User`s guide

E-Prime User’s Guide
Chapter 5: Data Handling
Page 176
If the user chooses option #2 (to merge the data containing the duplicate subject and session
number), the target file should be edited immediately using E-DataAid in order to avoid potential
confusion.
E-Merge determines whether data is duplicate data or a different run based on a unique identifier
assigned to the data by E-Run. This identifier is a 128-bit (16 byte) integer generated by the
Windows system based on the date, time, and machine identifier, and it is guaranteed to be
virtually unique. This identifier stays with the data even when merged. E-Merge uses this
identifier rather than the experiment name, subject number, and session number to compare the
runs in the data file to the runs in the target file. This way, E-Merge can detect the data is
different even when the experiment name, subject number, and session number are the same.
Conversely, E-Merge can detect duplicate data even when the experiment name, subject
number, or session number have been edited.
5.2.4.3 File Error
A conflict message will be generated if E-Merge cannot open or read a data file. In this situation,
E-Merge alerts the user as to the conflict and presents the opportunity to take one of the following
actions:
1. Skip the file and continue with the merge operation.
2. Stop the merge operation at the point of the conflict.
3. Stop and undo the merge operation altogether.
To resolve this conflict, determine whether the data file is already open in another application,
such as E-DataAid. If the data file is open in another application, E-Merge cannot access it. If
the data file is not already open, test the data file by attempting to open it in E-DataAid. If the
data file cannot be opened in E-DataAid, it may be corrupted. In this case, the data file may
possibly be recreated by the E-Recovery application using the text file generated by E-Run prior
to conversion to an E-Prime EDAT data file. Refer to Chapter 6-E-Recovery in the Reference
Guide for more information concerning the E-Recovery application. By default, the E-Run text
file is retained in the folder in which the data file was created. However, the text file may not be
available if the user deleted it or enabled the option to delete the text file after successful
conversion to EDAT format.