Unless specified otherwise, the starting point for execution within an E-Prime experiment will begin with the first "runnable" E-Object in the experiment structure (i.e., typically the Session Procedure. However, E-Prime provides a mechanism to begin an experiment from a custom location. This functionality, referred to as Quick Start, is useful for evaluating or debugging a portion of an experiment without having to work through all events leading up to the selected portion.
NOTE: Quick Start is not recommended during experiment data collection, as logging of the data could be affected.
Setting Quick Start
Quick Start may be set to begin running the events of an experiment from any existing List object in the experiment structure (i.e., on the Structure tab within the Experiment Explorer window). Only one Quick Start item may be designated at any time. To set Quick Start, right click a List object in the Structure View and select "Set Quick Start…" from the Context Menu, or select a List object and click the Quick Start button on the toolbar.
After a List object is designated as the Quick Start object, the icon representing the object changes in the experiment structure to match the Quick Start icon available on the toolbar (i.e., green arrow overlaying the List object icon).
Test Manager
Upon setting a List object as the Quick Start location, the Test Manager dialog is displayed, presenting the configurable settings for the Quick Start feature:
Quick Start Window
The window below the Quick Start heading provides a visual representation of the experiment hierarchy, and indicates how each of the objects in the experiment structure is affected by the Quick Start setting:
E-Object set as Quick Start location | |
E-Objects that will be run during test session | |
E-Objects that will not be run during test session | |
List objects set to Interactive order | |
Required E-Objects that may not be deselected (i.e., required) |
When a List object is designated as the Quick Start object, the following rules are applied to the other objects within the experiment:
- The selection property is set to Interactive for any parent List objects of the Quick Start object.
- For all ancestor List objects to the Quick Start object, the weights for all levels unrelated to the Quick Start location are set to zero.
- Only objects that are children of the List will run.
- List objects set to Interactive will override the E-Studio property settings during the Quick Start test session.
- List object weights will be modified to comply with the rules above.
The Quick Start List object/location (i.e., where experiment execution will begin) is identified by the Quick Start List icon, and the parent List object of the Quick Start location is set to Interactive Mode during the test session, but this object’s Order property is not modified within the experiment structure.
Below the Quick Start window, the current Quick Start location setting is identified by the "Quick Start" label. The location information identifies the Quick Start object in terms of where it exists within the structure of the experiment. The buttons at the bottom of the display provide additional functionality to Set/Clear the Quick Start location, or to quickly Enable/Disable multiple E-Objects for the test session.
Button | Description |
Set Quick Start | Sets selected List object as the Quick Start location |
Clear Quick Start | Clears the Quick Start location and resets all objects to run as specified in the experiment structure |
Enable Down | Enables (i.e., checks) selected object and all child objects |
Disable Down | Disables (i.e., unchecks) selected object and all child objects |
Testing
The Test button at the bottom of the Test Manager dialog launches a test session based on the configuration as specified within the Test Manager dialog (e.g., at the speed specified by Clock Scale, including the objects as specified in the Quick Start window, etc.). Refer to the E-STUDIO: Test Manager [22740] documentation article for information pertaining to E-Run Test Mode.
Clear Quick Start
To clear the Quick Start setting, display the Test Manager dialog (i.e., right-click the List object and select the Clear Quick Start option, or press either the Test or Quick Start buttons on the toolbar). In the Test Manager dialog, press the Clear Quick Start button at the bottom of the dialog. A prompt will be displayed informing the user that clearing the Quick Start object will result in the reset of all objects to be run according to the settings for the object in the experiment structure in the Experiment Explorer window (i.e., as the objects are defined on the Structure tab). To clear the Quick Start setting, confirm the action by pressing Yes, and close the E-Run Test dialog.
Previous Article: See article 23857 (direct link coming soon)
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