Labeling Device Branches

Labeling Device Branches

When adding branched devices, the branches automatically take on values of the elements in the source device—the device the branches come from. You can specify the branch values manually by clicking on a branch label and editing it. In labeling branches, you can enter an individual element label, multiple element labels separated by commas (for example, "red, green, blue"), a range of values (for example, "a–c" or "2–5"), or condition (for example, ">8").

Ordinarily, when you add, remove, or edit elements of the source device, the branch labels do not change automatically. In such cases, you must either edit the branch values to match the new elements or choose Reset Branch Values from the device's Options menu.

In two instances, existing branch labels will automatically update when you change the values in the source device: when you specify a new range using the menu, or when you edit endpoints of a curve device.

Labeling Options

The values of branches can be specified in these ways:

•Entering "a" will include this exact value. For example, one branch might be "m" and another "f" to match male or female outcomes.

•Entering "1,2,3" will include any value in the list (the separator is the default separator used by the formula editor).

•Entering"500–600" will include any value in the numeric range.

•Entering "500 to 600" also will include any value in the numeric range. )This notation avoids confusion of the dash symbol with a subtraction sign or negative number.)

•Entering "to 100" will include any value less than or equal to the value.

•Entering ">6" will include values satisfying this inequality. You can use >, ≥, <, or ≤.

•Entering "(h,h,*)" will include outcomes that match the pattern h, then h, then anything ("*" is a wild card.) This is the same syntax used in the Repeat Until Pattern Matched functionality.

•Entering "other" will include any value not matched by the other branches.

In general, you specify in a branch only values coming from the source device. It is possible, however, to set a branching condition based on the outcome from a device or column of devices further to the left in the sampler. To do this, label the branch, say, "o2=f'". The "o2" specifies an outcome other than the source device, and the device column it came from, so "o2=f" could be used to label a branch of some later column such that if the outcome from the second column was an "f," it would take this branch. In general, you can use "o" followed by the index of the outcome 1,2,3,... followed by an equality or inequality or list or range, for example, "o3=5", "o4>3.2", "o1=fred,gina", "o3=5 to 10", and so on.

Note: If an outcome value is matched by more than one branch, the topmost branch is followed.