A submenu with the different plotting options appears when this is selected. The submenu is a palette which can be torn off and left floating on top of all other windows. The plot options are selected by dragging so they highlight and then releasing, or if using the floating palette, by clicking the desired graph option. These include boxplots, scatter and linear plots, histogram and pie charts, and stem & leaf diagrams. These are individually explained in other topics. You can also select plots directly from the Graph(s) window by the popup button at the top left, and update the last plot by double-clicking in the Graph window, then choosing an option from the presented dialog.
Active Tables
This displays a submenu containing menu items for the 9 different probability distributions available. These allow you to dynamically alter the distribution's parameters, eg mean and standard deviation for the normal distribution, with the other dependent values automatically updating. Many options are available, and these are explained separately in later topics, with the most useful being the ability to plot the graph of the probability distribution you have specified. The area under the curve corresponding to the probability requested will be shaded in. This allows for many combinations, making an understanding of the effects of parameter changes easy, and visualization of the meaning of probability values directly.
Static Tables
This will display the standard format for probability tables as you would see in printed books, for the most commonly used distributions. To change the table whilst another is active, click on the title of the table, eg Normal, and a popup menu will appear. Drag down and release the mouse button on your choice. This window can also be left open below other windows.
Sheet Operations
Show Data Sheet
Brings the spreadsheet to the top of all other windows.
Sheet Setup...
Offers options for customization of the spreadsheet. The selection size can be shown, justification and cell width changed. If you wish these to remain permanent (and apply to all new spreadsheets) you should then select the "Save" button.
Sort...
Once there is data in the spreadsheet you can sort it using this menu item. A dialog box requests the column(s) to sort and presents the other options. Click on a column name to select it, hold down the Shift key & click to select more than one contiguous column, and the Command key & click to add (or remove) further columns from the selection individually. To deselect all selections click below the list of available columns.
You can sort ascending (the default), or descending (by clicking the check box for descending sort). If you wish to sort each column selected then leave the lower check box unselected, but if you wish the relative relationship of each row to remain the same, you can sort using the first selected column as a key, ie it is sorted and all other rows are sorted in the same order.
Transform...
This menu item presents a relatively complex dialog box. You should select the column to be used as the source of the data by clicking a column title on the left most scrolling field. In the middle is the list of possible arithmetical and mathematical functions (transformations) which can be used on the source data. Some of these require another variable which can be a constant (designated r) eg for addition, subtraction etc, or a column's data, in which case each corresponding row will be used to do the transformation. There must therefore be the same number of rows in each. Some functions require only a source column, in which case the other options will be hidden. Ensure you have selected the destination column (at bottom right) and then click the "Apply" button to perform the operation. Several can be done sequentially, or one only using the "Do One" button. The "Cancel" button & window close box (top left) also close the dialog (neither of which performs any operations).
The All Selected Columns radio button will be active when any of the first 4 operators (+ - * √∑) are selected. This will allow you to do the same operation on more than 2 columns of data (even if they are non-consecutive). This is useful for adding up more than one column quickly. Other operations can then be done on the new calculated column total.
Sheet Text Size
Three point sizes are also available for the spreadsheet. They are selected by dragging to the desired size and releasing the mouse button.
Text Operations
Show Results Log
Will bring the Results Log window to the front.
Editor Setup...
Options for the text editor of the Results window are set by this menu item. You can customize its appearance, the number of spaces to use for a "Tab" and the behaviour of other commonly used keys. To make these selections permanent you should then click the "Save" button.
Find...
Active when the results window (and this Help window) is active. Allows text searches to be done. The dialog box prompts you for the letters to be found and requests options about the specificity of the search. More advanced search features are available by clicking the righthand check box with a right pointing arrow. When the chosen letters are found they can be replaced or the dialog box can be dismissed by clicking the "Done" button.
Next Case
Will find the next occurence (or case) of the letters or words requested in the Find dialog (see Find...).
Tabs-To-Spaces
Active only in the Results Log window. Allows the tabs in some selected text to be converted to the preset number of spaces per tab (see Editor Setup...).
Results Text Size
Three point sizes are available for the results window, and they are selected by dragging and releasing on the desired size.
Graph Operations
Show Graph
Will bring the Graph window to the front and activate its options. Note the tool palette at left of the Graph window to customize the lines, fills and text for the plots.
Graph Setup...
Options for the display of the Graph window can be customized here. Once your desired options are set they can be made permanent by clicking the "Save" button.
Other Graph Options
These allow a "Reduced View" (or "Full View" if in reduced view) of the window, movement of individual PICTs in front or behind others within the Graph window, and quick navigation to other pages within the window. "Combine" is active when more than one picture in the Graph window is selected. It will combine these pictures into one for export, saving, printing or copying to the clipboard.
Window Operations
This presents a submenu with a list of options to allow moving of windows into view.
Select Window
This will present a submenu of all available (including hidden windows indicated by a minus sign at the start of their name). They will be brought to the front and made active by selecting their name.
Calculator
This displays the built-in desktop calculator which can perform sequential mathematical calculations. It can be left under other active windows and recalled when needed (by clicking on its window, choosing this option or Command-"=", or via the Select Window menu item below.
Simulations
This option presents a dialog box allowing common distributions to be simulated, ie the specified number of randomly selected points from that distribution will be created and placed in the specified destination column in the spreadsheet. For each you must specify the requested parameters such as the mean and standard deviation for the normal distribution. You can even type in one column of the spreadsheet a set of probabilities (whose sum is 1.000) with a Discrete (or Custom) set of values. They will be accorded a consecutive number which can be used as a key for your own categories occurring with your specified probabilities.
