There are several reasons, strategies and solutions to merge, combine and accumulate your data after it has been coded. All routines discussed so far, where aimed to merge, consolidate or accumulate events - either inside the same DataSet or accumulated over multiple DataSets.
This routine is helpful for the following issues:
oMultiple expressions have been used for basically the same behavior, but in some statistics need to be listed as one.
oEqual Codes are spread over multiple Classes, but in some statistics need to be shown as one.
Note: To permanently change the expressions inside your coded document, use the Replace... functionality, as is described in Rename Codes.
This method can be used to merge Codes as well as Classes, without touching the originally coded data.
Example 1: You have coded 3 different types of laughs like Giggle, Smirk and Smile, but now you want all 3 to appear as Laughing in the statistical results. Just as if you have only been coding the same code for all 3 types.
Example 2: Codes were logged in separate Classes, but need appear as if they where coded within the same Class (for a specific report).
The key to this method lays, kind of hidden, within the CodeArchive!
Code Archive
As mentioned in the section The Code Archive, it is possible to use the Code Archive to:
oDefine a specific order of your Codes and Classes
oAssign a special color to each Code, for display in the Timeline Chart
oDefine Abbreviations/Translations for each Code/Class combination.
The latter functionality, we use to perform either of the tasks mentioned above!
•Click Start - Observation - Code Archive 
, to open the Code Archive editor.
•Select the first Code or Class that needs to be altered.
•Enter the 'new' expression into the field Abbreviation.
•Enter the same expression into the abbreviation fields of all the Codes you want to accumulate - for example enter "Laughing" into all three abbreviation fields of the Codes Giggle, Smirk and Smile.
•Save the changes.
•Open the Timeline Chart Analysis - Evaluation - Timeline Chart 
and select the all the Codes you adapted.
•Click Timeline Chart Options
.
•Switch to the Legend tab.
•To make use of the entered information, activate the option Use abbreviations for Codes & Classes.
(Deactivate this option to use the original Codes)
IMPORTANT: Once you start using abbreviations and activate the corresponding option within the Timeline Chart Options, you need an expression within every abbreviation field for any Code displayed in combination with the altered ones. Codes with no entry in this field are all virtually merged!
If you want to use this method, backing up your Code Archive file becomes rather important. Also, if you work with multiple analysts you might want to give them access to this reworked Code Archive file as well. In that case, it is important that you understand exactly how the Code Archive is build up, how it is linked and where it is stored.
| TIP: | If you have many codes inside your Code Archive of which only a couple of Codes -that are all inside the same Class- need to be 'merged', it can be faster to simply duplicate this Class and physically rename the Codes with the same expression. |