There are several ways you can invoke commands in Analyzer. You can issue individual commands from the menu, from the button bar and from the command line in the Command Log. You can also combine commands and issue them in procedures.
Several Analyzer preferences affect the default operation of commands. For more information, see Command Options.
You can issue Analyzer commands by selecting Data, Analyze or Tools from the menu, choosing a command and then specifying options in the resulting dialogs. You can also issue Analyzer commands by clicking a command button on the Button bar.
Any command that is not applicable to the task at hand is disabled and appears grayed out in the menu or button bar.
You can auto-execute many commands by first clicking the column title of an appropriate field and then clicking a command button or choosing a command from the menu. Analyzer executes the command without first displaying the dialog. For more information, see Autoexecute Commands.
You can also issue commands using the command line in the Command Log.
If you do not know the entire command syntax of a command, you can enter the parts you do know, then click [Accept Entry]. Analyzer will prompt you for the missing items and then present the corresponding command dialog for entry of missing command parameters. When finished, click [OK] in the command dialog to run the command. For more information, see Issuing Commands.
Procedures and groups allow you to combine and store commands to make processing faster and more efficient. When used to together, procedures and groups are a powerful combination.
A procedure is a series of Analyzer commands stored in a procedure file in an Analyzer Project. This series of commands can be executed repeatedly and automatically. You can structure a procedure to run unattended or to prompt the user for information each time it is run. Procedures are especially useful for repeat applications and for creating standard routines for field personnel or analysts to use.
A group is a series of commands that is processed in a single pass of the file. You enter groups in a procedure, then run the procedure to execute the commands. Using groups can greatly increase processing speed. You can also use groups to “program” processing steps with Analyzer and to control processing of complex files. For more information about procedures and groups, see Automating Analyzer.