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### A.1.4 Column Selector

Editable Column Selector

Several windows in TOPCAT invite you to select a column value from one of the loaded tables by presenting a selection box like the one in the figure. Examples are the Plot and Match windows.

In the simplest case you can simply select the value from the list of columns by clicking on the down-arrow at the right and then selecting one from the drop-down list of columns which is offered. Note that only appropriate columns will be offered - for instance if a numeric value is required, string-valued columns will not be included.

Another possibility is to use the little left/right arrows on the far right to cycle through all the known columns. This can be useful in plots, for instance to see a sequence of all the available plots against a given abcissa using only one click at a time.

Finally, you can type in an expression giving the required value. This can either be the name of a column just as if you had selected it from the drop-down list, or an expression based on column names, or even a constant value. The syntax of the expression language is explained in Section 7. Typing the column name rather than selecting it may be more convenient if the selection list is very long; typing an expression obviously gives you a lot more possibilities.

If you start typing into the box, a drop-down list of suitable columns that match what you've typed so far (autocomplete) will appear below it. You can either continue typing and hit return, or select one of the items from the drop-down list using the up/down arrow keys or the mouse.

Note that depending on your platform the selection box may not look exactly like the figure above. However, if you can type into it (probably by clicking on it) then you should be able to use expressions as described above. Some selectors however only take column names; if you can't type a value into it, you have to choose one of the options given.

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TOPCAT - Tool for OPerations on Catalogues And Tables
Starlink User Note253
TOPCAT web page: http://www.starlink.ac.uk/topcat/
Author email: m.b.taylor@bristol.ac.uk
Mailing list: topcat-user@jiscmail.ac.uk