Settings

Settings is a dialogue in which you can specify how DEXi handles reports, external files and other advanced features. For this purpose, it provides three pages: Report, Import/Export and Advanced. The selected settings apply to the current DEXi model and are saved on the corresponding DEXi file.

Report Page

Use this page to specify various aspects of report formatting.

Each section on new page: When checked, each report element is strictly started on a new page. Otherwise, multiple elements may appear on a single page.

Bad values and Good values: Use these controls to specify the appearance of ‘bad’ and ‘good’ scale values.

Functions: These controls specify the display of utility functions:

  • weights: specifies whether weights are displayed or not;

  • rule numbers: include or exclude row numbers;

  • complex rules: when checked, represent the function with complex rules, otherwise use elementary rules;

  • entered rules only: when checked, display only rules entered by the user, otherwise also show non-entered rules.

Weights: These controls specify the display of weights. Use these controls to specify the number of decimal places and to select individual weight types.

Evaluation: These controls specify the display of evaluation results:

  • Number of columns refers to the number of options shown together on the right hand side of the ‘Evaluation results’ report element.

  • Trim characters specifies the maximum number of characters that can be used to display option values in this report element [the shorter the strings, the more options can be displayed together].

Reports in html: When checked, all reports are prepared in html and shown in a browser, without activating the standard preview.

Use default system browser: When checked, html reports are shown using the default system browser, that is, externally from DEXi. In this case, DEXi writes html files to the temporary system folder. Otherwise, a browser (based on Internet Explorer) is invoked internally, without writing files to disk.

Import/Export Page

This Settings page specifies the format of external data files. which are imported and exported through File Menu commands.

Option data format: These controls specify the format and contents of imported and exported option data files.

  • Option values: specifies the format of values, which can be either text strings or ordinal numbers starting at 0 (base 0) or 1 (base 1).

  • Attributes: import/export the values of all or only basic attributes.

  • Orientation specifies whether data file rows correspond to attributes (normal) or options (transposed).

  • Indent specifies whether attribute names are indented or not. Indentation adds whitespace to outline the tree structure of attributes.

Function data format: These controls specify the format and contents of exported function data files.

  • Attribute values: specifies the format of attribute values, which can be either text strings or ordinal numbers starting at 0 (base 0) or 1 (base 1).

  • Rules: export all or only entered decision rules.

  • Interval format specifies the format of function values, which are in general intervals. Possible formats are:

    • from:to,

    • from and to separated by the TAB character, or

    • using interval symbols ‘*’, ‘>=’, ‘<=’ and ‘:’.

Advanced Page

This page contains three controls:

Link equal attributes: specifies whether DEXi performs automatic linking of attributes or not.

Undo/Redo: to activate or deactivate the Undo/Redo functionality when editing models, options and utility functions.

Report: Show function status: specifies whether or not the “Function summary” report element displays the status of utility functions in terms of their consistency and settings related to the handling non-entered function values. Status is composed of two characters. The first character is either ‘o’ or ‘x’, indicating a consistent or inconsistent function, respectively. An upper-case first character (‘O’ or ‘X’) indicates that ‘Use scale orders’ strategy is in effect. The second character is ‘W’ or ‘w’, depending on whether the ‘Use weights’ strategy is in effect or not.

When Show function status is on, a more verbose description of possible problems with individual functions is also added to the display of each function in the report. The following problems are reported:

  • function is less than 100% determined,

  • function does not map to all values of the dependent variable,

  • function has inconsistent rules,

  • function’s variables use decreasing scales (increasing scales are advised),

  • some attribute(s) do not influence function value,

  • some attribute values are undistinguishable (as they affect function values in the same way).

Disable model editing: specifies whether or not it is possible to edit the model on the DEXi Model tab. When on, all model editing commands are suppressed. It is possible to open Function Editor to view utility functions, but saving changes is disabled. The editing of options is unaffected by this control. Disabling model editing is useful to prevent unintentional changes after the model has been completed.