A preset submenu in the control editor pre-defines how categories are configured in the control.
Note, that a preset mode must be selected before selecting a variable. Otherwise, the contents will be reset when the mode is changed.
The preset submenu has five options: Manual, All, First, Last, and Top. Let's dive into each option to see how and when they can be used.
Manual preset mode
The 'Manual' mode is the default setting for adding variable options to a control, providing full control over the selection process. You can drag and drop the entire variable to add all options or select only the required ones. Each option can be individually re-ordered, renamed, or removed as needed. This mode also supports the creation of logical expressions and rebasing for each option, providing greater flexibility in control configuration.
All preset mode
The 'All' mode ensures that all available options are displayed in the control and cannot be reconfigured. This means the control will always reflect all categories from the database, automatically updating when new categories are added.
The ‘All’ mode is useful for studies requiring regular updates for periodic reporting, as it ensures the control automatically reflects all available options without manual reconfiguration.
First/Last preset mode
The ‘First’ and ‘Last’ selection strategies allow you to specify any numerical value to determine how many options are displayed in the control. ‘First’ will show the earliest listed categories according to the specified number, while the ‘Last’ strategy will display the latest categories.
Top preset mode
The ‘Top’ mode allows you to set a numerical value to determine how many of the highest-weighted categories will be displayed in the control. Since the ‘Top’ mode is based on a measure of significance, it is best suited for variables that can be reasonably ranked, such as age or income indicators.
For series variables, however, the ‘First’/‘Last’ strategy should be used instead, as waves are significant in chronological order, rather than by weighted counts.