Interval Sampling
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Interval Sampling

Command Overview

The interval sample command is used to select an random interval sample. The command supports four sources of data for testing:

  1. Data file in tab separated value format
  2. WorkSheet
  3. Selected range within a worksheet
  4. Database (e.g. MS-Access, MySQL, etc)

 

Syntax

The command is entered on the command line as the command name ("is") followed by one or more command parameters. Each command parameter consists of an argument name, immediately followed by an equal sign ("=") and then immediately followed by a value. The value may be enclosed with quotation marks, and must be enclosed by quotation marks if the value consists of any embedded spaces.

An example of a command parameter to specify that the file name to be processed is test.txt is entered as "file=test.txt" (without the quotations). Each argument on the command line must consist of only valid parameter names. If a required parameter name is missing, then the command line will be colored yellow, an error message will be displayed on the Excel status bar and an audible tone will be sounded.

The following is a listing of all parameter values for the benford command:

Argument name Description Example
Common Parameters (Required for all)
recap the worksheet where the results are to be stored $Results
intvl the interval size 500
sample the worksheet where the sample is to be stored Sample
rn the starting random number (between 0 and the interval) 326
File Data Source (ds=file)
file the name of the file to be processed \test\invoice.txt
Worksheet Data Source (ds=rng)
sheet the name of the worksheet to be processed CMAData
ulc upper left hand corner of the range to be processed a2
Worksheet Selected Range (ds=sel)
sheet the name of the worksheet to be processed CMAData
Database (ds=db)
sql the SQL query to obtain the data to be used as a source "tran amount"
conn the connection string for the database (varies by type of database) "c:\ms\data\cmadata.mdb"

 

 

An example

The command to be perform an interval sample on the file named \test\invoice\tran.txt using an interval of 500 and a random start of 326, storing the results on the worksheet named "Interval Selections " is as follows:

is file=\test\invoice\tran.txt sample="Interval Selections" recap="Potential Duplicates" intvl=500 rn=326 recap="Samples Selected"

 

 

Output from the processing will include a sample reconciliation as well as the samples selected

 

Command entered:

Interval sample reconciliation report:

 

 

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