Function Data File

Function data files are tab-delimited text files for storing aggregation and discretization functions , which are exported and imported through File Menu commands: File/Export function... and File/Import function..., respectively. One file contains one function, whose format can be specified with Import/Export settings.

Examples

1. TECH.CHAR. function from the Car Evaluation model, exported in tab-delimited format, using ‘Base 1’ values and exporting all rules. The character + represents an entered rule. Here, the TAB character is denoted ¬.

¬COMFORT¬SAFETY¬TECH.CHAR.

1¬1¬1¬1¬+

2¬2¬1¬1¬+

3¬3¬1¬1¬+

4¬1¬1¬1¬+

5¬2¬2¬2¬+

6¬3¬3¬3¬+

7¬1¬1¬1¬+

8¬2¬3¬3¬+

9¬3¬4¬4¬+

2. The same function exported using text values and exporting only entered rules (in this case there is no need to display the + or - entered status).

¬COMFORT¬SAFETY¬TECH.CHAR.

1¬bad¬bad¬bad

2¬acc¬bad¬bad

3¬good¬bad¬bad

4¬bad¬bad¬bad

5¬acc¬acc¬acc

6¬good¬good¬good

7¬bad¬bad¬bad

8¬acc¬good¬good

9¬good¬exc¬exc

3. Experience discretization function from the Employee Selection model, using ‘Base 1’ values.

¬ExperYears¬¬Experience

1¬¬¬1¬+

¬0¬]¬

2¬¬¬2¬+

¬1¬]¬

3¬¬¬3¬+

¬5¬]¬

4¬¬¬4¬+

¬10¬[¬

5¬¬¬5¬+

Observe the alternating lines: lines beginning with 1 to 5 define output values of the corresponding input value intervals, while the intermediate lines define interval boundaries. The characters ] and [ determine which interval, previous or next, contains the corresponding bound. In this case, there are 5 intervals:

• [-∞, 0] -> value 1 (“no”)

• (0, 1] -> value 2 (“to1year”)

• (1, 5] -> value 3 (“1-5”)

• (5, 10) -> value 4 (“6-10”)

• [10, +∞] -> value 5 (“more”)