DEXiEval v5.3
=============

DEXiEval is a command-line utility program for batch evaluation of
options (decision alternatives) using a DEXi model. Basically, DEXiEval
reads a DEXi model from a DEXi file and loads option data from another
input file. It evaluates these options and writes the evaluation results
to output option data files. In one run, DEXiEval can create several
output files in different formats.


Notice
------

DEXiEval is a utility program for DEXi, a computer program for
qualitative multi-attribute decision modeling. Please see the DEXi Web
Page at http://kt.ijs.si/MarkoBohanec/dexi.html for further information
about DEXi. There, you can find descriptions of the concepts that are
important for understanding DEXiEval: 'DEXi model', 'DEXi file',
'option', 'option data file', 'option data format' and 'DEXi
Import/Export Settings'.

DEXiEval v5.3 is compatible with DEXi 5.3.


Usage
-----

DEXiEval [-par ...] DEXi-file [-par ...] inp-file [ [-par ...] out-file ...]

Files:
 DEXi-file: input file containing a DEXi model (required)
 inp-file:  input file containing option data (required, except with -save)
 out-file:  zero or more output files to contain evaluation results (optional)

General parameters:
 -?, -help:          display help
 -l, -log, -verbose: display detailed file-processing information
 -save, -dxi:        do not load inp-file, use options defined in DEXi-file
 -keep:              keep DEXi-file option data, then overload it from inp-file

File format parameters [interpreted in left-to-right order]:
 -tab:               use tab-delimited format (default for *.tab files)
 -csv:               use comma-separated format (default for *.csv files)
 -v0 or -base0:      use "base 0" value format
 -v1 or -base1:      use "base 1" value format
 -vt or -text:       use "text" value format
 -aa or -all:        save all attributes
 -ab or -basic:      save only basic attributes
 -ii or -indent:     indent attributes according to their tree structure
 -in or -noindent:   do not indent attributes
 -on or -normal:     use normal data-table orientation (attributes \ options)
 -ot or -transpose:  use transposed orientation (options \ attributes)
 -r or -reset:       reset all format parameters to that defined in DEXi-file
 -x or -rx:          reset an individual format parameter, where "x" can be:
                     v: value format, a: attribute, i: indent, o: orientation

Comments
--------

In addition to a DEXi model, a DEXi-file typically contains:

(1) data of options handled in the DEXi program itself;
(2) option file formatting parameters as defined in DEXi
    with Settings/[Import/Export].

By default, (1) is erased by DEXiEval after loading a DEXi-file and only
options from inp-file are taken into account. There are two exceptions:

- When you specify -save or -dxi, (1) is retained and inp-file is not
  loaded at all (in this case, it must not be specified in the command
  line).
- Specifying -keep means that (1) is retained but overloaded with
  data from inp-file.

The formatting data (2) provides defaults for DEXiEval. This means that
if no formatting parameters are specified in the command line, DEXiEval
uses the Import/Export settings as defined in the DEXi-file. Whenever a
-reset or -r* parameter is specified in the command line, DEXiEval
reverts to the corresponding DEXi-file settings.

Option data files come in two different basic formats: comma-separated
(CSV) and tab-delimited (TAB). This basic format is not defined in (2),
so DEXiEval uses its own default, which is CSV.

For inp-files and out-files whose filename extensions are '.csv' and
'.tab', DEXiEval assumes they are of the respective format. This can be
overridden by explicitly specifying -csv or -tab in the command line.


Examples
--------

DEXiEval CAR.dxi -save Cars

Load DEXi-file CAR.dxi, evaluate options (cars) contained in it and save
the evaluation results to out-file Cars. Cars is written in CSV format,
using Import/Export settings as specified in CAR.dxi.


DEXiEval -save CAR.dxi Cars.tab

As above, but write to out-file Cars.tab, implicitly assuming the TAB
format.


DEXiEval CAR.dxi -dxi -tab Cars.dat

As above, but write to out-file Cars.dat using the TAB format.


DEXiEval CAR.dxi Cars.inp Cars.out

Typical use. Load CAR.dxi and option data from Cars.inp, evaluate
options and save the results to Cars.dat, using all default format
parameters from CAR.dxi.


DEXiEval CAR.dxi Cars.tab Cars.csv

Evaluate options from Cars.tab and write the results to Cars.csv. An
implicit conversion from TAB to CSV format takes place.


DEXiEval CAR.dxi Cars.csv -base0 -basic -csv C.dat -text -all -indent -tab C.txt

Load options from Cars.csv, evaluate them by the CAR.dxi model and save
the results on two output files, C.dat and C.txt. using different
formats. C.dat is quite criptic: CSV format, containing only data of
basic attributes, represented with "base_0" numerical values. The file
C.txt, on the other hand, might be used as a report, as it is written
using TABs, contains data of all attributes, which are represented by
"text" values and indented for better readability.


License
=======

Except where otherwise noted, all of the documentation and software
included in the DEXiEval distribution package is copyrighted by Marko
Bohanec.

Copyright (C) 2007-2017 Marko Bohanec. All rights reserved.

This software is provided "as-is," without any express or implied
warranty. In no event shall the author be held liable for any damages
arising from the use of this software.

Permission is granted to anyone to use this software for any purpose,
and to redistribute it, provided that all redistributions, in text and
binary form, retain all copyright notices and web site addresses that
are currently in place, and include this DEXiEval.txt file without
modification.

If you use this software for any purpose, an acknowledgment in your
product and an informative message to the author would be appreciated.


Marko Bohanec
marko.bohanec AT ijs.si
http://kt.ijs.si/MarkoBohanec/mare.html
