kstIO-package: 'kstIO' File formats

In kstIO: Knowledge Space Theory Input/Output

kstIO File formats

Description

Knowledge space theory by Doignon and Falmagne (1985, 1999) is a set- and order-theoretical framework, which proposes mathematical formalisms to operationalize knowledge structures in a particular domain. The 'kstIO' package provides basic functionalities to read and write KST data from/to files.

Details

This page focuses on the different file formats that can be used with the kstIO functions.

File Formats

Over time and in different research groups with knowledge space theory, different file formats have evolved.

Matrix Format

The probably simplest and most direct approach is to store the information in a binary ASCII matrix where a "1" in row i and column j means that item j is element of state/response pattern i.

There is no separating character between the columns, and there should be no trailing whitespace at the end of the line. The last line of the matrix must carry an EndOfLine - in most editors (except vi) this means an empty line after the matrix.

KST Tools Format

This format (Hockemeyer, 2001) extends the matrix format by two preceding header lines containing the number of items and the number of states/response patterns, respectively.

SRBT Tools Format

This format (Poetzi & Wesiak, 2001) extends the KST tools format by yet another preceding header line with format and content metadata. This new header line has the format

#SRBT v2.0 <struct> ASCII <comment>

where ⁠<struct>⁠ specifies the type of data stored in the file and ⁠<comment>⁠ is an optional arbitrary comment.

Furthermore, SRBT files may contain an arbitrary number of comment lines after the number of states/patterns.

The following data types are supported by the respective kstIO functions:

• basis

• data

• relation

• space

• structure

For kbase and surmise relation files, the encoding information "ASCII" is missing because these files are always in ASCII format.

Spreadsheet Formats

Starting with version 0.5-0, kstIO supports various spreadsheet formats (CSV, XLSX, and ODS). The automatic format detection in the read...() functions detects these formats based on the filename extension. As explicit format specification, the following names are recognised: CSV, XLSX, and ODS.

The spreadsheet filers themselves contain one sheet only (the read...() functions read only the first sheet of the file) containing an optional (but default) header row with item names and the matrix (or data frame in case of surmise functions).

Special File/Data Types

Base Files

Base files are not availablein KST tools format.

Their matrix part differs from the other files in that it contains "0", "1", and "2". A "1" means that the state is minimal for the item and a "2" means that it is not (but contains the item). A "0" stands (as always) for the state not containing the item.

Surmise Relation Files

Surmise relation files are not available in KST Tools format, either.

Their matrices are somewhat transposed in comparison to all the other formats. Row i and column j is equal to "1" if knowing i can be surmised from knowing j, and equal to "0" otherwise. Thus, column j describes the minimal state for item j.

Surmise Function Files

Surmise function files are available only in spreadsheet formats.

The matrix is here preceded by a row which denotes the item for which the respective state (i.e. row) is a clause.

Example for an SRBT file

#SRBT v2.0 structure ASCII
3
5
# Some comment or item information
000
100
110
101
111

Author(s)

Cord Hockemeyer [e-mail]

References

Doignon, J.-P. & Falmagne, J.-C. (1985). Spaces for the assessment of knowledge. International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 23, 175–196.

Doignon, J.-P. & Falmagne, J.-C. (1999). Knowledge Spaces. Springer Verlag, Berlin.

Hockemeyer, C. (2001). KST Tools User Manual (2nd ed.). https://resources.cord-hockemeyer.info/techreports/KST-Tools_TechRep_FWF01.pdf.

Poetzi, S. & Wesiak, G. (2001). SRbT Tools User Manual. https://resources.cord-hockemeyer.info/techreports/SRBT-Tools_TechRep_FWF01.pdf.

kstIO documentation built on March 8, 2026, 5:06 p.m.