LabAnalyst X

SCRIPTS menu

LabAnalyst X has five menus, plus on-line instructions in the "Special" menu and three functions in the "LabAnalyst X" menu.

  FILE  EDIT  ANALYZE  VIEW  SCRIPTS  SPECIAL
 'Script' definitions
 Recording a script
 The script editing window
 Script menus
Record a script
Halt script recording
Load script
Edit script
Save script
Run script
Interrupt script
Clear script
Quiet script runs


'Scripts' are pre-defined sequences of operations that simplify repetitive analysis.  They are most useful for processing large numbers of SIMILAR data files, and for saving standardized protocols for future use.  'Similar' files are files with identical numbers of channels and identical variable types in the respective channels.  If you attempt to use scripted operations on dissimilar files, the results will be unpredictable and probably undesirable, particularly if the 'Automatic run' option is used.   This is especially problematic if the 'save file' option is working and you overwrite and obliterate useful data.

Although most useful for processing large numbers of similarly formatted files, scripts can also be used to save standardized protocols for future use.  The operations in a script are those invoked from the EDIT and ANALYZE menus, such as lag correction, smoothing, gas conversions, basic statistics, etc.

To use a script, you must place it into the script handler.  There are three ways of doing this:

  • Load a previously-recorded (and saved) script from disk.  Scripts can be saved from the EDIT SCRIPT window. 
  • Automatically record a new script by having the program copy manipulations and analyses as you perform them
  • Create a new script step-by-step using the EDIT SCRIPT window.

Once a script is entered into the script handler, it can be modified in the EDIT SCRIPT window (example below). 

To remove an existing script and enter an entirely new script, click the 'Clear all' button.  Then click the buttons corresponding to each step in your processing procedure.  Manipulations are color-coded yellow in the sequence list and analysis operations are color-coded blue-gray.  The red-coded END SCRIPT operation is not required, but it will terminate the script sequence more cleanly than if it is omitted.  Note that some manipulations (channel change and lag correction) open a second edit field containing the default value (i.e., the new channel number or the seconds of lag).  Edit these values as necessary.  DO NOT select inappropriate values, such as a channel number greater than the number of channels in the data file!

You may remove any step by first clicking on its edit field, and then clicking the 'Clear step' button.  You can also replace any step with a different step in a similar manner.  Do not worry about 'gaps' in the script; they will be ignored during processing.  Simply make sure that the sequence of operations is correct.

When editing or recording scripts, here are some important points to keep in mind:

  • A maximum of 40 operations can be programmed in a script. 
  • The 'Automatic run' button, when clicked, will run edit operations without user input (unless necessary; e.g., locating blocks).  The FIRST time the script is executed, user input is necessary to tell the script what options to select (e.g., smoothing intervals, baseline mode, gas units). 
  • You will be prompted to select a data block for any block-related operations (e.g., most ANALYZE menus). 
  • The SCALE RESULTS option in certain analysis operations is not permitted. 

After it is entered, a script is run from the RUN SCRIPT menu selection.  Unless stopped with the INTERRUPT SCRIPT button, it will proceed through the sequence of steps without pausing (except where user input is needed; i.e., to select baseline modes, remove spikes, etc.), and then halt.  When a new file is loaded the script automatically starts again.  LabAnalyst X remembers most manipulation options, such as the number of smoothing steps, the channel used for setting flow rate, etc., so that once they are selected during the first script cycle, they automatically reappear during subsequent cycles.

For analysis operations, which involve selection of data blocks and other user input, a button ('Continue script; step x') appears in the upper right corner of the data plot.  When you have completed a particular analysis operation, click this button to proceed to the next step in the script.  You may select new blocks, copy files, save analysis results to files or printer, make graphical file images, etc., when a script is running -- but only during analysis steps.

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The SCRIPT menu selections are:

   RECORD A SCRIPT     Begins 'recording' subsequent manipulation and analysis operations.  A white-on-red edit field at the top of the plot area keeps track of the cumulative number of script steps (remember that the maximum is currently 40 steps). This is the easiest way to set up a complex script -- but it pays to think carefuly about the sequence of operations you need to accomplish before starting to record.

  HALT SCRIPT RECORDING...     Stops script recording and activates the RUN SCRIPT and 'automatic run' commands, which will commence when the next file is loaded.  The EDIT SCRIPT window is opened to allow any modifications to the script.

  LOAD SCRIPT     Loads a script from disk, but does not run it.  Note that the script file formats for older LabAnalyst versions are not compatible with those for LabAnalyst X.

  EDIT SCRIPT...      This option opens the script editing window, which contains a set of buttons to define the operations in the script sequence or to load, save, or edit scripts.  The window also contains data fields showing the current sequence.

  SAVE SCRIPT     Saves a script from memory to a disk file, with this icon (in OS X):

 
Note that the script file formats for older LabAnalyst versions are not compatible with those for LabAnalyst X.

   RUN SCRIPT     When you have defined a script, this option executes the instructions.  The script will begin immediately after RUN SCRIPT is selected; subsequently it runs only when new files are loaded.

  INTERRUPT SCRIPT     Halts script operations, but does not change the script itself.  If you interrupt a script and then restart it (with RUN SCRIPT), the scripting operations don't commence until a new file is loaded.

   CLEAR SCRIPT     Halts script operations and eliminates all script information from memory.  You will need to start scripting from scratch if this operation is used.

  QUIET SCRIPT RUNS     Turns off sounds during script operations.

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