Datum-Units-Reference Edit Dialog
Applicability: Cranium, Synapse (core versions 0315+)

The Datum-Units-Reference Edit dialog is used by several field's within Cranium and Synapse for viewing and editing data values. For example, the two fields in the Elements Chapter's Constant Properties Section use the dialog for editing their data values.

The dialog is also used by the Datum-Units-Reference All Data Dialog to add or edit individual data values.

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The dialog is activated by clicking the left mouse button on a field's datum control.
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The dialog can also be activated by clicking the right mouse button on a field's datum control and selecting the Edit Data command from the commands menu.
Dialog Controls

The dialog enables you to view and edit the datum's value, accuracy, units, reference, and comments. The dialog also provides functionality for transforming numerical values, changing the case of text values, finding references, and viewing a reference's document.

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Value Control: the Datum Value control contains the property value being entered. You must enter a value.
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Accuracy Control: the control to the right of the Datum Value control is used to enter the value's accuracy. This is an optional entry.
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Units Control: the Units control enables you to select the property value's units from a dropdown list. (See below.)
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Reference Control: the Reference control enables you to enter the identifier of the reference from which you obtained the property's datum value. You can type in a value or use the dropdown list to select a recently entered value. Entering a reference is optional but highly recommended.
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List Button: pressing the List button displays the Reference Selection dialog. This dialog enables you to select the identifier of any reference in the current document. (See the All Entities dialog documentation for more details on selecting references.)
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Comments Control: the Comments control enables you to enter general information to better describe the entered value. Very often comments document the date of entry, the name of the person who entered the value, assumptions about the entered value (e.g., an assumed pressure of one atmosphere), and if the value was converted (e.g., a specific volume datum converted to a density value).
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Date, Phrase, Set Buttons: these buttons provide standard operations to help you enter comments. Pressing the Date button inserts the current date and time into the comment control. Pressing the Phrase button inserts the stored 'common phrase' into the comment control. Pressing the Set button enables you to change the 'common phrase'. (See documentation on the Set Phrase dialog for details.
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Show Ref Button: pressing the Show Ref button will display the document associated with cited reference. The location of this document is stored in the reference's Document Location Section.
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Goto Ref Button: pressing the Goto Ref changes to the reference's page in the Reference Chapter.
Typical Usage

When entering a constant valued property, e.g., normal melting point or boiling point, you typically click the left mouse button on the property field's datum control. The application will then activate the Datum-Units-Reference dialog.

Within the dialog, you must enter a datum value. Optionally, you may enter an accuracy, a reference, and one or more comments. You must also ensure that the units specified in the dialog are the same as the units of the datum value you are entering.

You typically press the dialog's List button to enter a reference for the entered datum value. The Date and Phrase buttons are also typically used to entered basic information into the Comments control.

Pressing the dialog's Save button will first verify the entered values and then store the datum into the current document.

Transforming a Datum Value

Occasionally, a datum value found in a reference must be transformed before it can be entered into Cranium or Synapse.

Clicking the right mouse button on the dialog's datum value control activates the commands menu. Placing the mouse on the first command, the Transform Value command, will activate a submenu displaying several transformation commands.

Selecting a transformation command will perform the transformation, enter the transformed value into the datum value control, and (if the Add Comments command is checked) add a comment to the Comments control.

Example: Transforming an entered datum value

Let us assume we have found a reference containing vapor pressure data for mercury. The data is reported as base 10 logarithmic values of vapor pressure versus the reciprocal of the temperature. For example, the base 10 log of the vapor pressure is 2.8808, in original units of mmHg, at a reciprocal temperature of 1.588E-3, in original units of K.

We first enter all the information for the datum into the Datum-Units-Reference dialog.

We then click the right mouse button in the datum value control, move the mouse over the Transform Value command, and then select the 'Reciprocal: 1/x' command from the commands menu. (Note that there is no need to select the datum value.)

The application will transform the entered value, replace the datum value with the transformed value, and add a comment to the Comments control.

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The application replaces the value in the Datum Value control with the transformed value.
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The application will add a line to the comment control to document the transformation.
Editing Text Values

The commands menus for text entry controls, e.g., the synonym control, the reference control and the comments control, have commands for inserting symbols and changing case. The commands menu is displayed by clicking the right mouse button on a text entry control.

See documentation for the Symbol Dialog and Changing Case.

Selecting Units

We recommend entering a datum value in its original units. Cranium and Synapse will then convert this value into whichever units you prefer.

Clicking the left mouse button on the units control display a dropdown list of all units associated with the current physical property.

Related Documentation
Topic Description
Getting Started using Synapse provides a quick tour of Synapse's capabilities including examples of chemical product design.
Getting Started using Cranium provides a quick tour of Cranium's capabilities including a discussion of structure editing.
Estimating Chemical Properties a short video demonstrating how to estimate the physical properties of chemicals using either Synapse or Cranium.
Estimating Mixture Properties a short video demonstrating how to estimate the physical properties of mixtures using either Synapse or Cranium.