Total VB Statistics - Reviewer's Guide

Thank you for your interest in Total VB Statistics. FMS is pleased to provide you with this Reviewer's Guide to assist in your evaluation of Total VB Statistics. The contents of this document are organized as follows:

Additional documentation is included with the Total VB Statistics product, including a printed User's Guide and online help system.

Total VB Statistics Overview

Background

Total VB Statistics addresses the problem many Visual Basic developers face when they need to perform data analysis. Although one can use Visual Basic and the SQL query language to perform basic data analysis, it is insufficient for more advanced functions such as percentiles, regressions, correlations, t-tests, confidence intervals, group analysis, non-parametrics, probability, etc.

Until now, Visual Basic developers who needed these features either didn't include them or resorted to exporting their data into separate statistical analysis programs and importing the results back (if they could).

Designed Specifically for Visual Basic

Total VB Statistics is designed specifically for Visual Basic developers and addresses their needs for integrating powerful data into their applications.

With a wide range of statistical calculations, Total VB Statistics eliminates the complexity of using and controlling a separate statistics program. Total VB Statistics integrates statistical analysis directly into any Visual Basic project (version 5 or 6). Any Microsoft Jet/Access table, linked table (such as SQL Server or Oracle table), or query can be analyzed. Multiple numeric fields and an unlimited number of records may be handled at one time, with many options to group and ignore data. Best of all, the results are placed in Access tables that the developer can fully control, manipulate, and add to their forms and reports.

With a simple procedure call, the power of Total VB Statistics is added directly into a Visual Basic project. The end-user won't even know that Total VB Statistics is running in the background. Events are raised so the developer can create their own custom messages.

Total VB Statistics includes a small (under 1 MB in size) statistics ActiveX DLL that is distributed with the project. A royalty-free distribution license allows developers to economically add statistical analysis to their projects.

Easy to Use

Total VB Statistics is designed to make it very easy for Visual Basic developers to add advanced statistical analysis to their Visual Basic projects. Many developers don't understand or are intimidated by statistical analysis, so ease of use is very important.

The Scenario Designer, with its Wizard-like interface, simplifies the process of setting up a scenario (analysis). The analysis settings (not the data or results) are stored for easy re-use or modification. Scenarios can be run and the results examined to verify or refine the analysis. This can all be done without programming.

Once the scenario is finalized, the Scenario Designer automatically generates the Visual Basic code to be pasted into a project. Adding statistical analysis to a Visual Basic project couldn't be easier!

FMS Experience with Statistics

FMS is very experienced in the creation of statistics products for database analysis. In 1990, we launched our first statistics program, ParaStat, for Borland's Paradox DOS. In 1994, we released our first statistics programs for Windows: Total Access Statistics for Microsoft Access 2.0, and ParaStat for Windows for Paradox for Windows. Over the years, the products were upgraded many times to add new features and keep up with new database versions.

The statistical functions included in our products are based on years of customer feedback and selected for their popularity and usefulness for database analysis. They significantly exceed the needs of most developers.

Our products do not have as many statistical functions as programs such as SPSS or SAS, and are intended to fill the gap between the rudimentary tools in Access/Visual Basic and the high-end, very advanced statistical programs. The advantage of our products is their tight integration with their database platform, programmatic control, and output in a format (tables) that can be used by developers in their application. Additionally, our product, including runtime license, is priced below the single user copies of most high-end statistics programs.

Compatibility with Total Access Statistics

Total VB Statistics is designed specifically for Visual Basic developers and is compatible with our existing Total Access Statistics product for Access. Both Access and Visual Basic developers share the same Jet Engine/Access database format. Scenarios created by either program can be used by the other. For existing customers of Total Access Statistics, this means they can run the scenarios they created in Access directly in their Visual Basic programs with no modifications!

However, they are not the same program. Total Access Statistics is an Access add-in tightly integrated with Access, while Total VB Statistics is a Visual Basic ActiveX DLL optimized for Visual Basic and behaves the way Visual Basic developers expect.

Product Packaging and Technical Support

Total VB Statistics includes a CD with the Scenario Designer, Statistics ActiveX DLL, and on-line help. A 134 page printed user manual is also included describing the program and the definition of each calculation.

Technical support is provided for free and is available by phone, fax, e-mail, and through our newsgroups (news.fmsinc.com).

Pricing and Availability

Total VB Statistics supports Visual Basic versions 5 and 6. Licensing is on a per developer basis. A single developer license is $599, and a five developer license is $1799. Each license includes royalty-free distribution rights for one developer to include Total VB Statistics within his/her Visual Basic applications.

Total VB Statistics is available directly from FMS and most corporate resellers. FMS also has international distributors in many countries. Visit www.fmsinc.com for more details.

About the Authors

Total VB Statistics is written by Luke Chung, president and founder of FMS, and Jim Ferguson, a Microsoft Visual Basic MVP and co-author of the Microsoft Jet Engine Programmer's Guide (Microsoft Press).

Running Total VB Statistics

System Requirements

Installation Instructions

A standard setup program is included. Just follow the steps and point to the directory where you want to install the program. You must have Visual Basic 5.0 or 6.0 installed in order to use the program.

Running Total VB Statistics

Total VB Statistics is launched from the Programs menu under Total VB Tools, Statistics. The Scenario Designer starts and asks for a database to analyze.

The program includes a sample database in the directory you installed the program. The database, SAMPLE.MDB, includes data and scenarios you can use to test the program. Select the database and the Scenario Designer appears:

Scenarios are organized into three major groups by the tabs across the top: Parametric Analysis, Group Analysis, and Non-Parametric Analysis. Within each tab, a variety of Analysis Types is available. Saved scenarios appear in the list.

You can create, edit, duplicate, delete, or run a scenario from this screen. Pick a scenario and press the Run button. The results (one or two tables depending on the scenario) appear on the screen. The table is actually created and stored in the sample database.

For more information on creating scenarios or specific calculations, please refer to the online help or user manual.

Generating Code

You'll notice that each scenario has a unique ID number. Adding statistical analysis to a Visual Basic project is simply identifying which scenario to run. Just right-click on any scenario and from the menu select Generate VB Code. This screen appears showing the code to add to your project:

Several options are available to customize the code, then simply copy and paste!

Feature List

Total VB Statistics includes a complete set of features to make it easy to add powerful data analysis to Visual Basic projects.

General Features

Feature	Benefit
Supports Visual Basic 5.0 and 6.0	Supports the latest Visual Basic versions
Interactive Scenario Designer	Create, test, and fine-tune statistical analysis interactively using a Wizard-like application. All scenarios are automatically saved for re-use or modification.
Programmatic interface	Easily add statistical analysis inside Visual Basic projects. A hidden interface lets you run Total VB Statistics while controlling what the user sees.
Accuracy	All calculations are in double precision (15 digits accuracy)
Platform Support	Runs on any network or operating system that supports Visual Basic and the Jet Engine
Multi-user ready	Multiple users can run an application that uses Total VB Statistics at the same time.
Compatible with Total Access Statistics	Scenarios created in Total Access Statistics can also be run within Visual Basic applications, and vice versa.
Royalty-Free License	Each license allows a developer to include Total VB Statistics in applications distributed to an unlimited number of customers.
Small DLL	Only one small file, a statistics ActiveX DLL under 1 MB in size, is added to your applications.

Data Analysis Features

Feature	Benefit
Analyze Jet Tables	Analyze any table in a Microsoft Jet Engine/Access database (MDB file)
Analyze Queries	Analyze data from any Jet Engine/Access query including multi-table queries
Analyze Linked Tables	Analyze any linked table supported by the Jet Engine including local tables such as dBase, Paradox, and FoxPro, any ODBC database, and databases such as SQL Server and Oracle.
Results in Access tables	Rather than a large number of statistical functions, each returning one value, Total VB Statistics generates many values at once. Each value is stored in a separate record and field in a table making it easy for the developer to link to other tables for additional analysis, display, or reports.
Analyze Large Data Sets	Multiple fields and an unlimited number of records can be analyzed at one time.
Group Data (optional)	For every unique combination of values in the specified group fields, a separate calculation is generated. For instance, grouping on a State field generates separate results for each state (stored as individual records in the output table).
Ignore Values (optional)	Specific values or ranges of values to omit. For instance, 999 is sometimes entered as an "unknown" value and must be ignored.
Weighting Field (optional)	Specify a weighting field to perform calculations such as weighted averages, weighted standard deviations, weighted regressions, etc.

Statistical Functions

Parametric Analysis

Parametric analysis is performed on numeric fields that are assumed to be continuous and normally distributed. Fields are analyzed individually or compared with each other.

Type	Description
Describe	Analysis of a numeric field: std. deviation, std. error, variance, coefficient of variance, skewness, kurtosis, geometric mean, harmonic mean, RMS, mode, confidence intervals, t-Test vs. mean, percentiles, etc.
Frequency	For each field, frequency distribution analysis for each interval (range of values): count, sum, percent of total, cumulative count, percent, and sum.
Percentiles	Median, quartiles, quintiles, deciles, and percentiles. Similar to Describe, but results placed in records rather than fields (each percentile is a record).
Compare	Compare two fields: mean and standard deviation of difference, correlation, covariance, R-square, paired t-Test.
Matrix	Similar to Compare, but rather than several fields compared to one, all fields are compared to each other creating a matrix.
Regression	Simple, multiple, and polynomial regressions with coefficient analysis, ANOVA, and residual table.
Crosstab	Cross-tabulation with row and column summaries, and % of row, column, and total for each cell. Chi-Square analysis is also available with expected value and % of expected for each cell.

Group Analysis Options

Group analysis is the comparison of continuous, normally distributed numeric data between groups of records. A comparison field in the table defines the groups. For instance, you may want to compare data between men and women, or by race. Groups are usually of different sizes (number of records) unlike the Compare feature in Describe, which is for paired values.

Type	Description
Two Sample t-Test	Two Sample t-Test compares means between two groups of records. Calculations include pooled and separate t-values for the two groups.
ANOVA	Analysis of variance compares the means of multiple groups of records. Calculations include degrees of freedom, sum of squares within and between groups, F-value, and probability.
Two way ANOVA	Two-way analysis of variance compares multiple fields between groups of records. Same results as ANOVA with additional values for each additional field. Used to measure relative impact of each variable on the mean.

Non-Parametric Options

Less powerful than parametric analysis, non-parametric analysis is used when the underlying data is not continuous, for instance ordinal data, or not normally distributed. Non-parametric analysis makes no assumption on the distribution of the underlying data, since the results are based on the ranks of the data. Non-parametric analysis can be made for each numeric field individually, compared with each other, or between groups of records (samples).

Type	Description
Chi-Square	One sample Chi-Square. Evaluates distribution and expected value for each unique value in a field
Sign Test	One sample sign test versus median, mean or user defined value
K-S Fit	Goodness of Fit tests to determine if a numeric field fits a uniform, normal, or Poisson distribution
2 Sample	Two sample tests: Wald-Wolfowitz Runs Test, Mann-Whitney U Test, and Kolmogorov-Smirnov
N Sample	Kruskal-Wallis one way ANOVA
Paired Fields	Field comparisons: paired sign test, Wilcoxon Signed Rank, Spearman’s Rho correlation
N Fields	Friedman’s two way ANOVA

Probability Calculator

Evaluate the probability of test values (Z, t-Test, Chi-Square, and F-value) for any degrees of freedom, or the inverse (test value for a given probability). This calculator eliminates the hassles of interpolating values in references tables common in the back of statistics books.

Conclusion

Total VB Statistics is the most powerful data analysis tool available for the Visual Basic development environment. Able to analyze large data sets stored in Microsoft Jet/Access databases or any linked database, Total VB Statistics combines power and ease of use.

While not every Visual Basic developer is going to need statistical analysis, when they do, Total VB Statistics will be a godsend. After all, how many developers want to spend time writing the matrix inversion math necessary to calculate a regression when they can get it with a few clicks of the mouse in Total VB Statistics?

We invite you to put the product through its paces, and contact us if we can provide any additional assistance in evaluating or deploying Total VB Statistics.

Trial Version

A fully-functional Trial Version of Total VB Statistics is available from our web site, click here to download. The Trial Version includes every feature except the programmatic interface and is limited to analyzing tables with 100 or fewer records.

Microsoft, Microsoft Access, FoxPro, SQL Server, Visual Basic, and Microsoft Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Total Access SourceBook and Total VB Statistics are trademarks of FMS Inc. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners.


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