weka.filters.supervised.attribute

## Class MergeNominalValues

- java.lang.Object
- - weka.filters.Filter
  - - weka.filters.SimpleFilter
    - - weka.filters.SimpleBatchFilter
      - - weka.filters.supervised.attribute.MergeNominalValues

- All Implemented Interfaces:
    java.io.Serializable, CapabilitiesHandler, CapabilitiesIgnorer, OptionHandler, RevisionHandler, TechnicalInformationHandler, WeightedInstancesHandler, SupervisedFilter

      public class MergeNominalValues
      extends SimpleBatchFilter
      implements SupervisedFilter, WeightedInstancesHandler, TechnicalInformationHandler

  Merges values of all nominal attributes among the specified attributes, excluding the class attribute, using the CHAID method, but without considering to re-split merged subsets. It implements Steps 1 and 2 described by Kass (1980), see
  Gordon V. Kass (1980). An Exploratory Technique for Investigating Large Quantities of Categorical Data. Applied Statistics. 29(2):119-127.
  Once attribute values have been merged, a chi-squared test using the Bonferroni correction is applied to check if the resulting attribute is a valid predictor, based on the Bonferroni multiplier in Equation 3.2 in Kass (1980). If an attribute does not pass this test, all remaining values (if any) are merged. Nevertheless, useless predictors can slip through without being fully merged, e.g. identifier attributes.
  The code applies the Yates correction when the chi-squared statistic is computed.
  Note that the algorithm is quadratic in the number of attribute values for an attribute.

  Valid options are:

       -D
        Turns on output of debugging information.

       -L <double>
        The significance level (default: 0.05).

       -R <range>
        Sets list of attributes to act on (or its inverse). 'first and 'last' are accepted as well.'
        E.g.: first-5,7,9,20-last
        (default: first-last)

       -V
        Invert matching sense (i.e. act on all attributes not specified in list)

       -O
        Use short identifiers for merged subsets.

  Version:
    $Revision: 10215 $
  Author:
    Eibe Frank
  See Also:
    Serialized Form

- - ### Constructor Summary

    Constructors
    Constructor and Description
    `MergeNominalValues()`

  - ### Method Summary

    Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `boolean` | `allowAccessToFullInputFormat()` We need access to the full input data in determineOutputFormat.
    `java.lang.String` | `attributeIndicesTipText()` Returns the tip text for this property
    `java.lang.String` | `getAttributeIndices()` Get the current range selection.
    `Capabilities` | `getCapabilities()` Returns the Capabilities of this filter.
    `boolean` | `getInvertSelection()` Get whether the supplied attributes are to be acted on or all other attributes.
    `java.lang.String[]` | `getOptions()` Gets the current settings of the filter.
    `java.lang.String` | `getRevision()` Returns the revision string.
    `double` | `getSignificanceLevel()` Gets the significance level.
    `TechnicalInformation` | `getTechnicalInformation()` Returns an instance of a TechnicalInformation object, containing detailed information about the technical background of this class, e.g., paper reference or book this class is based on.
    `boolean` | `getUseShortIdentifiers()` Get whether short identifiers are to be output.
    `java.lang.String` | `globalInfo()` Returns a string describing this filter.
    `java.lang.String` | `invertSelectionTipText()` Returns the tip text for this property
    `java.util.Enumeration<Option>` | `listOptions()` Returns an enumeration describing the available options.
    `static void` | `main(java.lang.String[] args)` runs the filter with the given arguments
    `void` | `setAttributeIndices(java.lang.String rangeList)` Set which attributes are to be acted on (or not, if invert is true)
    `void` | `setAttributeIndicesArray(int[] attributes)` Set which attributes are to be acted on (or not, if invert is true)
    `void` | `setInvertSelection(boolean invert)` Set whether selected attributes should be acted on or all other attributes.
    `void` | `setOptions(java.lang.String[] options)` Parses a given list of options.
    `void` | `setSignificanceLevel(double sF)` Sets the significance level.
    `void` | `setUseShortIdentifiers(boolean b)` Set whether to output short identifiers for merged values.
    `java.lang.String` | `significanceLevelTipText()` Returns the tip text for this property
    `java.lang.String` | `useShortIdentifiersTipText()` Returns the tip text for this property

    - ### Methods inherited from class weka.filters.SimpleBatchFilter

      `batchFinished, input`

    - ### Methods inherited from class weka.filters.SimpleFilter

      `setInputFormat`

    - ### Methods inherited from class weka.filters.Filter

      `batchFilterFile, debugTipText, doNotCheckCapabilitiesTipText, filterFile, getCapabilities, getDebug, getDoNotCheckCapabilities, getOutputFormat, isFirstBatchDone, isNewBatch, isOutputFormatDefined, makeCopies, makeCopy, mayRemoveInstanceAfterFirstBatchDone, numPendingOutput, output, outputPeek, runFilter, setDebug, setDoNotCheckCapabilities, toString, useFilter, wekaStaticWrapper`

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

      `equals, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait`

- - ### Constructor Detail

    - #### MergeNominalValues

          public MergeNominalValues()

  - ### Method Detail

    - #### globalInfo

          public java.lang.String globalInfo()

      Returns a string describing this filter.
      Specified by:
        `globalInfo` in class `SimpleFilter`
      Returns:
        a description of the filter suitable for displaying in the explorer/experimenter gui

    - #### getTechnicalInformation

          public TechnicalInformation getTechnicalInformation()

      Returns an instance of a TechnicalInformation object, containing detailed information about the technical background of this class, e.g., paper reference or book this class is based on.
      Specified by:
        `getTechnicalInformation` in interface `TechnicalInformationHandler`
      Returns:
        the technical information about this class

    - #### listOptions

          public java.util.Enumeration<Option> listOptions()

      Returns an enumeration describing the available options.
      Specified by:
        `listOptions` in interface `OptionHandler`
      Overrides:
        `listOptions` in class `Filter`
      Returns:
        an enumeration of all the available options.

    - #### getOptions

          public java.lang.String[] getOptions()

      Gets the current settings of the filter.
      Specified by:
        `getOptions` in interface `OptionHandler`
      Overrides:
        `getOptions` in class `Filter`
      Returns:
        an array of strings suitable for passing to setOptions

    - #### setOptions

          public void setOptions(java.lang.String[] options)
                          throws java.lang.Exception

      Parses a given list of options.

      Valid options are:

           -D
            Turns on output of debugging information.

           -L <double>
            The significance level (default: 0.05).

           -R <range>
            Sets list of attributes to act on (or its inverse). 'first and 'last' are accepted as well.'
            E.g.: first-5,7,9,20-last
            (default: first-last)

           -V
            Invert matching sense (i.e. act on all attributes not specified in list)

           -O
            Use short identifiers for merged subsets.

      Specified by:
        `setOptions` in interface `OptionHandler`
      Overrides:
        `setOptions` in class `Filter`
      Parameters:
        `options` - the list of options as an array of strings
      Throws:
        `java.lang.Exception` - if an option is not supported

    - #### significanceLevelTipText

          public java.lang.String significanceLevelTipText()

      Returns the tip text for this property
      Returns:
        tip text for this property suitable for displaying in the explorer/experimenter gui

    - #### getSignificanceLevel

          public double getSignificanceLevel()

      Gets the significance level.
      Returns:
        int the significance level.

    - #### setSignificanceLevel

          public void setSignificanceLevel(double sF)

      Sets the significance level.
      Parameters:
        `the` - significance level as an integer.

    - #### attributeIndicesTipText

          public java.lang.String attributeIndicesTipText()

      Returns the tip text for this property
      Returns:
        tip text for this property suitable for displaying in the explorer/experimenter gui

    - #### getAttributeIndices

          public java.lang.String getAttributeIndices()

      Get the current range selection.
      Returns:
        a string containing a comma separated list of ranges

    - #### setAttributeIndices

          public void setAttributeIndices(java.lang.String rangeList)

      Set which attributes are to be acted on (or not, if invert is true)
      Parameters:
        `rangeList` - a string representing the list of attributes. Since the string will typically come from a user, attributes are indexed from 1.
        eg: first-3,5,6-last

    - #### setAttributeIndicesArray

          public void setAttributeIndicesArray(int[] attributes)

      Set which attributes are to be acted on (or not, if invert is true)
      Parameters:
        `attributes` - an array containing indexes of attributes to select. Since the array will typically come from a program, attributes are indexed from 0.

    - #### invertSelectionTipText

          public java.lang.String invertSelectionTipText()

      Returns the tip text for this property
      Returns:
        tip text for this property suitable for displaying in the explorer/experimenter gui

    - #### getInvertSelection

          public boolean getInvertSelection()

      Get whether the supplied attributes are to be acted on or all other attributes.
      Returns:
        true if the supplied attributes will be kept

    - #### setInvertSelection

          public void setInvertSelection(boolean invert)

      Set whether selected attributes should be acted on or all other attributes.
      Parameters:
        `invert` - the new invert setting

    - #### useShortIdentifiersTipText

          public java.lang.String useShortIdentifiersTipText()

      Returns the tip text for this property
      Returns:
        tip text for this property suitable for displaying in the explorer/experimenter gui

    - #### getUseShortIdentifiers

          public boolean getUseShortIdentifiers()

      Get whether short identifiers are to be output.
      Returns:
        true if short IDs are output

    - #### setUseShortIdentifiers

          public void setUseShortIdentifiers(boolean b)

      Set whether to output short identifiers for merged values.
      Parameters:
        `b` - if true, short IDs are output

    - #### allowAccessToFullInputFormat

          public boolean allowAccessToFullInputFormat()

      We need access to the full input data in determineOutputFormat.
      Overrides:
        `allowAccessToFullInputFormat` in class `SimpleBatchFilter`
      Returns:
        whether determineOutputFormat has access to the full input dataset

    - #### getCapabilities

          public Capabilities getCapabilities()

      Returns the Capabilities of this filter.
      Specified by:
        `getCapabilities` in interface `CapabilitiesHandler`
      Overrides:
        `getCapabilities` in class `Filter`
      Returns:
        the capabilities of this object
      See Also:
        `Capabilities`

    - #### getRevision

          public java.lang.String getRevision()

      Returns the revision string.
      Specified by:
        `getRevision` in interface `RevisionHandler`
      Overrides:
        `getRevision` in class `Filter`
      Returns:
        the revision

    - #### main

          public static void main(java.lang.String[] args)

      runs the filter with the given arguments
      Parameters:
        `args` - the commandline arguments