XS: An analysis and synthesis for linear regression constructed by integrating a graphical statistical system, a relational database system and an expert system shell

An analysis and synthesis system (XS) which aids users in performing statistical analyses is introduced. In any large study, the dataset itself grows and changes dramatically over its life-course. Important datasets are often analyzed by many people over extended periods of time. Effective analysis of these large datasets depends, to a large part, on integrating past inferences and analytical decisions into current analyses. XS provides statistical expertise to answer current problems, but it also makes available the results of past analyses available for potential integration and consistency checking. In addition, XS permits the integration of knowledge outside the confines of the dataset with statistical results and user input in order to make analytical decisions.