The QtiPlot Handbook
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# The Table Menu

This menu is only active when a table is selected.

## Set Column As

Selecting the Set Column As item opens a sub-menu of command that are used to define the kind of data stored in the various columns of a table.

### Set Column As -> X

Define the selected column as abscissa for the plots. You can define more than one column as X-values in a table, they are referenced as X1, X2, etc.

### Set Column As -> Y

For 2D plots, this command defines the selected column as Y-values for the plots. For 3D plots, Y columns can be used as the second abscissa.

### Set Column As -> Z

For 3D plots, Z columns will be used as plotted values.

### Set Column As -> X error

Define the selected column for use as the error bar width for the abscissae.

### Set Column As -> Y error

Define the selected column for use as the error bar heights for the Y-values.

### Set Column As -> Read-only

Set the selected columns as read-only.

### Set Column As -> Read/Write

Restore write access to the selected columns.

### Set Column As -> label

Sets the selected columns as label columns. Can be used for comments and row descriptions.

### Set Column As -> Disregard

No special function is assigned. The selected column can be used in different ways in several plots (as X values, Y values, etc). These columns are disregarded in statistical calculations.

## Column Options...

This command is used to define the global parameters of each column such as numeric format, column name, etc. See the corresponding dialog box section for more details.

## Set Column Values...

This command is used to fill the selected column with the values resulting from a mathematical formula. See the corresponding dialog box section for more details.

## Recalculate

When you fill a column (named for example 'C1') with the results of a formula (by using the Set Column Values... command), the values of the column are calculated only once when you define the formula. If your formula depends on values of another column (name for example 'C2'), the values of 'C1' are not updated if you modify the values in 'C2'. This command is used to recalculate the values of the selected column.

## Fill column with

These commands are used to fill selected columns with special values:

### Fill Column With -> Row Numbers

Each element in the column is filled with its corresponding row number.

### Fill Column With -> Random Numbers

Each element in the column is filled with a random value between 0 and 1.

### Fill Column With -> Normal Random Numbers

The rows in the selected column are filled with normally distributed random values calculate using the Ziggurat method with a mean of 0.0 and a standard deviation of 1.0. The computational routine is from the Gnu Scientific Library (look here for more details).

## Clear

Removes all the values of the selected column.

## Add Column

Adds a new column to the table. Regardless the selected column, new columns are inserted to the right of the rightmost column in the table.

## Set Columns...

Used to define the number of columns in the table. Columns are added/removed from the right hand side of the table. Be Careful! If you decrease the number of columns in a table, any data contained in the removed columns will be lost!

## Hide Selected Columns

The Hide Selected Columns command hides all the selected columns. The remaining visible columns are grouped together into a single block. Hidden columns may be shown using the Show All Columns command.

## Show All Columns

The Show All Columns command unhides any hidden columns in the selected table.

## Set Optimal Column Width

The Set Optimal Column Width command resets the width of all selected columns to a value that is optimal for the data that is contained in the column. Optimal width is considered to be just wide enough to show all digits.

## Move to First

Moves the selected column to the beginning of the table.

## Move Left

Moves the selected column to the left.

## Move Right

Moves the selected column to the right.

## Move to Last

Moves the selected column to the end of the table.

## Swap columns

Swaps the selected columns.

## Set Rows...

Allows direct definition of the number of rows in the table. Rows are added/removed from the end of the table. Be Careful! If you decrease the number of rows in a table, any data contained in removed rows will be lost.

## Delete Rows Interval...

A dialog is opened that permits selection, and subsequent deletion, of a range of rows selected by row index number.

## Move Row >

These commands are used to move selected rows up or down in a table:

### Move Row -> UP

The selected row is moved up one place in the table.

### Move Row -> DOWN

The selected row is moved down one place in the table.

## Go to Row... (Ctrl-Alt-G)

This command opens a dialog which allows you to select the row index that will become the current row in the selected table or matrix.

## Go to Column... (Ctrl-Alt-C)

This command opens a dialog which allows you to select the column index that will become the current column in the selected table or matrix.

## Extract Data...

The Extract Data... command opens a dialog which allows you to define a set of conditions that are used to filter the data in the currently active table. When a condition has been defined, Applying the condition will create a new table into which all rows that meet the condition will be copied. The original table is unchanged. For example, the condition col("1")>=.1 will generate a new table that contains all the rows from the active table which have a value greater than 0.1 in column 1.

## Convert to Matrix

This command is used to convert a table into a matrix. It is mainly used to import data from files into a matrix: first import the data into a table, and then use this command to convert the table into a matrix.

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