Column Attributes/Format

This dialog can be used to change the name of a column or the way its values are displayed. Changes to column attributes only affect the current column, as indicated in the Column list. The column's type and protection is displayed but cannot be edited here.

Column

Selects the column you wish to edit.

Name

Specifies the name of the column. By editing this field you can change the name of the column, and thus the structure that the data will be saved to in GenStat.

Description

This sets additional text appended to the column name in output from some analyses. This has the same effect as the EXTRA parameter in command-mode declarations using VARIATE, FACTOR, TEXT etc.

Decimals

Specifies the number of decimal places for numeric columns in general, scientific or fixed-point format. The interpretation of decimals depends on the format chosen. For fixed format it is the number of decimal places and for general and scientific format it is the number of significant figures to be displayed.

Width

Specifies the width of the column as the number of 'average characters'. This will be an exact number of characters for fixed-width fonts, but only approximate for proportionally spaced fonts.

Display Table Headings as Levels

Show the levels of the factor indexing columns in a 2+ dimensional table, rather than labels.

Calculation

The formula used to calculate a column. This can be edited and then may be rerun using the Recalculate Column dialog.

Minimum

A number specifying the minimum value that the column will accept. If you try and enter a number smaller than this, a warning will be provided. You can still force the smaller number to be entered into the spreadsheet cell. A missing value (*) specifies no minimum value constraint.

Maximum

A number specifying the maximum value that the column will accept. If you try and enter a number larger than this, a warning will be provided. You can still force the larger number to be entered into the spreadsheet cell. A missing value (*) specifies no maximum value constraint.

Maximum width of text in Output

For a text or factor, this limits the width of the strings printed in the Output window to the specified value. This can be used to make printed tables or columns more succinct.

Reference Level

For a factor, a particular level is used in the parameterization of regression models as the base level. The effects of the other factor levels are then defined as differences from this base or reference level. This drop down list of the factors current levels allows this to be set to a particular level. The option Default specifies the first level or the factor, and if the factor levels are reordered, the new first level will become the reference level. If a particular level has been chosen as a reference level, the spreadsheet will attempt to always make this the reference level on any operations that reorder the factor levels.

Data Verified

An informational note to indicate data if this column has been verified through a double entry process. See Verify Data in Spreadsheet for more details.

OK

Make the changes to the column and close the dialog.

Apply

Make the changes to the column and leave the dialog open to edit another column's attributes.

Cancel

Close the dialog without making any further changes.

Sheet

Can be used to edit global spreadsheet properties using the Spreadsheet Properties dialog.

Convert

Can be used to change the type of a column or spreadsheet using the Convert dialog.

Fill

Can be used to insert values in a column using the Spreadsheet Column Fill dialog.

Justification

Specifies whether values should be right or left justified or centred. Default justification is left for text and right for numeric data.

Numeric Format

Specifies the format used for displaying numeric columns. General format prints numbers in the most compact format for a given number of significant figures, fixed format uses fixed-point notation, and scientific format prints numbers in scientific notation (e.g. 1.7665E+6 = 1.7665 x 10**6 = 1766500). Date format is available to display numbers in a date format chosen with the Date type button.

Date type

This can be used to change the date format and base date used to display a column's values when the numerical format type Date is selected. This uses the Date Formats dialog.

Display Factor as

Controls how factors are displayed: using ordinals, levels, or labels. Factor values are stored as ordinals which are integers in the range 1,2,...,n, where n is the number of levels of the factor. Factors are displayed using the ordinal values unless levels or labels have been defined. Factor levels are a set of numbers, one for each ordinal level, used for display of the factor values. Factor labels are a set of strings, one for each ordinal level, used for display of the factor values.

Levels

Can be used to edit factor levels with the Edit Factor Levels dialog.

Labels

Can be used to edit labels with the Edit Factor Labels dialog.

Reorder

Can be used to change the order factor levels/labels are displayed in using the Reorder Factor Levels dialog.