QualCoder is a qualitative data analysis application written in python3 (python 3.6 or newer versions) and Qt6.

Text files can be typed in manually or loaded from txt, odt, docx, html, htm, md, epub and pdf files. Images, video and audio can also be imported for coding. Codes can be assigned to text, images and a/v selections and grouped into categories in hierarchical fashion. Various types of reports can be produced including visual coding graphs, coder comparisons and coding frequencies.

This project has been tested under Ubuntu 20.04 and Windows 10. It has been used on MacOS and various Linux distros. Instructions and other information are available here: https://qualcoder.wordpress.com/ and on the Github Wiki.

NOTE: Latest (25 August 2022) major change. I have changed how QualCoder accesses the python to vlc bindings, so you need to install another python module.

e.g. for Windows: py -m pip install python-vlc

You will need to have a python3.6 or newer version installed and a 64 bit VLC player installed. Optional: ffmpeg installed for speech to text and waveform image.

Install VLC or from the Windows Store.

Newer releases contain an exe file (created on Windows 10, 64 bit).Double-click to run. Look at the Releases in the right hand side column. I have had feedback of one instance on Windows where an anti-virus affected the importing and moving of files by QualCoder (AVG). An online virus testing site www.virustotal.com indicated 2 vendors out of many detected a potential problem due to their detection methods (false positives), 5 March 2022. Always check the MD5 checksum on downloading the exe. I have not got the exe Microsoft certified (I am not sure of the processes or cost involved). If you are uncomfortable with these warnings install from source as detailed next.

Alternatively install from source:

Consider using a virtual environment, I have not tested using venv on a Windows intallation yet. Not using a virtual environment may affect other python software you may has installed.

1. Download the QualCoder software from: https://github.com/ccbogel/QualCoder from the Green Code button. This is the newest, but not yet officially released 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).

2. Download and install the Python programming language. The minimum version for QualCoder is 3.6. Python3. Download the file (at the bottom of the web site) "Windows installer (64-bit)" IMPORTANT: in the first window of the installation mark the option "Add Python to PATH"

3. Install python modules from command. Type "cmd" in the Windows Start search engine, and click on the black software "cmd.exe" - the command console for Windows. In the console type or paste, using the right-click context menu (ctrl v does not work) the following:

py -m pip install --upgrade pip

py -m pip install wheel pyqt6 lxml Pillow ebooklib ply chardet pdfminer.six openpyxl pandas plotly pydub python-vlc SpeechRecognition

Wait, until all modules are installed .

4. Build and install Qualcoder, from the downloaded folder type

py -m pip install .

The py command uses the most recent installed version of python. You can use a specific version on your Windows, if you have many python versions installed, e.g. py -3.9 See discussion here: Difference between py and python

5. Run QualCoder from cmd.exe If not already there, move to the same drive letter e.g. C: then type:

py -m qualcoder

Alternately, run by double-click. Open the QualCoder-master\qualcoder folder. Double-click the main.py file to run. You can make a shortcut to this file and keep the shortcut on the desktop.

It is best to run QualCoder inside a python virtual environment, so that the system installed python modules do not clash and cause problems.

1. install vlc (download from site) or:

sudo apt install vlc

2. Install pip

sudo apt install python3-pip

1. Install venv I am using python3.9 you can choose another recent version if you prefer, and if more recent versions are in the Ubuntu repository.

sudo apt install python3.9-venv

3. Download and unzip the Qualcoder folder.

4. Open a terminal and move (cd) into that folder. You should be inside the QualCoder-master folder or if using a release, e.g. the Qualcoder-3.0 folder. Inside the QualCoder-master folder:

python3.9 -m venv qualcoder

Activate venv, this changes the command prompt display using (brackets): (qualcoder) Note: To exit venv type deactivate

source qualcoder/bin/activate

5. Update pip so that it installs the most recent python packages.

pip install --upgrade pip

6. Install the needed python modules.

pip install lxml ply six pdfminer chardet pyqt6 pillow pdfminer.six openpyxl ebooklib pandas plotly pydub python-vlc SpeechRecognition

7. Install QualCoder, type the following, the dot is important:

python3 -m pip install .

You may get a warning which can be ignored: WARNING: Building wheel for Qualcoder failed

8. To run type

qualcoder

After all this is done, you can deactivate to exit the virtual environment. At any time to start QualCoder in the virtual environment, cd to the Qualcoder-master (or Qualcoder release folder), then type: source qualcoder/bin/activate Then type qualcoder

Not tested, but please see the above instructions to build QualCoder inside a virtual environment. The below installation instructions may affect system installed python modules.

1. Install modules from the command line

sudo pacman -S python python-chardet python-lxml python-openpyxl python-pdfminer python-pandas python-pillow python-ply python-pyqt6 python-pip

2. Install additional python modules

sudo python3 -m pip install ebooklib plotly pydub python-vlc SpeechRecognition

If success, all requirements are satisfied.

3. Build and install QualCoder, from the downloaded folder type

sudo python setup.py install

4. To run type:

qualcoder

Or install from AUR as follows:

yay -S qualcoder

Not tested, but please see the above instructions to build QualCoder inside a virtual environment. The below installation instructions may affect system installed python modules.

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 3.10.

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.

1. Install recent versions of Python3 and VLC.

2. 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/releases/tag/3.0 and extract it into /Applications

3. Open the Terminal app (or any other command shell)

4. 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.

5. Install Python dependency modules using pip:

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

pip3 install pyqt6 lxml pillow six ebooklib ply chardet pdfminer.six openpyxl pandas plotly pydub python-vlc SpeechRecognition

6. 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

From the QualCoder-Master directory run the setup script:

python3 setup.py install

Assuming you downloaded the 3.0 version. You can now run with:

python3 /applications/QualCoder-3.0/qualcoder/__main__.py

Alternative commands to run QualCoder (Suggestions):

From any directory:

qualcoder

From the QualCoder-Master directory:

python -m qualcoder

or

python qualcoder/__main__.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:

1. Install Python dependency modules using pip3:

pip3 install py2app pyqt6 lxml pillow six ebooklib ply chardet pdfminer.six openpyxl pandas plotly pydub python-vlc SpeechRecognition

2. Create the Application. You will find it in the 'dist' folder and drag it to 'Applications'. python3 setup.py py2app

Required:

Python 3.6 version, pyqt6, lxml, Pillow, six (Mac OS), ebooklib, ply, chardet, pdfminer.six, openpyxl, pandas, plotly, pydub, SpeechRecognition, qpdf (Linux for programatically applying pdf decryption for pdfs with blank password)

QualCoder is distributed under the MIT LICENSE.

Curtain, C. (2022) QualCoder 3.0 [Computer software]. Retrieved from https://github.com/ccbogel/QualCoder/releases/tag/3.0

If you like QualCoder and found it useful for your work. Please leave a review on these sites:

https://www.saashub.com/qualcoder-alternatives

https://alternativeto.net/software/qualcoder

Also, if you like Qualcoder a lot, write an article about it.

To allow everyone to discuss all things QualCoder.

FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/qualcoder

FaceBook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1251478525589873