Git commit ee7293b8d16f0bcc67e71cb0f6cdc48c07a5c61a by Alexander Semke. Committed on 06/12/2014 at 18:46. Pushed by asemke into branch 'master'.
Added documentation on "generate data in spreadsheet". M +80 -12 doc/index.docbook A +- -- doc/spreadsheet_generate_equidistant_values.png A +- -- doc/spreadsheet_generate_function_values.png A +- -- doc/spreadsheet_generate_random_values.png http://commits.kde.org/labplot/ee7293b8d16f0bcc67e71cb0f6cdc48c07a5c61a diff --git a/doc/index.docbook b/doc/index.docbook index ab16a51..58d61ca 100644 --- a/doc/index.docbook +++ b/doc/index.docbook @@ -206,29 +206,97 @@ The Project Explorer is the main part of &LabPlot; aimed to handle its objects. </imageobject></mediaobject></screenshot> </sect1> -<!-- TODO: - -Describe the basic functionality of the spreadsheet. ---> <sect1 id="spreadsheet"> <title>The Spreadsheet</title> +<para> +The spreadsheet is the main part of &LabPlot; when working with data and consists of columns. +Column is the basic data set in LabPlot used for plotting and data analysis. +Every column of the spreadsheet is specified by its name and the type - numeric, text, month names, day names and data and time. +Also, for each type different representation formats can be assigned like decimal or scientific format for numeric columns etc. +</para> +<para> +You can mask certain data points in the spreadsheet (<menuchoice><guimenu>Selection</guimenu><guimenuitem>Mask Selection</guimenuitem></menuchoice> from the spreadsheet cell context menu). +Masked data is not plotted and is also excluded from data analysis functions like fitting etc. +<!-- The masking of datapoints can be later influenced in the graph list dialog. --> +</para> +<para> +Any spreadsheet function can be reached via the context menu (&RMB; click). +You can cut, copy and paste between spreadsheets, generate, normalize and sort data and finally make plots out of your data. +Of course you can also export the data in the spreadsheet. +</para> + <screenshot><mediaobject><imageobject> <imagedata fileref="spreadsheet.png" format="PNG"/> </imageobject></mediaobject></screenshot> + +<para> +New data can be produced either by entering it manually in the spreadsheet or by generating the data according to a certain prescription. +LabPlot provides 5 different methods to generate data, accessible via the context menu of the column: + +<itemizedlist> +<listitem> <para> -The spreadsheet is the main part of &LabPlot; when working with data. -For controlling and converting data the spreadsheet contains a customizable table. -Every column of the table has a certain label and can be assigned a format (like decimal or scientific format). +Row Numbers - values in the column are set according to its row number, this provide an easy way to quickly create an index. </para> +</listitem> + +<listitem> <para> -You can import data via the <link linkend="importdialog">import dialog</link>. -Any spreadsheet function can be reached via the context menu (&RMB; click). -You can cut, copy and paste between spreadsheets, fill, normalize and convert data and finally make plots out of your data. -Of course you can also export the data in the spreadsheet. +Const Values - values in the column are set to a constant value provided by the user. </para> +</listitem> + +<listitem> +<para> +Equidistant values (for numeric columns only) - given the minimal and the maximal values, the equidistant values can be either generated +by fixing the total number of values in that range or by fixing the increment (distance). +<screenshot><mediaobject><imageobject> + <imagedata fileref="spreadsheet_generate_equidistant_values.png" format="PNG"/> +</imageobject></mediaobject></screenshot> +</para> +</listitem> + +<listitem> +<para> +Random values (for numeric columns only) - values are randomly generated according to the selected distribution. +To generate uniformly distributed random numbers, select "Flat" distribution. +<screenshot><mediaobject><imageobject> + <imagedata fileref="spreadsheet_generate_random_values.png" format="PNG"/> +</imageobject></mediaobject></screenshot> +In the simplest cases a non-uniform distribution is calculated analytically from the uniform distribution of a random number generator by applying +an appropriate transformation. More complicated distributions are created by the acceptance-rejection method, which compares the desired distribution +against a distribution which is similar and known analytically. +</para> +</listitem> + +<listitem> +<para> +Function values (for numeric columns only) - values are generated according to a mathematical function provided by the user, +a column (data set) containing the function arguments has to be provided. +<screenshot><mediaobject><imageobject> + <imagedata fileref="spreadsheet_generate_function_values.png" format="PNG"/> +</imageobject></mediaobject></screenshot> +</para> +</listitem> + +</itemizedlist> + +</para> + +<para> +Already existing data can be imported into a spreadsheet from external files via the <link linkend="importdialog">"Import Data" dialog</link>. +Imported data will be stored in the project file. Changes on data, performed either in the spreadsheet or in the external file after the import, are not synchronized anymore. +</para> + +</sect1> + + +<!-- TODO: Describe the basic concepts and functionality of the file data source. --> +<sect1 id="file_data_source"> +<title>File Data Source</title> <para> - You can mask certain data points in the spreadsheet which are excluded from plotting (<menuchoice><guimenu>Selection</guimenu><guimenuitem>Mask Selection</guimenuitem></menuchoice> from the spreadsheet cell context menu). The masking of datapoints can be later influenced in the graph list dialog. +Similar in spirit to importing the data to a spreadsheet... </para> </sect1> diff --git a/doc/spreadsheet_generate_equidistant_values.png b/doc/spreadsheet_generate_equidistant_values.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..31b36c7 Binary files /dev/null and b/doc/spreadsheet_generate_equidistant_values.png differ diff --git a/doc/spreadsheet_generate_function_values.png b/doc/spreadsheet_generate_function_values.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..147b031 Binary files /dev/null and b/doc/spreadsheet_generate_function_values.png differ diff --git a/doc/spreadsheet_generate_random_values.png b/doc/spreadsheet_generate_random_values.png new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0bc7b7c Binary files /dev/null and b/doc/spreadsheet_generate_random_values.png differ
