Experiment Sorter / Experiment Label Editor

Editor Information


Overview

The primary function of the Editor is to permit the modification of labels (attributes) associated with the loaded experiments. Note that the first row in the table contains the default experiment name and that label can not be edited nor can it be deleted. The second major function is to enable the order of loaded experiments to be rearranged. Two menus are available within the editor frame for performing editor actions. The two menus contain the same menu options. One is in the main menu bar and the other is available using a right mouse click with the mouse cursor over a table cell.

Experiment Reordering

The order of the columns in the table can be altered by clicking on the column header and dragging the column to the desired location. This action alone does not force the loaded data to be reordered. The table order can be imposed on the loaded data if the check box menu item is selected to Enable Experiment Reordering. This ordering is imposed as soon as the dialog is dismissed.

Note: If analyses have been run on the loaded data, the reordering option is disabled. This is done as a precaution against misrepresentation of prior results that may have relied on the original ordering. Typically the reordering of experiments should be done just after data loading to place associated experiments into an order that is reasonable based on study design.

Experiment Label Editing

Adding Experiment Labels

The Add New Experiment Label menu item is used to create a new row in the table. Note that the first cell in the new row is light yellow and is used to indicate a Label Key. This key will be placed into the 'Experiment Label' menu in the 'Display' menu so that when selected this label type will be displayed for the loaded experiments. Once a Label Key is entered a double click on the remaining cells will allow editing to add appropriate labels for each experiment. Reopening the editor will allow you to alter any label or label key visible in the table except for the default primary label and key (shown in gray). Any experiments for which labels would not apply can be left blank and will appear this way in displays where experiment labels are present.

Merging Experiment Labels

Occasionally is is convenient to merge several attributes or labels to produce a more informative label for each experiment. To merge labels start by selecting two or more rows using control click and then selecting the Merge Selected Rows menu item. A small list will be presented that can be used to order the selected labels before actual merging. Once this is accomplished a new row is inserted in the table to display the merged labels and the merged label key.