Options affecting the conversion of columns between types
(Variate,Factor, Text) and the adding of data to columns.
Sort Factor Levels on Convert
When converting text or variate columns into factors specifies whether
automatically sort the levels or labels are generated. This setting can be
temporarily overridden when using Column Convert if you not wish to use the
default action on a particular column.
Suggest Filling in missing factors
Controls whether a dialog is popped up suggesting that the Fill
down operation is carried out on factors with a reasonable proportion
of their values missing.
Allow new factor levels in edit
Controls whether new factors levels can be added by entering them
into a cell via the keyboard. If this option is enabled, entering any
levels or labels not found in the existing factor will pop up a dialog
querying whether a new level is added to the factor, or the entered
value is changed to the closest matching level/label.
Suggest converting columns with <= N unique items
Controls the default status of prompting to convert columns to factors
on reading foreign spreadsheet files (XLS/WQ1/WK1/WB?/QPW) and clipboard data.
If columns have repeated values, and less than the specified number
number of unique items, a dialog suggesting that they could be converted
is popped up.
Tolerance on assigning values to nearest level
When a numerical value is entered into cell in a factor column, if the number
does not exactly match an existing factor level, it will be assigned to the
closest existing level, provided the difference between the entered number
and that level is less than the provided tolerance (which must be positive).
A value of 0 (the new default) will always raise an error on any mismatch.
The behaviour in 5th edition and earlier was always to assign the value
to the closest match.
Tolerance on creating levels from variate
Provides a space for you to specify a positive value to be used as a tolerance
when creating levels from a factor. If two values differ by less than this
tolerance, then they will be assigned to the same factor group. Note, the
value of 0 places all unique values into their own group, as occurred
in 6th edition and earlier.
Use standard Factor Orders
If this option is selected, and the all labels in a factor match either
the compass points, weekday or month names, or the user specified order,
then these labels will be sorted into the order of the matching list.
User defined Label order
This opens the User defined Label/Level Order within a Factor dialog which allows
a list of labels to be entered. If the labels in a factor match the
user defined labels, then they will be sorted into the order in this
list. Multiple orders may be entered by providing
these in sections. For example a colour order and a species order
can be entered by providing the list of labels: Black, Blue, Green,
Red, Yellow, White, followed by Clover, Lotus, Ryegrass, Cocksfoot.
Tolerance on creating levels from variate
A positive value in this edit box will be used as a tolerance in creating
levels from a factor. If two values differ by less than this tolerance,
then they will be assigned to the same factor group. The default value of 0 places
all unique values into their own group. If the variate being converted to a factor
contains calculated values, then these values may differ in their final few significant
figures. For example, the calculated values 1/3 and 200/600 may be assigned
to different groups depending on how the final figure rounds. A small
value such as 1e-12 could then be used to allocate these two distinct values
to the same group.
Remove Unused Factor Levels on Update
If selected, when updating GenStat, any factors having levels (or labels) that
are not actually present in the data will be redefined without those levels.
Ignore Case in Text Operations
When selected, case of individual characters in text columns will be ignored during
certain operations, such as sort, search, and conversion to factors.
Ignore Blanks in Text Operations
When selected, blank characters in text columns will be ignored during certain
operations, such as sort and conversion to factors.
Text to Number Conversions
This controls how labels are interpreted as numbers when a text is forced
to be read as a number:
Strict - only labels that contain numeric data only are converted
(e.g. '10' -> 10, '1O' -> *.)
Single - a single character substitution is read as a number
(o,O -> 0, i,I,l,L -> 1, s,S-> 2, z,Z -> 5, comma -> decimal point)
(e.g. '1O' -> 10, 'Io' -> *).
Common - multiple substitutions as in single are made
(e.g. 'Io' -> 10, '23X' -> *).
Standard - as in common but extra text is ignored at the end
of the number (e.g. '23X' -> 23, 'A2X3' -> *).
Lax - any digits are read from the text (e.g. 'A2X3' -> 23).
Maximum Text Length
The maximum text length in GenStat is a user defined limit between 90 and 10000. You can select the specified
limit from the drop-down list, or alternatively, the value can be entered into the edit box. Texts that
are read from any data source which are longer than the specified limit will be truncated.
Auto Extend on Pasting Cells
When pasting data from the Clipboard new rows or columns will be added to the
sheet as required, if this is enabled. Otherwise, Clipboard data will be
truncated at the current row and column extents.
Auto Delete on Cut
When data are cut from a spreadsheet they are replaced by missing values, by
default. If this item is enabled, entire rows or columns that are cut will also
be deleted from the spreadsheet.
Defaults
Resets the spreadsheet options to their built-in default values.