The Features tab was designed specifically so you can save, use and share previously prepared variable options and logical expressions. The Features are a great time-saver and help with standardization because it ensures that everyone can use the same sets of variables, which is extremely useful in many cases.
Cases of use
A media planner may build an audience as the target market for an ad campaign e.g. ‘Women aged 18-29’ As this audience may be used for multiple reports, it's best to create it once and then save it for future re-use.
A researcher may want to create a list of international news TV channels for sharing with sales reps. The researcher can specify which channels to use and share the list so that everyone uses the same set.
A media planner may wish to create sets of publications used for different campaigns e.g. food, beauty, cars, etc.
How to create Features
The Features tab is located on the left vertical tab menu of the DVI interface. It can be opened along with the list of variables to configure presets.
The Features have a folder hierarchy:
Shared features can be used by anyone who has the right to edit this database.
My Features can only be accessed by the user who created them.
You can create second-level folders and so on to keep presets organized for yourself.
Arranging Variables in Features
Create a folder/open an existing one where a new variable should be. Click on the '+' icon to create new folders.
Drag&drop variables or categories from
a crosstab table
the Database tab
Use the Logical Expression Builder (LEB) to get new complex variables inside the folders. Click on the LEB icon next to the variable name to use it.
Rename variables if you need to. Double-click on the variable name make it editable.
Rename folders if you need to. Click on the 'pen' icon next to the folder to rename it.
Delete variables you don’t need to by choosing them and pressing ‘Del’ button.
Delete folders by clicking on the 'basket' icon next to the folder.
Remember to place the folders you want to share in the ‘Shared features’ folder.
In our example below we use several variables from the dataset to make the following logical variables:
People over the age of 35 who live in West Europe and have income over 270k per year.
People over the age of 35 who live in East Europe and have income over 270k per year.
Naming the variables accordingly we put them in the folder ‘The European Rich’. Once the Features are created we can drag&drop the variables from the folder in a crosstab and start data analyzing.
