Problem
You want to add the same set of new, formula-based columns to your data over and over again.
Solution
Store the formulas and column names in a table. Extract them from that table. loop over them trying to make a new column for each pair in your target data table.
favorite_formulas=function({dt1=currentdatatable(),FFpath},{default local},
/*
adds formulas to a data table from another data table
used to store column names and respective formulas
example: favorite_formulas(currentdatatable(),"my_formulas.jmp");
FFpath must point to a file with columns "formula" and "colname"
with text of desired formulas and column names
in the order they should evaluate (row 3 can use the column created by row 2, etc)
*/
try( //open setup file and get list of formulas and column names
dtFF=open(FFpath);
current data table(dtFF);
dt1 << suppressFormulaEval(true);
try(c=:colname,
wait(0);statusmsg("setup file must contain column colname");
throw ("setup file must contain column colname"));
try(c=:formula,
wait(0);statusmsg("setup file must contain column formula");
throw("setup file must contain column formula"));
CN=column("colname")<<getvalues;
F=column("formula")<<getvalues;
close(dtFF,nosave);
//try to make new cols in dt1 with each of the formulas...
current data table(dt1);
for(i=1,i<=nitems(CN),i++,
try(
exp="dt1<<newcolumn(CN[i],formula("||F[i]||"))";
eval(parse(exp));
);
);
dt1 << suppressFormulaEval(false);
print("DONE ADDING FAVORITE FORMULA COLUMNS");
,
print("failure, probably to find favorite formulas file with path "||FFpath);
);
dt1
);
Discussion
I often pull data with the same columns and format and I want to add the same set of new formula columns each time. This is just a tidbit that makes that easy and makes it easy to share around sets of "favorite formulas" with other users as simple, readable datatables. I use this function version inside a lot of other scripts but I also have an addin version.
See Also
