Transcript AIAA Membership Analysis

User Guide & Documentation
AIAA Membership Analysis
Version 1.0.0.1.9 [Beta]
3/16/2015
Introduction
• This application is designed to make viewing and
using the DataMaker data easier and faster
• Produce charts, map where the membership lives
and update e-mail distribution lists with a few clicks
Table of Contents
• User Interface
– Tab – Data Import
– Tab – Imported Data
Display
– Tab – Demographics
Analysis
– Tab – Geographic Analysis
– Tab – More Analysis Tools
• Appendix
– Internal Database Details
– Supplemental ZIP Code
Database Creation Process
– Known Bugs
– Nomenclature
– Contact Information
Tab Breakdown
USER INTERFACE
Tab – Data Import
Purpose
• Allows the user to import the desired membership
data.
• Either newly downloaded data or previously
archived data.
• Multiple data files can be imported in order to
perform comparisons between content.
Types of Data Files
• A DataMaker file (.xls) that is downloaded directly from
the AIAA section website.
• An archived version of a previously imported
DataMaker file. This is a text file (.txt) that is encrypted
and can only be read by this application.
• A XML file that is used to keep track of monthly
membership totals for Professionals, Educator
Associates and Students. This data is referenced as
Membership Over Time in the application or MOT for
short.
Tab – Imported Data Display
Purpose
• Allows the user to view the previously imported data
in an interface similar to Microsoft Excel.
• Use the Database dropdown to select the data to
view.
Options
• Remove Selected
– Using the checkboxes, removes any members from the
database
– For example: the national staff and/or Deputy Directors who
are not specifically in a section
• Save Data for Archive
– The modified database can be saved as an encrypted text
file
– Allows for quickly reloading member data without having to
remove anyone again
– Encryption allows only this application to read the data.
(focus here to make it harder, probably not true security)
Options (Con’t)
• View MOT Data
– Opens a form to display the membership grade
breakdown for the currently displayed database
– Allows for saving the tally to a new or current MOT file
– The MOT file allows for trends in membership to be
viewed
• Tracks Professionals; Educator Associates; Students
Tab – Demographics Analysis
Purpose
• Quickly create charts of various demographics
– Membership Grades
– Longevity of Membership
– Membership Age
– 1st/2nd/3rd Interest
• Save chart as an image for use in a report
• Export the raw data for the chart for use in a report
Options
• Chart Options
– Demographic Selection
• Switch through the available charts
– Other Options
• Label Style; Legend Style; Color Palette; Drawing Style
• Modify select options of how data on the chart is displayed
– Collect Pie Chart Slices
• Specify a percentage that will all show as one slice
Options (Con’t)
• Display Layout
– Change how the program window is arranged
• Save (Image or Data)
– Save the chart as an image or CSV file
• Copy (Image or Data)
– Copy the chart as an image or text to the system
clipboard
Tab – Geographic Analysis
Purpose
• Allows for visualization of the ZIP Codes that contain
members. Could be useful when planning events.
• Produces a KML file that can be opened in Google
Earth
• Place markers shown on the map are color coded
depending on the density of the membership population
within that ZIP Code
– Darker color = more members relative to other areas
– Clicking on a specific place marker will show the ZIP Code
and member count
Options
• Display Options
– Used to differentiate between multiple loaded files
• i.e. Professionals, Educators and Students will be separate
files but can be loaded into Google Earth at the same time
– Select an Icon; Select a Color; Enter a name
• ZIP Code Database Options
– (Optional) Fixes gaps in the internal database used for
looking up ZIP Code lat/long values
– Appendix explains this issue
Options (Con’t)
• Create KML File
– Clicking ‘Start Analysis’ will gather all data and determine if
any membership ZIP Codes are missing from the internal list
– User can ignore missing and create the KML file or save the
missing codes to manually find them
• Appendix explains this process in detail
• Rerun the Analysis using the supplementary database option
• Save KML File
– Creates the actual file that can then be opened in Google
Earth
• Or other applications that support the KML language (theory)
Example in Google Earth
Tab – More Analysis Tools
Purpose
• Quickly produce lists of members based on specific
criteria
• Easily export the list data to be used in another
application (CSV file or Copy to system clipboard)
Options
• Modify Columns
– Opens a dialog to select which data columns are shown
– Can be used at any time to update the display
• Create New Database
– Creates a ‘blank’ database that can then be populated
• Add Entries to Database
– Adds either all currently displayed or checked members to
the selected database
– Useful for creating a sub-group of members and then
running a Demographic or Geographic analysis on them
Options (Con’t)
• Remove Selected
– Removes any selected members from the current display.
Does not affect the main database.
• Clear Display
– Clears list of all members
• Save as CSV File
– Saves the currently displayed data to a CSV file
• Copy (Text or Spreadsheet)
– Saves the currently selected data to the system clipboard
– Text uses commas for separation while Spreadsheet uses
tabs
Tool – E-mail List
• Creates a condensed membership list that includes
selected columns most useful for updating contact
info (i.e. ConstantContact, etc.)
– Name (Prefix, First, Middle, Last, Suffix)
– E-mail address
– Grade
– Do not e-mail is checked?
– Can override and use selected columns instead
Tool – Expiring List
• Creates a list of members whose membership is
expiring soon
• Checks the expiry date listed in the data
• Easy to produce an e-mail list and send them a
notice ahead of time
Tool – Comparison Lists
• Compare two databases to determine how the
membership is changing.
– New Members
– Dropped Members
– Student to Professional Conversion
• Requires two databases to be imported
Tool – Comparison Lists
New Members
• Quickly shows any members who are new to the
section
• Can be used to send a welcome message to new
members
• Checks the newer database of names against the
older database of names and displays any new
entries
Tool – Comparison List
Dropped Members
• Quickly shows any members who have left the
section
• Can be used to send a message to them finding out
why they left, etc.
• Checks the older database of names against the
newer database and displays any entries no longer
in the new
Tool – Comparison Lists
Student to Professional Conversion
• Quickly show if any students have become
professional members
• May look like students are leaving the section when
in fact they have transitioned
• Checks the older database for all students then
compares those names against the professionals in
the newer database
Tool – Honors & Awards
• Easily start the process of determining who is up for
membership advancement or should be honored for
length of membership
– Membership Advancements
– Long Time Members
– Member Anniversaries
Tool – Honors & Awards
Membership Advancements
• Produces a list to be used as a guideline for
determining members who are candidates for
membership advancement
• Uses the advancement criteria to sort through the
member data to produce a list
– More details shown in the ‘Criteria Notes’ window
• View full membership advancement details online:
https://www.aiaa.org/Honors/
Tool – Honors & Awards
Long Time Members
• Produces a list of members who have been a
member for the specified number of years or
greater
Tool – Honors & Awards
Member Anniversaries
• Produces a list of members who have an
anniversary this year
Tool – Find
• Quickly search the database for specified criteria
• Select a column of data to search through
– Then enter a specific term or select an entry that
appears in that column
– Finally, the Find All button will populate the display with
all member entries that match the search criteria
APPENDIX
Internal Database Details
• The internal database is based off of the ZIP Code Tabulation
Areas option from the 2014 U.S. Gazetteer Files provided on the
U.S. Census website (link below).
• The originally downloaded file was a tab delimited text file with
seven columns. This was opened in a spreadsheet application
(MS Excel or alternative) and converted to a comma separated
values format.
– During the import the options used were delimited text; tab and space
delimiters and ‘Treat consecutive delimiters as one.’
– Columns B-E were also removed during this process since only the ZIP
Code (GEOID), latitude (INTPTLAT) and longitude (INTPTLONG)
values are needed.
• Census Website: http://www.census.gov/geo/mapsdata/data/gazetteer2014.html
Supplemental ZIP Code Database
Creation Process
• The following process can be used to produce a
‘Missing ZIP Codes Only’ database or a ‘Complete ZIP
Code Database.’
• During development it was discovered that the
database did not always contain all of the ZIP Codes
that members were registered at. When this is
encountered the program lists the missing ZIP Codes
with the option to save the list to a text file. The
latitude/longitude can then be looked up manually and
added to a new file or to a copy of the internal
database.
Step 1
• Create the database file to store the missing ZIP
Code data.
– Option 1: Create a blank text file to paste new data into
– Option 2: Extract the internal database and update
manually by adding missing data to end of file
•
In the application, see ‘Options > Extract Internal Database’
Step 2
• Open the text file. The columns from left to right:
ZIP Code, latitude, longitude
Step 3
• Research the missing ZIP
Code data. This is easily
completed by using
Google Earth.
– Search for a missing ZIP
Code
– Right-click the result and
select ‘Copy as KML’
Step 3 (con’t)
• Paste the resulting text
into a blank temporary text
file. The text should look
something like below.
• Note: Notepad++ was
used to produce the
example.
– Setting the language to
XML allows for syntax
highlighting and locating
parts easier.
Step 3 (con’t)
• Retrieve the longitude and
latitude data from the text
[highlighted in yellow].
– Caution: it is listed as
‘longitude’, ‘latitude’ from
Google Earth but the
database must be in order
as ‘latitude’, ‘longitude’.
Step 3 (con’t)
• Enter the information into the extracted internal
database text file. Numerical order of ZIP Codes is
not important so all new data could be added to the
end.
– Line of text for example: 85001,33.45,-112.07
• Repeat for each missing ZIP Code.
• Save the file and store for future use.
Step 4
• Select the ‘Use supplementary ZIP Code database’
and then the type of database just created.
• If everything worked properly there should no longer
be a list of missing ZIP Codes after the analysis is
completed.
Process Note
• In theory, the above process can be used to
produce a file that would allow identification of
locations outside the United States.
• As long as the “ZIP Code” matches the DataMaker
data, the related latitude and longitude can be used.
• This is currently untested (as of 3/2015)
Known Bugs
• There are a few known bugs in this current release.
Please send input if more are found.
• Demographics Analysis – Chart size becomes small
due to outside labels, but does not resize when
labels are changed again.
– Workaround: change size of application window, then
click Label Style options again
Nomenclature
• CSV – comma-separated values file
• KML – Keyhole Markup Language file
Contact Information
• Please report any errors/bugs
• Feedback about the application is appreciated
– Does it do what you need it to? What could be done
better? Something missing that would be really great?
• Rick Kale
• [email protected]
• Phoenix Section (as of 3/15/2015)
Program Technical Details
• Program developed using:
– Microsoft Visual Studio 2010
– Visual C#
• Program requirements:
– Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0