Need help with JMP 17 / Suppress formula evaluation

[#1]

I teach an MBA class that is based on JMP17 at the University of North Carolina’s online MBA program.

Some of my students have been having an issue that I cannot replicate.

They are running a version of JMP in which the formula generated from dependent models will not be displayed in a new column.

I assumed initially that that was due to the “suppress formula evaluation” choice being selected from the drop-down menu. When I suggested that the students unselect this option, they said that this option was grayed out for them and that they could not turn this feature on. Is there any mechanism that could be causing this issue so I could suggest a way for them to correct this issue?

[#2]

Welcome to the community.  If you could give us a bit more information please (or add an example data table with the analysis scripts).  I take it they have a data table that they are analyzing (perhaps fit model?).  After the analysis what steps are they performing?  For example, Click on the red triangle next to the Response>Save Columns>Prediction formula?  This should create a new column with the formula embedded (You can see it in by right clicking on there column header and selecting formula)

https://www.jmp.com/support/help/en/17.0/?os=mac&source=application#page/jmp/save-columns.shtml

https://www.jmp.com/support/help/en/17.0/?os=mac&source=application#page/jmp/prediction-formula.shtm...

[#3]

I cannot send you a direct example because I cannot replicate the issue on my desktop. However, I have had multiple students with this issue in the past two weeks and I never seen this before. (I have taught classes based on JMP for almost ten years.)

They are running a model (usually fit Model or a neural network) with a dependent variable. I then ask then to click the down menu to "save predicted formula" which will usually populate a new column in JMP with the predicted values. (They are pretty much following the steps you suggested above.)

For several students this was just showing up as a blank column. My initial assumption was that the "Suppress formula evaluation" option was inadvertently turned on. I asked them to check this. They said this was on, but that the option was grayed out and they did not have the ability to activate this feature. Again, I have never seen this before in many years of teaching with this software package.

Is there something within the permissions on a system or the installation of JMP 17 which would take this option off of the table?

Thank you.

[#4]

Couple of ideas:

I think I have seen that before but I cannot remember when and where (formula columns having greyed out suppress eval). One setting that could change how formulas behave is Suppress Formula Eval on Open() (but I think this won't change the Formula column properties Suppress Eval value).

I think that preference will change this value found from data tables red triangle. In this case the prediction formula values would all be left missing and even if you could remove the Suppress Eval from formula column, it won't do anything as this overrides it:

https://www.jmp.com/support/help/en/17.0/#page/jmp/evaluate-formulas-in-data-tables.shtml

Also I found one way to make those options greyed out. Open formula editor for a column, close the column properties (so formula editor should be left open). This will leave the options greyed out until formula editor is closed. Depending on the steps you have on the class, maybe the Formula Editor is being left open?

You could also ask them to check what the evaluation "status" looks like in the Formula Editor

[#5]

Thank you for your suggestions here. This did not help the student.

Here are screenshots:

The issue is, however still not corrected. This is likely a setting somewhere (and likely has a trivial solution) but is not fixed.

I would also note again that I have taught JMP based classes for ten years and have never seen this issue before but noticed this with two students within the past week. Not sure if specific to JMP17 or not.

[#6]

This may be wrong, but my first thought would be that they selected save predicted values rather than save prediction formula.  If there is no formula, then I would expect the suppress evaluation option to be grayed out.  As I said, this may well be wrong, but it is worth checking (especially if it is only happening to some of the students).

[#7]

The issue is definitely not that they saved predicted values rather than formula. Predicted values were working fine.

[#8]

Any chance Suppress Formula Eval is turned on for the whole table? I believe that would replicate all of your symptoms.

[#9]

The problem is that this IS turned on for the entire table, but that the option is grayed out and they cannot turn this off.

[#10 · Accepted solution]

Perhaps when they opened their file they chose to Examine it?  I believe that would keep the option grayed out.

I am not sure how or if you can exit this mode except to save, close, and re-open the file, choosing 'Open' instead of Examine.

If someone unchecks the 'Always ask...' option I am not sure how to get it to re-appear, but here is some more info about how to keep the message from showing up: How to disable JMP security warning