October 2000
Volume 4, Issue 1

Inside this Issue...

Social Science Computing Laboratory
Faculty of Social Science
Room 1228, Social Science Centre
The University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 5C2

E-mail: ssts@uwo.ca
Web: www.ssc.uwo.ca
Phone: 519 661-2152
Managing Editor: Ramona Fudge

SSC Network Update

New Software and Upgrades

Peter Fewster

The SSC Network has seen some significant additions and upgrades to its list of software.

Adobe Photoshop 5.5 with Adobe ImageReady 2.0*
Photoshop has long been regarded as the premier program for creating web graphics. Version 5.5 includes a number of significant improvements:

new layer effects such as bevel and emboss or drop shadow are as simple as a click
editable text
magnetic lasso
transformation enhancements

With the ImageReady companion program you can produce JavaScript rollovers, slice your image, generate web animations and optimize your graphics. These two programs may be installed on your personal computer using Add/Remove Programs.

There are also 9 training modules which you can view as follows:

Start Þ SSC Network Þ Assistance and learning Þ Adobe Photoshop

These modules require both Adobe Acrobat Reader and QuickTime Movie Player (available from Add/Remove Programs).

FrontPage*
FrontPage 2000, the Microsoft web-publishing software tool is now available on the SSC Network. If you are a web-page developer and would like to use FrontPage 2000, the software can be installed by selecting Microsoft FrontPage 2000 SR1 in Add/Remove programs. Note that you should also install Microsoft FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions SR1.

FrontPage 2000 is the first software package to be rolled out under the Microsoft Campus Agreement which was announced in the SSCL February 2000 Newsletter. For more information about the features and requirements of FrontPage, please go to www.microsoft.com/frontpage.

SAS
SAS version 8 (via Add/Remove programs) represents a substantial upgrade to version 6.12 which has been in use for a few years. In addition to the typical help within SAS, online documentation is available via:

Help Þ Books and Training Þ SAS OnlineDoc

Quick Tour is available for those unfamiliar with how to use this resource.

SPSS Data Entry Builder
SPSS Data Entry (version 1.0.4) is a flexible tool for designing surveys and collecting data. With SPSS DE data entry is quick, easy and accurate. For example, you can create the printed survey in SPSS DE and then use it as the entry form. You can employ validation rules, checking rules, and skip & fill rules to ensure the integrity of your data.

SPSS Data Entry is designed to work seamlessly with SPSS. SPSS DE can set up your data file for you. Your data is saved to an SPSS .SAV file complete with dictionary definition. Alternatively, you can create a data entry form from an existing SPSS data file.

To install SPSS DE, select SPSS Data Entry Builder 1.0.4 in Add/Remove programs.

SPSS
SPSS version 10.0 (via Add/Remove programs) offers several improvements and enhancements over version 9.0. You can read about the new features within SPSS 10.0 via:

Help Þ Topics Þ Contents Þ SPSS at a Glance Þ What's new in SPSS 10.0

*If you are interested in attending a tutorial for either Adobe Photoshop or FrontPage please contact Peter Fewster by phone at extension 85069 or E-mail at fewster@uwo.ca.