Overview
Datasets are supplied by data providers in census or sample files. You may find, however, that you frequently use one or two datasets from several different files or data providers, and that it would be more helpful to have all these datasets together in a single file. CIS allows you to repackage your frequently used datasets in this way.
CIS also allows you to create new datasets from one or more existing datasets, using a formula that you define. For example, if you have a dataset containing hedge lengths per square in metres, you can create a new dataset that contains hedge lengths per square in kilometres by dividing the original dataset by 1000. As another example, you could add together three datasets containing area of deciduous woodland, area of mixed woodland and area of coniferous woodland to create a new dataset that could be described as area of woodland.
Dataset security issues
Data providers can apply security passwords to any or all of the datasets which they supply. The security level may require a password for opening a dataset, or just for editing it.
When datasets are repackaged (copied to new files) or combined, their security passwords always travel with them. You will be able to use them as you did before, but the same security levels will be in place. If you combine two or more datasets with different passwords you will be unable to access the resulting dataset with any password.