Easy Comext (or Easy XTnet) is an HTML based interface giving to the public at Eurostat s External Trade database.

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1 QUICK GUIDE TO EASY COMEXT Contents Preface Main toolbars Register (first time) Make an extraction Display the results of an extraction Access to metadata Retrieve a saved query Downloads Preface Easy Comext (or Easy XTnet) is an HTML based interface giving to the public at Eurostat s External Trade database. The access to Easy Comext interface is done through the Eurostat s internet site: Several ways exist in order to access the Easy Comext interface: 1. Through the Themes sidebar Choose External Trade on the Themes sidebar on the Eurostat s home page Select the Data tab Expand the node External trade detailed data by clicking on the + symbol Expand the node that corresponds to the requested level of CN Access the database 2. Through the Data tab Select the Data tab on the Eurostat s home page Click on the External trade link Expand the node External trade detailed data by clicking on the + symbol Expand the node that corresponds to the requested level of CN Access the database When the window of XTnet is open, the user can add the address into favourites addresses. This address permitting a direct access to Easy Comext corresponds to

2 There are two types of users of Easy Comext : - Non registered users or registered and not logged in The system allows to carry out the following interactive operations: - Dataset selection Select the appropriate dataset from a hierarchy Search for a dataset - Query definition Define an extraction (new query) Open a default query Choose from a list of prepared queries Define aggregates based on groups of elements Browse through a hierarchy of codes Search for codes - Layout selection Choose the dimensions on each axis of the layout Choose the format of each axis - Extraction operations Extract interactively data according to an extraction definition Visualise and download extracted data Perform post computations on extracted data Show footnotes attached on extracted data - Metadata View news information Visualise and download metadata (methodology, classifications etc.) Access to a contextual help - Registered users (logged in) The system allows to carry out all operations of a not logged in user, plus: - User operations Save and retrieve a query Display a list of terminated work during the last 48 hours Display and download extraction results Be informed by when an extraction has finished - Extraction Extract more data than a non registered user Extract in batch mode. In this case, the job is submitted to the system for later execution (when system resources are available). Extraction results are stored at the server for 48 hours and the user can display or download them during this period Get information on the status of a batch extraction (waiting, running, finished)

3 Registration has to be done only once. To register, a user must select login and then click on register. It is important to provide a correct address since a user name and a password will be sent to this address. Main toolbars The system provides the user with the following two main toolbars and facilities: For not logged in users Select login to initiate a session as a register user or to register for the first time (a valid address is necessary) For logged in users

4 Register (first time) Make an extraction When a user clicks on the name of a dataset, Easy Comext displays a floating menu. The user should select new query to begin the three steps operation.

5 In order to define a query, the user should select at least one element per dimension. After clicking on the name of the dimension, the dimension selection form is activated and displays the list of its contents (items and groups if available). A group is a list of dimension items. The user may select a group as a whole or he can open the group and select individual items. Groups are used by the system to facilitate the access to big classifications and the selection of classification items. When a group is selected as a whole, it appears in red colour. However, in the extraction only the contents of the group are shown. For example if a group contains 200 items, the user will dispose in the extraction all the 200 items and no indication of the group. Groups may also be added as aggregates to the query. In this case, the aggregation of all elements that belong to the group is shown in the extraction. For example, if a group contains 200 items and is added as aggregate to the query, the user will dispose only one item in the extraction. Simple dimension elements can be selected from a list, from the results of a dimension search or from a hierarchy (hierarchies are not available for all dimensions). It is possible to define a query containing for one or more dimensions, groups, parts of groups, aggregates based on groups, simple dimension elements. An estimated number of cells (with data or empty) is displayed at the bottom left of the screen.

6 In the following example, the product dimension contains one group (in red colour), one aggregate (in blue color) and two products. The extraction will contain all individual products included in the group, one aggregate plus the two products.

7 Each time the user clicks on a dimension, the system opens a form that enables the selection of codes, groups or aggregates (groups and aggregates are not available for all dimensions). The user can select dimension elements with the mouse (more facilities with mouse and shift and or ctrl). By pressing on key the selection moves to the next code beginning with this letter. For example with the partner dimension, United States is selected by pressing four times U.

8 When button group details is clicked, all the codes that are included in the selected group will be displayed for individual selection. When the button By hierarchy is clicked, a hierarchy of single codes is displayed.

9 When the button By search is clicked, a new form allows searching for

10 The user can define the layout of the display/presentation of the extracted data. Up to two header columns and two header rows can be defined. For each line or column the user selects to display codes, labels or both.

11 The user must submit the query to Comext. If the submission is interactive, the user should wait until Comext has extracted and prepared the data for display. The submission is launched through the following screen (not logged in users) A logged-in user has the possibility to submit an extraction in batch and display or download the data later, to receive notification by when the extraction is done, to save the query for later retrieve and to define the format of the final output. MTX is the internal multidimensional format of Comext. When the user selects MTX, he will have the possibility to visualize the results and to transform them in all available formats (text, html, graphics etc.).

12 When a batch job is launched the user can visualize the processing status through the link batch jobs. The submitted bath job is added to the list of the completed works as soon as the extraction has finished.

13 Display the results of an extraction An extraction can be displayed either after an interactive extraction or after clicking on the display button associated to the extraction list in the completed work window. At this stage, the user is given the following options: make new selection in the header dimensions (partner, product,..) change layout print preview modify query (a new extraction is done) save table or extraction : downloads the data (view or all) in the requested format (CSV for raw data and HTML for formatted tables). The user can also select with the mouse the table on the screen, copy the table (ctrl-c) and paste (ctrl-v) the table directly to a spreadsheet or a document. Before making a graphic, the user must have a simple and significant table for the requested graphic. For registered users it should be noted that all data remain in Eurostat s server (for 48 hours) and the users can access them later even from another computer. View dataset or dimension metadata Generate graphics Show or hide footnotes Perform computations on the extraction The line graphics require that less that 10 rows are displayed in the table. For a pie graphic, only one row is permitted.

14 Some example of line and pie graph: Below is an example of a pie graph:

15 When clicking on the computations button (sum in lines), the following form allows to specify one or more dimension for which the sum is computed as well as names for the new elements that are created. The sum is computed for all indicators. When clicking on the computations button (percentage in columns), the following form allows to specify the dimension for which the percentage is computed as well as the name for the new indicator(s) that is (are) created. The percentage is computed either: - For the indicator selected when the indicators dimension is not on the table axis. In this case, the user has to select the new percentage indicator in the indicators select box in order to display the percentage. - For all indicators when the indicators dimension is on the table axis (in this case, the new percentage indicator is created for each indicator and its name is prefixed by the variable name specified in the percentage computation form)

16 Access to Metadata Metadata can be accessed at three levels. - From the main toolbar the user can have global metadata covering all datasets. - From each dataset the user may access metadata related to the specific dataset - From each dataset dimension the user can access metadata related to this dimension. All files can be downloaded or opened. In general the user can find metadata related to methodology, classifications, quality, timelines information and update information, important notices and software. The available metadata information will increase and improve continuously. Retrieve a saved query A logged in user can access his previously saved query with the Existing query option either: - From the main toolbar (list of queries saved for all datasets) - Or from the dataset menu that appears on the main page when the user selects a dataset (list of queries saved for the selected dataset) He can open the query and launch an extraction with or without modifications. To save the modifications, the query should be stored under a new name (otherwise the prior query is overwritten). Downloads Downloads can be done either from the main toolbar through the tools options (only software) or through each dataset (selected important information).