to your template,
enter infant in the search box and press Enter to view your search results (Fig.
2.10).

Fig. 2.10
Select the check boxes next to the indicators (or ideally, indicator-unit-subgroup
combinations) which you wish to include in your template. To continue selecting
additional indicators, click Apply. When you are done selecting indicators, click OK.
Note that as long as the Retrieve unit and subgroup and Sector check boxes are
selected, then the displayed units, subgroups, sectors and sub-sectors will
automatically be imported along with the indicators into your template.

19

Viewing and
combinations

managing

indicator-unit-subgroup

Click the row header next to each indicator in the Indicator pane to view its
associated unit(s) and subgroup(s) in their respective panes below (Fig. 2.11).

Fig. 2.11
Note that one of the subgroups is marked as Default in the Subgroup pane, which
will appear at the top of the search results in the DevInfo 7 web application when
that particular indicator is selected. To assign another subgroup as the default, click
the desired new default subgroup under the Default column (Fig. 2.12).

Fig. 2.12
20

Click the arrow next to IUS list at the bottom of the window to expand the IUS list,
displaying the entire list of associated indicator-unit-subgroup combinations for the
selected indicator (Fig. 2.13).

Fig. 2.13
Click any column header (e.g. Subgroup) to sort the elements within the column
ascending/descending order.
To delete any IUS combination, select its row header and press Delete.
To delete any indicator/unit/subgroup as well as all IUS combinations associated
with that element, select the desired element(s) and click

Delete.

To edit any indicator/unit/subgroup, either type directly in the cell to edit the desired
text, or select the desired cell and click

Edit.

Click the filter

icon in any row header to filter the elements under the column for
more convenient viewing.

21

Entering indicators manually

If you are unable to import your desired indicators, you will need to enter them
manually. Click the empty cell in the grid within the Indicator pane and type in the
desired indicator. The application will display a list of suggested indicators matching
your entry, sourced from the Global DevInfo Registry and any available offline
SDMX registries. When done, press Enter or Tab (Fig. 2.14).

Fig. 2.14

The cursor automatically advances to the next row, allowing you to continue
entering in as many indicators as desired.

You can also click

new indicator.

New from the toolbar in the Indicator pane to enter a

A faster method is to copy the desired list of indicators from a Word/Excel document
onto the Clipboard, and then click
Paste from clipboard from the toolbar in
the Indicator pane. The entire list of indicators will be added all at once.
Once you have finished importing/entering all your indicators, you are now ready to
enter and associate those units which you were unable to import along with the
indicators.

22

Entering and associating units

Units that were imported into your template at the time of importing indicators (by
selecting the Retrieve unit and subgroup check box) do not need to be reentered. However, you will need to enter and associate those units which you were
unable to import.
To enter and associate units against an indicator, first select the desired indicator by
clicking its row header. Then click the empty cell in the grid in the Unit pane to
reveal the drop-down menu arrow, which you can then click to open the drop-down
menu displaying all available units (Fig. 2.15).

Fig. 2.15
If the desired unit is available in the list, select it.
If the desired unit is not available, you can first try importing it from the Global
DevInfo Registry, an SDMX registry, or another DevInfo template/database by
clicking
Import from the toolbar in the Unit pane and following the steps
previously explained.
23

If you are unable to import the desired unit, then enter it directly in the empty cell in
the Unit pane (Fig. 2.16).

Fig. 2.16
A faster method is to copy the desired list of new units from a Word/Excel document
onto the Clipboard, and then click
Paste from clipboard from the toolbar in
the Unit pane. The entire list of units will be added all at once and associated with
the selected indicator.
Edit and delete units as desired, in the same way as for indicators. Note that if you
merely wish to delete the association of a particular unit to an indicator without
deleting the unit itself, select the desired unit and click

Delete association.

Once you have finished importing/entering/associating all your units, you are now
ready to enter and associate those subgroups which you were unable to import
along with the indicators.

24

Subgroups in DevInfo
A subgroup is a subset within a sample or population identified by some common
dimension such as sex, age or location. DevInfo subgroups allow data to be
disaggregated in any number of ways, for any indicator. DevInfo allows for Ndimension subgroups.
In DevInfo, subgroup dimensions refer to broad subgroup categories such as sex,
location, age, ethnicity or wealth quintile. Under each subgroup dimension come
various subgroup dimension values. For example, for the subgroup dimension
Sex, the subgroup dimension values would include Male and Female. Finally,
subgroups consist of a combination of one or more subgroup dimension values,
such as Male 5-9 yr Urban. The table below gives several examples (Fig. 2.17).

Subgroup
dimensions

Subgroup dimension
values

Subgroups
(Note that the list below
is not exhaustive)

Sex

Male, Female

Age

0-4 yr, 5-9 yr, 10-14 yr

Location

Urban, Rural, Total

Male
Female
Urban
Rural
Male Urban
Female Urban
Male Rural
Female Rural
Male Urban 0-4 yr
Female Urban 0-4 yr
Male Rural 0-4 yr
Female Rural 0-4 yr
Total

Fig. 2.17
Note that in DevInfo, the subgroup Total, which refers to the non-disaggregated
total of all subgroups, has been assigned by default under the Location dimension.

25

Entering subgroups manually

Subgroups that were imported into your template at the time of importing indicators
(by selecting the Retrieve unit and subgroup check box) do not need to be reentered. However, you will need to enter and associate those subgroups which you
were unable to import.
To enter and associate subgroups against an indicator-unit combination, first select
the desired indicator by clicking its row header. Next, select the desired unit from
the drop-down menu of available units in the Unit pane and click Enter. Then click
the empty cell in the grid in the Subgroup pane to reveal the drop-down menu
arrow, which you can then click to open the drop-down menu displaying all available
subgroups (Fig. 2.18).

Fig. 2.18
If the desired subgroup is available in the list, select it.
If the desired subgroup is not available, you can first try importing it from the Global
DevInfo Registry, an SDMX registry, or another DevInfo template/database by
clicking

Import from the toolbar in the Subgroup pane.

26

If you are unable to import the desired subgroup, then click

New from the
toolbar in the Subgroup pane to open the Modify subgroups window (Fig. 2.19).

Fig. 2.19
The Available pane displays the subgroup dimension tree. By default, the
application pre-populates the tree with four subgroup dimensions: Location, Sex,
Age and Other.
Suppose you wish to associate the following new subgroups to the selected
indicator-unit combination:

Female
Male
Urban
Rural
Female urban
Female rural
Male urban
Male rural
Ethnic group A
27

Ethnic group B
Ethnic group C

First click
Import to try to import the desired subgroup dimension values from
the Global DevInfo Registry, an SDMX Registry, or an existing DevInfo
template/database (Fig. 2.20).

Fig. 2.20
Scroll through the list, select the available matching subgroup dimension values,
and click OK. Note that the newly-added subgroup dimension values will appear in
the Subgroup dimension tree (Fig.2.21).

28

Fig. 2.21
To create a new subgroup dimension (e.g., Ethnicity), highlight Subgroup
dimension at the top of the tree in the Available pane and click
New from
the toolbar. A new subgroup dimension branch appears, allowing you to type in the
name of the new dimension (Fig. 2.22). (If you wish to exit out from creating a new
entry, press the Esc key.)

Fig. 2.22

29

To add new subgroup dimension values (e.g., Ethnic group A), highlight the tree
branch in the Available pane under which the new value belongs (e.g. Ethnicity)
and click
New from the toolbar. A new subgroup dimension value branch
appears, allowing you to type in the name of the new dimension value (Fig. 2.23).

Fig. 2.23
Note that you can modify the display order of the various subgroup dimension
values in the DevInfo User application by either highlighting the desired value and
using the
Move Up and
Move Down arrows to move it to the desired
position, or by dragging and dropping it to the desired position.
Once all the subgroup dimension values are displayed in the Available pane, you
can now form subgroups by selecting them in the desired combinations and using
the
selection arrow in the pane header to transfer them to the Selected (right)
pane.
Based on the previous example, you would follow these steps to select all the
desired subgroups:

Select Female and Male and transfer them to the Selected pane.
Clear previous selections, select Rural and Urban, and then transfer
them to the Selected pane.

30

Clear previous selections, select Ethnic Group A, Ethnic Group B,

and Ethnic Group C, and then transfer them to the Selected pane.
Clear previous selections, select Female and Male along with Rural
and Urban, and then transfer them to the Selected pane. Note that
the application automatically cross-tabs subgroup dimension values
across selected subgroup dimensions, creating Rural Male, Rural
Female, Urban Male and Urban Female (Fig. 2.24).

Fig. 2.24
Alternatively, you can select subgroups by clicking the By list tab to view and select
subgroups in list format.
Once all the desired subgroups appear in the Selected pane, click OK. The
Subgroup pane now displays the subgroups associated with the selected indicatorunit combination (Fig. 2.25).

31

Fig. 2.25
DevInfo automatically assigns one of the subgroups as the default (usually Total if
it appears in the list), which appears at the top of the search results in the DevInfo 7
Web application. To assign a different subgroup as the default, click its
corresponding cell under the Default column.
Edit and delete subgroups as desired, in the same way as for indicators and units.
Note that if you merely wish to delete the association of a particular subgroup to an
indicator-unit combination without deleting the subgroup itself, select the desired
subgroup and click

Delete association.

Setting minimum and maximum range values

against IUS combinations
To enter minimum and maximum data range values for any IUS combination, first
select the desired indicator and then right-click anywhere within the Subgroup pane
to display the right-click menu (Fig. 2.26).

Fig. 2.26
32

Click Show/Hide Min/Max to display the Min_Value and Max_Value columns in

the Subgroup pane. You can then enter desired minimum/maximum values for
data entered against this IUS combination during the data entry process (Fig. 2.27).

Fig. 2.27

Finalizing IUS associations

Repeat the process above as many times as needed to enter and associate units
and subgroups with all the indicators in your template. Be sure that each indicator is
correctly associated with its unit(s) and subgroup(s).
It is highly recommended that before proceeding to the next step, you select each
indicator in the Indicator pane one by one and ensure that the units and subgroups
associated to that particular indicator are correct and complete, as displayed within
the Step 1 Indicators window.
Note that the IUS combinations created for each indicator can be conveniently
viewed in table format in the lower pane (Fig. 2.28).

33

Fig. 2.28
When you are done defining your indicators and their associated units and
subgroups, click Next to proceed to Step 2.

34

Creating a new template: linking

indicators to classifications

Once you have finished defining your indicators and their associated units and
subgroups, you are now ready to link your indicator-unit-subgroup (IUS)
combinations to different sectors and sub-sectors.

Overview: Step 2 Indicator classifications

Step 2 of creating a new template involves linking IUS combinations to their
respective sectors and sub-sectors, as well as setting the display order of these
elements in the User application.
Linking IUS combinations to sectors and sub-sectors is important, as it allows users
to quickly find your indicators in the DevInfo 7 User application (Fig. 3.1).

Fig. 3.1

35

In the Step 2 Indicator classifications page, the left pane displays the sector
tree, the Available pane displays the list of available IUS combinations, and the
Selected pane displays the list of IUS combinations that fall under the highlighted
sector/sub-sector in the sector tree. Note that the sector tree will be initially
populated only if you imported sectors in Step 1 by selecting the Sector check box
(Fig. 3.2).

Fig. 3.2
Sectors and sub-sectors already imported into your template do not need to be reentered or re-linked to the previously imported IUS combinations. (Of course, you
can link additional IUS combinations to the previously imported sectors and subsectors as desired.) However, you will need to enter those sectors and sub-sectors
which you were unable to import.
As with all database elements, it is always recommended that you import sectors/
sub-sectors whenever possible instead of entering them manually, both to save time

36

as well as to ensure harmonization across global, regional, national and local

databases.

Importing indicator classifications

Click

Import from the toolbar to open the Import window (Fig. 3.3).

Fig. 3.3
Follow the same procedure explained previously to first select the source file
(Global DevInfo Registry, SDMX registry, or existing DevInfo template/database)
and then select the desired sectors and sub-sectors. Use the column dividers to
adjust the width of the various columns in the window for better viewing.
Click OK when done. The application will automatically link the selected sectors and
sub-sectors to all matching indicators found in the source file. Note, however, that if
you wish for these sectors and sub-sectors to be linked to other indicators in your
37

template (such as custom indicators), you will need to manually link them as
explained below.
You can also import other indicator classifications (goals, frameworks, themes, etc.)
by selecting the desired classification below the toolbar on the Step 2 Indicator
classifications page and clicking

Import (Fig. 3.4).

Fig. 3.4

Entering indicator classifications manually

To create a new sector, highlight Sector at the top of the tree in the Sector pane
and click
New from the toolbar. A new sector branch appears, allowing you
to type in the name of the new sector (Fig. 3.5). (If you wish to exit out from creating
a new entry, press the Esc key.)

Fig. 3.5

38

To add a sub-sector, highlight the sector under which the new sub-sector belongs
and click
New from the toolbar. A new sub-sector branch appears, allowing
you to type in its name (Fig. 3.6).

Fig. 3.6
Similarly, you can manually add other new indicator classifications (goals,
frameworks, etc.) by first clicking the desired indicator classification under the
toolbar.

Linking indicators to indicator classifications

Once all the indicator classifications (sectors/sub-sectors, goals/sub-goals, etc.) are
created, you need to link them to the various indicators in your template. Failure to
link indicators to at least one classification will mean that users will not be able to
search for those indicators by sector, goal, etc.
To do this, highlight the lowest level of each branch in the sector tree in the left
pane, highlight the IUS combinations in the Available pane which you wish to
associate to the highlighted branch, and click the
selection arrow to transfer the
highlighted IUS combinations from the Available to the Selected pane (Fig. 3.7).

39

Fig. 3.7
You can use any of the following techniques to make the window contents more
readable:

Use the column dividers to adjust the viewing area for each pane.

Click
View horizontally from the toolbar to toggle the orientation
of the Available and Selected panes, for more convenient viewing

Click
Show units and subgroups from below the toolbar to
hide units and subgroups. With only indicators displayed in the
Available pane, you can associate just the indicators (along with all
associated units and subgroups) to their respective indicator
classifications.

Repeat this process as many times as needed to ensure that all the indicators in the
Available pane are linked to at least one sector/sub-sector, as well as additional
classifications (goals, themes, etc.) as desired. Note that an indicator can be linked
to more than one sector/sub-sector if desired (e.g., you can choose to link
Education expenditures under both Economy and Education).

40

If you neglect to link any IUS combination to at least one classification, the
application will display a warning message when you try to proceed to the next step
(Fig. 3.8).

Fig. 3.8
You can export the list of unlinked IUS combinations if desired, to help determine
which classifications they need to be linked to.

Setting the display order of sectors and IUS

combinations
You can modify the display order of the various sectors/sub-sectors in the DevInfo 7
application by either highlighting the desired classification in the left pane and using
the
Move Up and
Move Down arrows to move it to the desired position, or
by dragging and dropping it to the desired position.
Similarly, you can also modify the display order of the IUS combinations in the
DevInfo User application by either highlighting the desired IUS combination(s) in the
Selected pane and using the
Move Up and
Move Down arrows to move
them to the desired position, or by dragging and dropping them to the desired
position. Note that you can select multiple IUS combinations at one time.
When you are finished linking your indicators to their indicator classifications, click
Next to proceed to Step 3.

41

Creating a new template: adding

areas

Once you have finished linking your indicators to their indicator classifications, you
are now ready for the final step in creating a new template: adding areas.

Overview: Step 3 areas

Step 3 of creating a new template involves adding geographic areas and their
associated digital map files to your template.
In DevInfo, each geographic area is associated with the following four attributes:
Area Name

The standard area name as referenced by the user

Area ID

A unique area identification code containing alphanumeric

characters of varied length, used to link area names with their
digital map files. The Area ID of the area name must match the
Area ID of its associated digital map file.

Level

All areas are assigned an area level number based on their position
within the area tree. For example, Level 1 could refer to the
continent level, Level 2 could refer to the country level, Level 3
could refer to the state/province level, etc.

Map file

The digital map file in shapefile format associated with the area

In the Step 3 Areas page, the left pane displays the area tree, the center pane
allows you to add or update area names and Area IDs, and the right pane displays
the areas added to your template (Fig. 4.1).

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Fig. 4.1
As with all database elements, it is always recommended that you import areas
whenever possible instead of entering them manually, both to save time as well as
to ensure harmonization across global, regional, national and local databases.
Additionally, importing areas will generally allow you to import maps (along with
area metadata).

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Importing areas
Click

Import from the toolbar to open the Import window (Fig. 4.2).

Fig. 4.2
Follow the same procedure explained previously to first select the source file
(Global DevInfo Registry, SDMX registry, or existing DevInfo template/database)
and then select the desired areas.

44

Note that you can also opt to import areas and maps from the DevInfo Digital map
2
server , which contains digital maps of nearly all UN member states down to at
least the second sub-national level. You must be connected to the Internet to
access the Digital map server.
Be sure to select the Map check box along with the Area check box to import digital
maps along with the area names.
Use the Level box to view and select areas at different area levels (Fig. 4.3).

Fig. 4.3
Note that the actual classification of area levels is determined by each individual
database administrator. For example, one database administrator may designate
Level 1 = Continent, Level 2 = Country, Level 3 = State/Province, etc., while another

It should be noted that the boundaries and the names shown and the designations used on
these maps do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.

45

database administrator may designate Level 1 = Country, Level 2 = State/Province,

Level 3 = District/County, etc.
Also, note that when you select an area, all sub-areas under it will be automatically
selected, down to the area level specified in the Level box. For example, in Fig. 4.3,
selecting Afghanistan (Level 2) will automatically cause all displayed sub-areas
(Level 3) to be selected as well, since Level 3 is selected in the Level box.
Click Apply to import the selected areas and continue importing other areas.
Use the Search box to enter keywords if you wish to search for and import a specific
area.
Click OK when done. The application will automatically add the selected areas and
their associated map files to your template. You can confirm that all the desired
areas have been added by highlighting any parent area in the left pane and viewing
its sub-areas in the right pane (Fig. 4.4).

Fig. 4.4

Entering areas manually

46

To define a new area, select the desired branch from the area tree in the left pane
under which you wish to create the new area and click
New. In the center
pane, type in the desired area name and Area ID and click Add (Fig. 4.5).

Fig. 4.5
Note that you can add any number of geographic area levels to the area tree.
To edit any non-global area (i.e., not displayed in blue font), select the desired area
from the left pane and click
and click Update.

Edit. In the center pane, make the desired edits

Note that map files for manually-entered areas must be associated to the area
names using the Mapping module. Please consult the DevInfo 7 Data Admin
Mapping Module User Guide for further details.

Editing area level captions

By default, DevInfo refers to the various area levels as Level 1, Level 2, etc. If
you wish to modify the default area level captions, click
toolbar to open the Area Level window (Fig. 4.6).

Area Level from the

47

Fig. 4.6
Enter the desired text for the new captions and click OK. The new captions will be
visible in the DevInfo 7 User application.

Finalizing your template

When you are finished adding areas to your template, click Finish to save your
template. Note that you can always go back and edit your template by modifying
previously-entered elements or adding new ones.
If your template is ready for data entry, please consult the DevInfo 7 Data Admin
Data Entry User Guide for further guidance.

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Editing and merging templates

DevInfo provides database administrators with various options for editing and
merging templates. Using the available commands under the expanded Template
module, you can:

Edit an existing offline template

Edit the template of an existing database
Merge two or more templates
Set default options, including default subgroups
Edit global identification numbers (GIDs) associated with data elements

This chapter provides an overview of how to perform these various functions.

Editing an existing offline template

To edit an existing offline template, click Open from the expanded Template
module (Fig. 5.1).

Fig. 5.1

49

The left pane displays the offline templates available in the default location. Click
to browse for templates in a different location. Select the desired template by
transferring it from the Available pane to the Selected pane. When done, click
Next.
You can now proceed to add or edit indicators, units, subgroups, indicator
classifications, and/or areas in the template, following the steps previously
explained in Chapters 2, 3 and 4.

Editing the template of an existing database

DevInfo allows you to open and edit the template of any existing database. This can
be useful when you wish to:

Add or edit indicators, units, subgroups, indicator classifications, and/or

areas within an existing database (offline or online)
Generate a blank template for an existing database (offline or online)

To open and edit the template of an offline database, first click Open from the
expanded Template module and then select the Database option button below the
toolbar (Fig. 5.2).

Fig. 5.2

50

The left pane displays the offline databases available in the default location. Click
to browse for databases in a different location. Select the desired database by
transferring it from the Available pane to the Selected pane. When done, click
Next to edit the template following the steps previously explained in Chapters 2, 3
and 4. Note that this will not generate a new template (.tpl) file but will simply save
changes to the database (.mdb) file.
To open and edit the template of an online DevInfo 7 database, first click the Online
tab and then click

New to open the New connection window (Fig. 5.3).

Fig. 5.3
Next, enter the connection details for the desired online database (available from
the database administrator) and click Test to test the connection. After successfully
connecting, click Save to save the connection. Select the connection name from the
drop-down list below the Online tab, enter your login credentials in the lower left
corner of the window, and click Next to edit the template following the steps
previously explained in Chapters 2, 3 and 4.
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Merging two or more templates

DevInfo allows you to merge two or more offline templates. This is very useful when
you wish to:

Merge two or more templates to create a master template

Merge two or more databases by first merging their templates and then
importing data from the databases into the newly merged template

To merge templates, first click Merge template from the expanded Template
module. The DA App Merge Template wizard opens in a new window (Fig. 5.4).

Fig. 5.4
In Step 1, select the source template(s) which you wish to merge against a target
template (to be specified in Step 2). You can select multiple templates if you wish.
The templates available from the default location are displayed in the Available
pane. Click
to browse for files in another location. Transfer the desired source
template(s) from the Available to the Selected pane, and then click Next to
proceed to Step 2.

52

In Step 2, select the target file with which you wish to merge the source template(s).
Note that if you select a database file, only the underlying template behind that
database will be merged. When done, click Next.
Steps 3 to 9 involve matching the different elements from the source file(s) with
those of the target file. In each step, you can view the unmatched elements and
decide whether to import or map them (Fig. 5.5).

Fig. 5.5
For example, in Step 3, the application displays under the Unmatched section all
the indicators in the source file(s) which do not appear in the target file. You can
either click Import or Import All to import these indicators into the target file.
Alternatively, you can click Map to map a selected unmatched indicator to an
equivalent highlighted indicator under the Available section, which replaces the
source indicator with the target indicator. For example, if the source indicator is
Infant death rate and the target indicator is Infant mortality rate, clicking Map
instructs the application to treat both indicators as the same by replacing all
references to Infant death rate with the target indicator, Infant mortality rate.

53

If you wish to undo a mapping, select the incorrectly matched indicators and click
Remove.
Follow the same procedure to import or map unmatched units, subgroup
dimensions, subgroup dimension values, subgroups, indicator classifications and
areas in Steps 4 through 9.
In Step 10, click Finish to complete merging the elements of the source file(s) with
those of the target file. The application generates a log file displaying details of the
process, for viewing in the default Internet browser.

Setting default options

DevInfo allows you to set various default options for templates and databases,
including default subgroups. Note that the default subgroup specified appears at the
top of the search results in the DevInfo 7 User application. Click Set Default
Options from the expanded Template module to begin.
In Step 1, select the desired file type below the toolbar offline or online, template
or database and then select/specify the desired file.
In Step 2, select the default subgroup for each IUS combination by highlighting the
various sectors and sub-sectors in the left pane and then clicking the drop-down
arrow in the Subgroup column for each IUS row and selecting the desired default
subgroup (Fig. 5.6).

54

Fig. 5.6
Repeat this process for each of the subgroups in the various IUS combinations as
desired.
In Step 3, you can select the High is Good check box next to those indicators for
which a higher data value represents a better outcome (Fig. 5.7).

55

Fig. 5.7
Note that making the correct High is Good selections will not affect the user
experience in the DevInfo 7 User application. This feature has relevance only for
certain external applications which use data from DevInfo databases (e.g., setting
traffic light color indices in di Monitoring).
When done, click Finish to save changes and exit.

Editing GIDs
DevInfo allows you to edit the global identification numbers (GIDs) associated with
DevInfo elements in a template or database.
Every database element in DevInfo is assigned an auto-generated unique
identification number (GID), which appears as a complex string (e.g., 8B1C7469D8EF-43AF-BD31-1824B6B1F7CB). These GIDs are used in various database
administration processes.
Some database administrators may wish to edit these GIDs and replace them with
other strings which are more readable or meaningful, in order to facilitate certain
data management or data mining tasks (for example, comparing indicators across
multiple language databases). To edit the GIDs and replace them with different
strings, first click Edit GIDs from the expanded Template module.
56

In Step 1, select the desired file type below the toolbar offline or online, template
or database and then select/specify the desired file.
In Step 2, highlight any category (such as Indicator or Sector) in the left pane to
view and edit the GIDs for category elements in the right pane (Fig. 5.8).

Fig. 5.8
GID strings can have a maximum limit of 60 characters. Note that valid characters
for inclusion within GID strings include alphanumeric characters (upper case and
lower case) and the following symbols: @, _, - and $. Note also that GID strings for
metadata and subgroup dimension elements may not start with a number.
When you are finished editing GIDs, click Finish to save and exit.

57

Using registries
templates

to

standardize

The UN DevInfo Initiative encourages database administrators to use standardized

database elements indicators, units, subgroups, indicator classifications and
areas whenever possible, in order to foster greater data harmonization and data
comparability across global, regional, national and local databases.
In DevInfo, standardized database elements are housed in registries. There are
two different types of DevInfo registries available to database administrators:
Global DevInfo Registry

Contains a repository of all database elements

included in the latest official Millennium
Development Goals database maintained by the
United Nations Statistics Division

SDMX registries

Contains an SDMX-compatible repository of all

database elements maintained by a regional or
national statistical body

This chapter covers how you can use these registries to standardize your
templates.

Updating your local copy of the Global DevInfo

Registry
After installing DevInfo Data Admin 7, you need to update the local copy of the
Global DevInfo Registry on your system. Subsequent to initial installation, it is also
recommended that you update your local copy annually to reflect any new changes.
Note that you must be connected to the Internet to update the registry.
From the expanded Template module, click Update registry, and then click Click
here to update (Fig. 6.1).

58

Fig. 6.1
Note that it may take a few minutes to update your local copy of the Global DevInfo
Registry, depending on the speed of your Internet connection. Click Finish when
done to exit and save all changes.

Using SDMX registries

SDMX registries are maintained by global, regional or national statistical bodies and
consist of online repositories of SDMX-compatible database elements.

To import elements from an SDMX registry, click

Import from the toolbar
while creating or editing a template and select the SDMX registry option button.
Enter the web address of the desired registry and click Connect (Fig. 6.2).

Fig. 6.2
NOTE: Most of the national and regional DevInfo databases uploaded under the
Catalog feature of the DevInfo 7 web application at www.devinfo.org have had
their database configured into an SDMX registry. To import elements (e.g.
indicators, units, subgroups, areas, etc.) from any of the databases available
under the Catalog, just enter its primary URL (e.g. www.devinfo.org/afghaninfo) in
the SDMX registry field. The application will automatically check whether an
SDMX registry is available for the specified URL and if so, connect with the
registry to retrieve the requested records.
59

Please allow several minutes for the application to retrieve the elements and create
a local copy of the selected SDMX registry on your machine (Fig. 6.3).

Fig. 6.3
If you wish to update the SDMX registry, you can either click Connect at a later
time, or you can also click Update registry from the expanded Template module
and click Click here to update under the SDMX Registries section (Fig. 6.4).

Fig. 6.4
60

Making your template registry-compliant

The Compliance to registry command in the expanded Template module allows
you to make your template compliant with the Global DevInfo Registry that is, to
ensure that your template contains all the elements found in the Global DevInfo
Registry. This feature is useful when you wish to create a template/database
containing all the global database elements.
This command instructs the application to compare the GIDs of the elements in your
file against those of the Global DevInfo Registry. If the GIDs match but the strings
(names) are different, the application will replace the mismatched strings with the
Global DevInfo Registry strings. If the strings match but the GIDs are different, the
application will replace the mismatched GIDs with the Global DevInfo Registry
GIDs. In the process, your template/database will be aligned with the Global
DevInfo Registry.
To begin, click Compliance to registry from the expanded Template module (Fig.
6.5).

Fig. 6.5

61

In Step 1, select the target file which you wish to make compliant with the Global
DevInfo Registry. Click
to browse for files in another location. Transfer the
desired target file from the Available to the Selected pane, and then click Next to
proceed to Step 2.
Steps 2 through 8 involve checking, importing, and/or matching the different
elements of the Global DevInfo Registry against those of the target file. In each
step, you can view the unmatched elements and then decide to either import them
or map them against the elements available in the target file (Fig. 6.6).

Fig. 6.6
For example, in Step 2, the application displays under the Unmatched section all
the indicators in the Global DevInfo Registry which do not appear in the target file.
You can either click Import or Import All to import these indicators into the target
file, or you can click Map to map a selected unmatched indicator to an equivalent
highlighted indicator under the Available section.
Follow the same procedure to import or map unmatched units, subgroup
dimensions, subgroup dimension values, subgroups, indicator classifications and
areas in Steps 3 through 8.

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In Step 9, click Finish to complete the process of making your template compliant
with the Global DevInfo Registry. The application generates a log file displaying
details of the process, for viewing in the default Internet browser.

63