StatPlanet FAQ

For questions or comments, see also the StatPlanet Forum.

	Custom maps / GIS: Can I create my own maps for StatPlanet? Can I import ESRI shapefiles (SHP) into StatPlanet?
	Data importing / editing: Can I add my own data to StatPlanet? What kind of data can be imported into StatPlanet? Can I have/import more than 256 columns of data?
	Installation / system requirements: Does StatPlanet need to be installed? Does it require other software? Does StatPlanet need a modern PC to run?
	Language: In what languages is StatPlanet available? Can I display characters using an alphabet other than Latin/Roman?
	Publishing online: How do I publish StatPlanet in a CMS (Content Management System)?
	Troubleshooting: I get an error message when pressing the 'Save' button
	Usage of StatPlanet: In which ways or for which purposes can I use StatPlanet? Can I give/send a copy of StatPlanet to others?
	Other: What is the difference between StatPlanet and DevInfo?

 

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Custom maps / GIS:

• Can I create my own maps for StatPlanet?

Yes, if you download StatPlanet Map Maker, a Flash template is included for inserting your own maps (in the directory 'Custom_Map'). This requires Adobe Flash CS3 or higher. Maps need to be in a vector format, for example the Adobe Illustrator format (.AI). Software such as ArcGIS or MAPublisher can be used to export ESRI shapefiles in the Adobe Illustrator format. See also importing ESRI shapefiles below.

• Read more about creating your own maps.
  
  
  
• Can I import ESRI shapefiles (SHP) into StatPlanet?

Yes, this is possible thanks to Edwin van Rijkom's Flash code library.

However, this feature is under development. For more information, please contact Frank van Cappelle:

 

Data importing / editing:

• Can I add my own data to StatPlanet?

Yes, you can create interactive maps of your own data by downloading StatPlanet Map Maker. For interactive graphs and charts (without the map), download StatPlanet Graph Maker.

• Which kind of data can be imported into StatPlanet?

Any format readable by Excel can be imported, such as XLS, XLSX, CSV, TXT and HTML. The import macro will automatically recognize the structure of your data file and switch columns to rows or vice versa if necessary.

StatPlanet - Map Maker can be used to automatically import country-based data from a wide variety of data sources. The data editor can recognizes commonly used spellings of country names. You can also easily add new spellings to the list of recognized country names in the data editor.

Graph Maker can be used to automatically import any kind of data. Once you have added your data headers / variables in the data editor, it can automatically import data by looking for these headers / variables in the data file. See also:

• Importing data
• Importing data from HTML and PDF documents.
  
  
• Can I have/import more than 256 columns of data?

If you have a map with more than 256 regions or districts, you need more than 256 columns of data. This is possible with Excel 2007 or later when the column limit was increased to over 16000 columns. You can use more than 256 columns of data by directly editing the file data.csv in Excel. If you wish to use the data editor, you need to convert it to an Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (.xlsm).

The Data Editor can be converted into the .xlsm format as follows:

• Create a new document and go to File -> Save as, and type in the name StatPlanet_data_editor. For 'Save as type' select 'Macro-Enabled Workbook (.xlsm)', and click on Save. (Note: you need to save it in the same directory as the old Data Editor.
• Copy and paste the sheets from the original Data Editor to your new one:
  • Go the original Data Editor.
  • Right-click on the sheet name (in the bottom left of the Excel workbook), and select 'Move or Copy'.
  • For 'To book:' select the new Data Editor workbook (note: it should be open in Excel).
  • Check the box 'Create a copy' and click on OK.
  • Repeat this for all the sheets.
• You will also need to copy the Visual Basic code:
  • If you have no 'Developer' tab (the right-most tab), click on the round Windows button in the top-left corner, and select 'Excel Options'. Then check the box 'Show Developer tab in the Ribbon' (it is in the 'Popular' section), and click on OK.
  • Click on the Developer tab, and then click on the left-most button 'Visual Basic'.
  • Insert a new Module and UserForm in the new Data Editor (Right click on 'VBAProject StatPlanet_data_editor' shown on the left, and select Insert).
  • Copy and paste the contents from the old Module and UserForm (called ProgressBar) into the new one.
• Finally, you need to change one line of code in the Visual Basic code in Module1:

  newFilename = Application.Substitute(newFilename, "xls", "csv")

  needs to be changed to:

  newFilename = Application.Substitute(newFilename, "xlsm", "csv")

  (this is because the filename changed from ".xls" to ".xlsm").

 

Installation / system requirements:

• Does StatPlanet need to be installed? Does it require other software?

StatPlanet requires no installation. No additional software is needed to run the offline version, but the online version requires the Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above). Flash Player is already installed on about 99 percent of Internet-enabled computers. To add your own data, Microsoft Excel is required for automatic importing of data, but any spreadsheet software can be used to add data manually.

You can download StatPlanet either as a ZIP file or as an EXE file. For help on extracting ZIP files see this video on extracting ZIP files.

• Does StatPlanet need a modern PC to run?

A modern PC is not required to run StatPlanet. For a Windows PC, the minimum requirement is an Intel® Pentium® II 450MHz processor with 128 MB of RAM. The web-based version of StatPlanet requires the Adobe Flash Player (version 9) to run, which supports Windows, Macintosh and Linux platforms. The offline version of StatPlanet is currently only available for Windows.

You can also use the Adobe Flash Player system requirements as a guideline.

 

Language:

• In what languages is StatPlanet available?

StatPlanet is currently available in English, French, Spanish and Dutch. It is also possible to create your own translation of StatPlanet, or modify an existing translation. Read more

• Can I display characters using an alphabet other than Latin/Roman?

Yes, you can use a different alphabet (e.g. Arabic, Chinese or Hebrew), but this requires a special version of StatPlanet in which the corresponding font has been embedded.

For more information, please contact Frank van Cappelle:

 

Publishing online:

• How do I publish StatPlanet in a CMS (Content Management System)?

To publish StatPlanet in a CMS-based blog or website, you need to upload all the StatPlanet files to the designated area on the website where you normally put external files and images. For example, in the directory http://www.youwebsite.com/files. Create a sub-folder (e.g. StatPlanet) and place the files here.

You can then link to the StatPlanet file from any webpage, e.g. http://www.youwebsite.com/files/statplanet/StatPlanet.html

If you wish to embed StatPlanet inside your website, the solution depends on the CMS you are using. The steps for doing this with the Drupal CMS are given below. A similar approach may work for other CMSs if they have specific ways for dealing with Flash contents.

DRUPAL SOLUTION:

1. Download and install the Drupal module Flash Node
2. The option to add a Flash Node should now appear in your website menu. So add a Flash Node
3. Where it asks you to 'Choose File', select the StatPlanet.swf file (which is the loader)
4. In the Basic flash node options, insert the Width and Height (e.g. width 765 / height 567).
5. In the Advanced flash node options, under Base, insert the location where you placed the StatPlanet files above. For example: /files/statplanet
   (no need to put the full path)
6. In Body, you can add text / images / contents as with any other Drupal page.
7. Click on Submit and you should now see StatPlanet embedded in your website.
   See some examples.

 

Troubleshooting:

• I get an error message when pressing the 'Save' button

If you get an error message when you press 'Save' in the StatPlanet Data Editor, check the following:

• Have you unzipped / extracted the files? You will get this error message if you have opened the Data Editor without extracting the StatPlanet directories and files onto your computer.
• Make sure that the file 'data.csv' is not open when you press the 'Save' button.
• Make sure you have not renamed any of the Excel sheets in the StatPlanet Data Editor.

If you still have problems, download the Map Maker installer. If you get the message 'publisher cannot be verified', click on 'run'. Then select a location where you wish to install StatPlanet Map Maker. This installer will install StatPlanet with the correct directory structure.

See also: Troubleshooting

 

Usage of StatPlanet:

• In which ways or for which purposes can I use StatPlanet?

StatPlanet can be used to visualize and analyze any amount or type of data. However, it is particularly suitable for mapping country or regional data, and for use as a 'visual data browser' to explore large data sets. StatPlanet is used by various organizations and Ministries of Education for very different kinds of data.

StatPlanet can be freely used, distributed and placed on any website. However, please include a reference to StatPlanet if it is used in a web-page or for a publication, as follows:

Frank van Cappelle (2009) StatPlanet: Interactive Data Visualization and Mapping Software, Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality, Paris. http://www.sacmeq.org/statplanet

If you are using or would like to use StatPlanet, we would love to hear about your project. You can contact us at:

• Can I give/send a copy of StatPlanet to others?

Yes, StatPlanet can be freely downloaded, copied and distributed to others. It is small enough to be sent by e-mail, although some e-mail providers (such as Gmail) do not accept programs as attachments.

Please also read the StatPlanet License

 

Other:

• What is the difference between StatPlanet and DevInfo?

StatPlanet and DevInfo were developed for different purposes and target users. DevInfo is particularly suitable for the creation or development of visualizations for use in reports, presentations and advocacy materials, and where advanced GIS functions are required. In contrast, StatPlanet is designed mainly for explorating data and data visualizations through the software itself, although the visualizations can also be saved or exported for use in reports and other media.