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Text Decision Component

The text decision component allows users to enter decisions by typing numbers into a text entry box. Use the text decision component properties to label your text decisions, set decisions, alter positioning of the text decision component on the canvas, and to create conditional events triggered by comparative values (for more information on conditionals, see ‘Decision Input Settings: Conditionals’ below).

Access the text decision component properties by clicking on the text decision component after it has been placed on the canvas. The Decision Input Settings tab will appear in the component panel displaying a stack of horizontal tabs that are labeled and categorized as follows:

• Label Style – Contains the property options used to adjust the text decision component label.
  
• Input Style – Contains the property options used to modify the text size, style, and color of the input entered by the user.
  
• Conditionals – Contains the property options used to set the state of your text decision component to be visible, invisible, enabled, or disabled based on the value of a variable in the model, a value of an interface variable, or the value of a simulation property.
  
• Size, Position, and ToolTip – Contains the property options used to adjust the size and position of the text decision and provide tooltip information to the user.
  

Scroll down to view descriptions of all the text decision property options. Note that the property descriptions below are divided into the same categories found in the Decision Input Settings tab.

Example: Text Decision Component

Decision Input Settings: Decision

Click on the 'Decision' tab in the component panel to access the properties used to set the text decision variable, create a label, and customize the number format.

• Decision Variable – Click the ‘Decision Variable’ drop-down menu arrow, and then click ‘Browse’ to choose a decision variable.
  
  
• Label - Enter text in the ‘Label’ text entry box to create a label for the text decision.
  
  
• Number Format – The number format can be changed using the ‘Number Format’ text entry box.
  
  

FAQs

How do I change the number format?

Decision Input Settings: Decision Tab

Decision Input Settings: Label Style

Click on the ‘Label Style’ tab in the component panel to access the properties used to adjust the text decision component label.

• Left – Select the ’Left’ radio button to place the label on the left of the text decision component’s text entry box.
  
  
• Right – Select the ‘Right’ radio button to place the label on the right of the text decision component’s text entry box.
  
  
• No Label – Select the 'No Label’ radio button to remove the label from the text decision component’s text entry box.
  
  
• Label/Text Input Padding – Enter a number in the 'Label/Text Input Padding' text entry box to control the distance between the label and the text input.
  

• Label Font Family – Click the ‘Label Font Family’ drop-down menu arrow to choose a font for the text decision component’s label.
  
  
• Label Font Size – Enter a number in the ‘Label Font Size’ text entry box to control the font size of the text decision component’s label.
  
  
• Label Font Color – Click the ‘Label Font Color’ box to choose a color for the text decision component’s label.
  
  

Decision Input Settings: Label Style Tab

Decision Input Settings: Input Style

Click the ‘Input Style’ tab in the component panel to access the properties used to modify the text size, style, and color of the input input entered by the user.

• Input Font Family – Click the ‘Input Font Family’ drop-down menu arrow to choose a font for the user’s input.
  
  
• Input Font Size – Enter a number in the ‘Input Font Size’ text entry box to control the font size of the user’s input.
  
  
• Input Font Color – Click the ‘Input Font Color’ box to choose a color for the user’s input.
  
  

Decision Input Settings: Input Style Tab

Decision Input Settings: Conditionals

A conditional is used to set the state of your text decision component to be visible, invisible, enabled, or disabled based on the value of a variable in the model, a value of an interface variable, or the value of a simulation property. Click on the 'Conditionals' tab in the component panel to access the properties used to create conditions for your text decision component.

• Make Decision Input – Click on the Make Decision Input’ drop-down menu arrow to choose one of the following options for the text decision:
  
  
  • Enabled – Sets your text decision component to be enabled for the user.
    
    
  • Disabled – Sets your text decision component to be disabled, and unusable to the user.
    
    
  • Invisible – Sets your text decision component to be invisible to the user.
    
    
  • Visible – Sets your text decision component to be visible to the user.
    
    
• When – Click on the ‘When’ drop-down menu arrow, and then click ‘Browse’ to choose a variable, an interface variable, or a simulation property.
  
  
• Is Equal To – Click the ‘Is Equal To’ drop-down menu arrow to create a condition for the text decision, and then enter a value in the text entry box to compare to the ‘When’ option.
  
  The 'Is equal to' drop-down menu options include the following:
  
  
  • “is greater than or equal to”
    
    
  • “is equal to”
    
    
  • “is greater than”
    
    
  • “is less than”
    
    
  • “is less than or equal to”
    
    
  • “is not equal to”
    
    
• Add Conditional – Click the ‘Add Conditional’ button to add the conditional to the conditional list.
  
  
• Remove Conditional – Click the 'Remove Conditional' button to remove a selected conditional from your conditional list.
  
  
• Edit Conditional – Click the 'Edit Conditional' button to edit a selected conditional in your conditional list.
  
  

Note that conditionals are executed in the order they appear in the list and execution stops when the first conditional is met.


FAQs
How do I create a conditional?

Decision Input Settings: Conditionals Tab

Decision Input Settings: Size, Position, and ToolTip

Click the ‘Size, Position, and ToolTip’ tab in the component panel to access the properties used to adjust the size and position of the text decision and provide tooltip information to the user.

• X – Enter a number in the ‘X’ text entry box to adjust the left and right positioning of the text decision on the canvas. A higher number moves the text decision to the right, and a lower number moves the text decision to the left.
  
  
• Y – Enter a number in the ‘Y’ text entry box to adjust the up and down positioning of the text decision on the canvas. A larger number will lower the position, and a smaller number moves the text decision higher.
  
  
• Width – Enter a number in the ‘Width’ text entry box to adjust the text decision width.
  
  
• Height – Enter a number in the ‘Height’ text entry box to adjust the text decision height.
  
  
• Tab Index – Specifies the tab ordering of objects in a SWF file. The tabIe index property is -1 by default, meaning no tab index is set.
  
  
• Lock – Use the ‘Lock’ checkbox to lock the text decision’s position in place on the canvas. A small lock icon will appear near the text decision. Click on the lock icon or uncheck the lock checkbox to unlock the text decision.
  
  
• Visible to Facilitator Only – Use the ‘Visible to Facilitator’ checkbox to restrict the text decision‘s visibility to only be seen by facilitators.
  
  
• Tooltip – Enter in the details of the text decision in the ‘ToolTip’ text entry box. The details entered will appear on the screen when a user places their mouse cursor on or across the text decision.
  
  

Decision Input Settings: Size, Position, and ToolTip Tab

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