QualCoder 2.5

Minor changes in this release.
Mainly removing some bugs: Bug of defaulting only to character attributes when attribute is created. Bug with csv survey import. Bug deleting cases could affect other case attributes.
Added Portuguese language (draft translation), as there is lots of interest from Brazil.
The deb file is for installation on Debian / Ubuntu Linux.

User identified bugs and issues since the release:
Coding text: when searching for text and the 'all files' option is selected, an error occurs. (due to an upgrade in another functionality). Fixed in latest code (not in this release).
Case deletion: This can affect the case attributes for multiple cases. (Fixed in latest code, not in this release). Recommend, do not delete the case but rename it to acknowledge it is not to be used, e.g. OLD_case
Workflow issue: when transcribing the text of an audio/video file. Please complete the transcription before performing any coding/annotating text or assignment of portions of the transcribed file to a case. Also, opening the .transcribed text file directly may not show the updated text immediately after transcribing in the A/V transcription pane (to resolve, select the Manage Files menu option to refresh).

INSTALLATION

Linux

Prerequisites

You will need to have a python3.6 or newer version installed. You will also need to have a vlc player installed - for audio and video.
Debian-based Linuxes:

You can install the latest debian package from https://github.com/ccbogel/QualCoder-Debians

You may need to add unstable repos as described at https://www.binarytides.com/enable-testing-repo-debian/

Install these modules from the command line

sudo apt install python3-lxml python3-ply python3-six python3-pdfminer python3-chardet python3-qt5 python3-pillow

On some Linux versions you will need to install pip

sudo apt install python3-pip

You also need to run this command from the terminal for pdf importing:

sudo python3 -m pip install pdfminer.six openpyxl ebooklib

If not using the debian package:

Make the install.sh executable and run the install.sh script from the terminal. Make sure the qualcoder folder is in the same directory as the install.sh script (i.e. as it appears when you download the QualCoder-master folder).

Fedora/CentOS/RHEL Linuxes

Retrieve the current package code from this repository

git clone https://github.com/ccbogel/QualCoder.git

Make install_fedora.sh executable (chmod +x install_fedora.sh) and run the ./install_fedora.sh script from the terminal. Make sure the qualcoder folder is in the same directory as the install.sh script (i.e. as it appears when you download the QualCoder-master folder). The script is for python version 3.9.

This script installs the dependencies using dnf and the ebook libraries with a work-around, specified at #72 (comment).

Fedora uses wayland with does not work well with the Qt graphical interface (for now). I suggest you also install xwayland.
Linux Use

./install.sh

The qualcoder folder should be in the same directory as the install.sh script.

This will install QualCoder in the /usr/share directory and create a launcher. Alternatively go to the qualcoder directory and run the qualcoder.py file in a terminal: python3 qualcoder.py

Windows:

Install VLC or from the Windows Store.

Download the QualCoder software from: https://github.com/ccbogel/QualCoder. This is the newest, but not yet officially released, version of code. Alternatively, choose the most recent release. Click the green button "Code", and then "Download ZIP". Then, unpack the file in a selected place (e.g. desktop).

Open the unpacked folder "QualCoder-master", then open the folder "qualcoder" and make a shortcut of the file "qualcoder.py" on the desktop - for easier access. This file is the starting file for running software. Python3 and

The software is written in Python and does not have an exe file for Windows. Download and install the Python programming language. The minimum version is 3.6. Newer is better, e.g. 3.8.7 (https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-387/). Download the file (at the bottom of the web site) "Windows installer (64-bit)" (or 32-bit if you have an older system) and install Python.

IMORTANT: in the first window of the installation mark the option "Add Python to PATH" - it makes the last step easier.

The final step, install extra modules to Python. Type the letters "cmd" in the Windows Start searching engine, and click on the black software "cmd.exe" - this is the command console for Windows. In the console paste, using the right-click context menu (ctrl+v does not work) the following:

py -m pip install pyqt5 lxml Pillow ebooklib ply chardet pdfminer.six openpyxl

Then click enter. Wait, until all modules are installed (the command phrase should be again visible: "C:\Users[Your Windows account name]> or similar).

Now, you should be able to run QualCoder by double-clicking the desktop shortcut.

The python command may open a different version of python (e.g. a python2 version). You might need to replace python with py for the most recent installed version, or a specific version that is installed on your Windows, e.g. py -3.8 See discussion here: Difference between py and python You can run the cmd.exe as described above, and type python or py and Enter. The first line will tell you which version of python that command runs. To exit, press Ctrl Z.

MacOS

Install recent versions of Python3 and VLC.

Download the latest release "Source code" version in ZIP format, from the releases section of the project here on Github: https://github.com/ccbogel/QualCoder/releasesDownload and extract it into /Applications

Open the Terminal app (or any other command shell)

Install PIP (if not yet installed, try typing `pip3 --version` and hit ENTER)

curl https://bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py -o get-pip.py
python3 get-pip.py

-> You should now be able to run pip3 as above.

Install Python dependency modules using pip:

(you might already have them, you don't need to do this again if you just updated QualCoder to a newer version)

pip install pyqt5 lxml pillow six ebooklib ply chardet pdfminer.six openpyxl

Install system dependencies using Homebrew (aka brew)

6.1) Install brew if do not already have it (try typing brew and hit ENTER):

Follow instructions here about installing Homebrew on your macOS: https://brew.sh/

6.2) Install QPDF package (needed to deal with PDF files) using Homebrew package manager:

brew install qpdf

Assuming you downloaded the 2.5 version. You can now run with:

python3 /applications/QualCoder-2.5/qualcoder/qualcoder.py

You can install QualCoder anywhere you want, so the path above depends on where you extracted the archive.

Another option to run Qualcoder is shown here: https://www.maketecheasier.com/run-python-script-in-mac/. This means you can right-click on the qualcoder.py file and open with --> python launcher. You can make an alias to the file and place it on your desktop.

Another option to install on Mac:

Open the Terminal App and move to the unzipped Qualcoder-Master directory, then run the following commands:

pip install -U py2app or for a system installation of python sudo pip install -U py2app

python3 setup.py py2app

Starting QualCoder

Linux

If you have successfully installed the debian package or sucessfully run the install.sh script there will be a program launcher. Double-click to start.

Alternatively, using the terminal, move to the inner QualCoder folder and open the qualcoder.py file:

python3 qualcoder.py

Windows

In Windows create a shortcut to the qualcoder.py file and double click to open. Alternatively, using the command prompt, move to the directory and open the qualcoder.py file:

py qualcoder.py or python3 qualcoder.py

Mac OS

There is no desktop icon launch right now for QualCoder. Open a new Terminal window in the directory and launch with
python3 qualcoder.py

QualCoder 2.4

Improved UI features, tabbed interface, use of base64 for icons.
Exports for case and file attributes.
Reports - Case matrix - various options for columns (codes, categories, top categories).
Extra explanation for text search in code text regards Regex.
Additional shortcut keys when coding:
Shortcut R to select Recent codes.
Shortcut Q to Quick code with the most recent code.
Shortcut M to memo a code.
Shortcut O to cycle through overlapping codes in situ.
Code in context of original file - now in code text, code image, code av, graph, code reports.

I have jumped from version 2.2 to 2.4 as I could not update two files in the 2.3 release.

ERROR REMAINS: Automatic numeric attribute type for case, files. Does not create a character attribute.
To fix: Open the Attribute management window and right click on the attribute and change to character.
This error fixed in the latest code which will become a 2.5 release.

Since this release two more errors have been identified. One is a minor display issue regarding overlapping codes in the code text window. The second is an issue with CSV importation. These errors have been fixed in the current code on the main github page.

To Run: Windows use cmd and run py qualcoder.py from the QualCoder-2.2/qualcoder folder
or again on Windows double-click on the qualcoder.py file.

QualCoder 2.2

• Improved UI features, use of icons and files selector list.
  NOTE: ICON VISIBILITY NOT TESTED ON MAC OS.
• Improved imports and exports of REFI-QDA projects. Still experimental.
• Link option to files rather than store them internally.
• No longer store files larger than 2 Gbytes internally for REFI-QDA compatibility.
• Coded text memo functionality added
• Additional text autocoding options for sentences.
• Autocoding undo option
• Multiple file deletion function
• Italian language added
• Greek language added (requires revision)
• Added warning when entering text into numeric case attribute.
• Fixed error, new case attributes were always assigned to numeric type.

NOTES: The new icon format seems to work well in most installations. I have had one person (Windows 10) comment that the images did not show up in the buttons. Although other Windows 10 users had no problems. I have enacted another way of displaying icons in buttons, so look at the latest code (not a release) if this issue occurs for you.

To Run: Windows use cmd and run py qualcoder.py from the QualCoder-2.2/qualcoder folder
or again on Windows double-click on the qualcoder.py file.

QualCoder 2.1

Improved REFI MAXQDA import - now tests for Sources and sources directory.
Improved REFI-QDA and RQDA imports by auto-selecting a coder name for use on import.
Added key commands for changing text coding sizes. Shift + Left arrow, Shift + Right arrow, Alt + Left arrow, Alt + Right arrow.
Added key commands for audio/video play speed. Ctrl + Shift + < and Ctrl + Shift + >
Play speed now ranges from 0.1 speed up to 2.0 speed.
Added exportable relation table to match RQDA relation function.
Added getCodingTable SQL command (under joins in SQL Dialog) to match RQDA function.
Added Code entire sentence via right-click on Auto-Code button.

Install the Debian file using double click or this terminal command:
sudo dpkg -i qualcoder-2.1.deb

This release (in Zip folder) also has an UNTESTED Fedora install_fedora.sh script

NOTE: Creation of a text file within QualCoder worked but manual entry of a text into this file does not work for now. Another release will be produced very soon to rectify this and to add several other features.
NOTE 2: The debian folder has been updated (8 Dec 2020) with 755 file permissions to overcome some install issues.

QualCoder 2.0

August 2020 release

The release contains bug fixes.
It also contains a lot of GUI improvements, including storing window sizes and a recent project menu.
There is improved importing and exporting of files.
There is also a Japanese language option (which will need revision).

The importation and exportation of projects in the REFI-QDA format is experimental and not fully compliant with the standards. There is an improvement in text coding with better support for imported files with some characters, e.g. smart quotes, than the previous version.

This release requires the installation of the python module: openpyxl
The manual contains the instructions to install this module.

The deb files is for instillation on Debian/Ubuntu Linux.

The zip and deb have been updated to fix a bug regarding making A/V segments.
The source.zip and source.tar.gz have the bug on line 865 in view_av.py

QualCoder 1.9

This May 2020 release contains minor bug fixes.
It also has additional options in the view graph dialog. Right-click context menu on a line gives options to emphasis selected lines by color, thickness and style.

Some issues:
ebook importation may not always work.

The importation and exportation of projects in the REFI-QDA format is experimental and not fully compliant with the standards.
Exports
Functionalities that may not match the standard:
Coding for a/v transcripts is also exported as a TextSource.
Transcript synchronization with a/v is approximated from textual timepoints in the transcript.
Large > 2GBfiles are not stored externally.

Imports
PDF sources not imported.
Audio and video transcriptions, synchpoints and transcription coding to be further tested.
Sets and Node Graphs are not imported: Qualcoder does not use this functionality.
Large > 2GBfiles are not stored externally.

Qualcoder 1.7

Fixes a minor category deletion bug.
Adds keyboard shortcuts to manual transcribing.
Updated help and manual.

Qualcoder-1.5

Fixes some bugs. Import of RQDA projects functionality added.
This release also contains:

• A Debian installer.

QualCoder-1.3.1

Patch with improved French translation.
This release does not prevent the program crashing on some Windows, if QualCoder cannot find liblvc.dll

Debian package

This version adds some translations for french and german. However, the translations will need refinement.
It also provides video displays in html reports, using html5 video tags.