Display Specified and Analyzed Elements On Same Line (poll)

[John Donovan]

As many of you know, there are several output options for results displayed in the PFE log and Analyze! windows. This is a minor issue really, but I thought I would conduct a poll on one of these options, specifically the Display Analyzed and Specified Elements On Same Line option as seen here in the Analytical | Analysis Options menu dialog:



When this flag is off (currently the default selection), the program will output the specified elements (by difference, stoichiometry, etc.) to a separate line from the analyzed elements as seen here:

St  284 Set   3 Fluor-phlogopite (halogen corrected), Results in Oxide Weight Percents

SPEC:    Al2O3     K2O       O
TYPE:     SPEC    SPEC    SPEC

AVER:   12.100  11.180  -3.819
SDEV:     .000    .000    .302

ELEM:      MgO       F    SiO2   SUM
   118  28.544   9.080  43.245 100.172
   119  28.922   9.030  43.025 100.247
   120  28.736   8.991  42.151  99.687

AVER:   28.734   9.033  42.807 100.035
SDEV:     .189    .045    .579    .304
SERR:     .109    .026    .334
%RSD:      .66     .50    1.35

PUBL:   28.700   9.020  42.791  99.994
%VAR:      .12     .15     .04
DIFF:     .034    .013    .015
STDS:      273     835     273

Of course the default for this flag can be set by editing the following keyword in the [software] section of the Probewin.ini file:

PrintAnalyzedAndSpecifiedOnSameLine=1        ; 0 = do not print on same line, 1 = print on same line

However, when the Print Analyzed and Specified Elements on Same Line option checkbox is checked, then the output is as seen here:

St  284 Set   3 Fluor-phlogopite (halogen corrected), Results in Oxide Weight Percents

ELEM:      MgO       F    SiO2   Al2O3     K2O       O   SUM
   118  28.544   9.080  43.245  12.100  11.180  -3.977 100.172
   119  28.922   9.030  43.025  12.100  11.180  -4.010 100.247
   120  28.736   8.991  42.151  12.100  11.180  -3.471  99.687

AVER:   28.734   9.033  42.807  12.100  11.180  -3.819 100.035
SDEV:     .189    .045    .579    .000    .000    .302    .304
SERR:     .109    .026    .334    .000    .000    .175
%RSD:      .66     .50    1.35     .00     .00   -7.92

PUBL:   28.700   9.020  42.791  12.100  11.180  -3.798  99.994
%VAR:      .12     .15     .04     .00     .00     .57
DIFF:     .034    .013    .015    .000    .000   -.022
STDS:      273     835     273     ---     ---     ---

In this case, the specified elements in the standard (Al, K and O are not analyzed) are output after the analyzed elements (Mg, F and Si). 

I prefer the latter output, but wanted to see if others feel the same way.  Note that any changes to the default behavior of this flag only pertains to new software installs (on-line or off-line), as existing installations will not be affected (though of course one can toggle this option in the Analysis Options dialog at any time, or edit their probewin.ini file as described above). But I'm interested in what people think should be the default for this flag at least for new software installations. 

What would you prefer to be the default for the Print Analyzed and Specified On Same Line flag?  Please login and vote in the poll above.  Thanks.

[John Donovan]

So based in the poll numbers above, we've changed the default in Probe for EPMA (for new installations) to have the default output to have "analyzed and specified elements on the same line".

Again, one can change this output mode for individual probe runs, using the Analytical | Analysis Options dialog.  And the default output mode for new runs can be changed by editing the following keyword in the [software] section of the Probewin.ini file:

PrintAnalyzedAndSpecifiedOnSameLine=1        ; 0 = do not print on same line, 1 = print on same line

Thanks for your feedback everyone.