Modify Cell Content - Blank Cells with Small Values

This rule allows you to choose a statistic and a value, and any cell with a value below that level will become blank.

Example

Here we have chosen to blank any cell with a Column % value smaller than 10%.

How to apply this rule

For the first time in a project

• Select the table(s)/chart(s) that you wish to apply the rule to.
• Start typing the name of the Rule into the Search features and data box in the top right of the Q window.
• Click on the Rule when it appears in the QScripts and Rules section of the search results.

OR

• Select Automate > Browse Online Library.
• Choose this rule from the list.

Additional applications of the rule

• Select a table or chart that has the rule and any table(s)/chart(s) that you wish to apply the rule to.
• Click on the Rules tab (bottom-left of the table/chart).
• Select the rule that you wish to apply.
• Click on the Apply drop-down and choose your desired option.
• Check New items to have it automatically applied to new items that you create. Use Edit > Project Options > Save as Template to create a new project template that automatically uses this rule.

Removing the rule

• Select the table(s)/chart(s) that you wish to remove the rule from.
• Press the Rules tab (bottom-right corner).
• Press Apply next to the rule you wish to remove and choose the appropriate option.

How to modify the rule

• Click on the Rules tab (bottom-left of the table/chart).
• Select the rule that you wish to modify.
• Click Edit Rule and make the desired changes. Alternatively, you can use the JavaScript below to make your own rule (see Customizing Rules).

JavaScript

includeWeb('JavaScript Utilities');
includeWeb('Table JavaScript Utility Functions');

// In R tables where columns are not recognised, the whole row is blanked,
// so we disable the rule where there is more than one statistic (column).
if (table.statistics.length > 1) {
    excludeRTablesWithoutColumns();
}

let stats = difference(table.availableStatistics, _COLUMN_COMPARISON_STATS);
let translated_stats = translateStats(stats);

// Set up controls for user input.
form.setHeading('Blank Cells with Small Values');

let description = form.newLabel("Prevents results from being shown within cells when they fall below a specified value.");
description.lineBreakAfter = true;

let label_stats = form.newLabel('Choose a cell statistic:');
let combobox_stats = form.newComboBox('stats', translated_stats);
combobox_stats.setDefault(translated_stats[0]);
combobox_stats.lineBreakAfter = true;
let label = form.newLabel('Minimum Value:');
let numeric_up_down  = form.newNumericUpDown('threshold');
numeric_up_down.setDefault(30);
numeric_up_down.setIncrement(1);
numeric_up_down.setMaximum(1000000);
numeric_up_down.lineBreakAfter = true;
let nan_checkbox = form.newCheckBox("cbnan", "Also set values of statistic to NaN");
nan_checkbox.setDefault(true);
form.setInputControls([description, label_stats,combobox_stats,label, numeric_up_down, nan_checkbox]);
//form.setOutputControls([]);
let selected_stat_translated = combobox_stats.requireValue();
let selected_statistic = stats[translated_stats.indexOf(selected_stat_translated)];
let min_value = numeric_up_down.requireValue();
form.setSummary('Blank cells where ' + selected_stat_translated + ' < ' + min_value);

if (table.availableStatistics.indexOf(selected_statistic) == -1)
    form.ruleNotApplicable(selected_stat_translated + " is not available on this table");

let blank_flag = false; // Keep track of whether any cells have been blanked.
let values = table.get(selected_statistic);// Get statistic values in all the cells
for (let column = 0; column < table.numberColumns; column++) {// loop through the columns
    for (let row = 0; row < table.numberRows; row++) {
        let stat_value = values[row][column];
        // If the cells selected statistics is less than min_value, make each cell blank.
        if (stat_value < min_value) {
            table.blankCell(row, column);
            values[row][column] = NaN;
            blank_flag = true;
        }
    }
}
if (nan_checkbox.getValue())
    table.set(selected_statistic, values);

// Store the extra footnotes we generate for each blank cell.
if (blank_flag && !isRTable()) {
    let extra_footers = table.extraFooters; 
    extra_footers.push('Blank cells have ' + selected_stat_translated +
		       ' that is smaller than ' + min_value + '.');
    table.extraFooters = extra_footers;
}

See also

• User Input for Rules for technical information on Rules.
• Rule Online Library for other examples of Rules.
• Table JavaScript and Plot JavaScript for the JavaScript that is used to write custom rules.
• JavaScript for information about the JavaScript programming language.
• Modify Cell Content - Blank Cells with Small Sample Sizes