View source for Workbench

{{Workbench page introduction}}

== Workbench overview ==
The '''Workbench''' is where you work directly on a diet (or formula). Normally, you spend most of the time in the '''Workbench''' while using {{TGF_title}}.  There are main three pages in the '''Workbench''': [[Formula Nutrients]], [[Formula Ingredients]], and [[Formula Ratios]]. There is is also a page for each of the formula reports: [[Solution Report]], [[Batch Report]], and [[Parametrics]] <br>

In [[Formula Nutrients]], you define the requirements of the diet. <br>

In [[Formula Ingredients]], you indicate which ingredients are available to formulate the diet. You can also place minimum or maximum restrictions on the ingredient. You can change an ingredient's cost or the nutrient quantity it provides.<br>

In [[Formula Ratios]], you can observe the ratio between nutrients, ingredients, or both that results from solving the formula. You can also specify a minimum or maximum restriction on a ratio. <br>

==Formula header fields==
===Formula Name===
The formula name drop down allows you to change the '''Workbench''' formula without having to return to the [[Formulae|formula list]] in the [[Workshop]]. If you restricted the [[Formulae|formula list]] in the [[Workshop]] to a single species, only formulas for that species will appear in the drop down.   

{{Name}}

===Code===
{{Code}}

===Batch Weight===
{{Batch weight - general}} Typically, it is a standard size of 1000 for metric system users and 2000 for English system users. Batch Weight is required.

It also could be the size of the batch mixer (say 5000) or even an individual daily intake size for an animal (say 30).

Its interpretation is affected by [[#Dry Matter|Dry Matter]].

Reports such as the [[Batch Report]] and the [[Solution Report]] prompt for their own batch weight, so specifying a standard batch weight here does not limit you on the reports

=== UoM ===
{{Unit of measure}}

=== Dry Matter ===
{{Dry Matter}}

=== Infeasible Solution  ===
A common tendency for the novice is to put restrictions on everything in sight, the tighter the better, compounding the mistake with the thought that every minimum needs a maximum, and vice versa!

The maxim "Less is More" should be followed in setting up restrictions. Unnecessary restrictions not only limit the trade-offs available to the least-cost algorithm, thereby resulting in a solution that is more costly, but also can cause infeasibilites.

If you have no clues in "debugging" an infeasible solution, remove half the constraints and solve again, repeating until you have a feasible solution. 

Then add back half of the constraints that you most recently discarded, repeating until you have isolated the culprit(s).

=== Log ===
The '''log''' field enables you to display linear program (LP) solution statistics on the screen and in debug mode to produce a spreadsheet showing various stages of the calculation of the result.

There are three possible specifications:  

*'''None''' (default) - Do not Log LP statistics or produce a spreadsheet.

*'''Statistics''' - Log LP statistics to the screen.

*'''Debug'''  -  Log LP statistics to the screen and produce a spreadsheet showing the calculations. 

You should almost always solve a formula with "Log: None" specified. The other settings are used by the software developers to isolate problems. They can also be used by an analyst to determine why the solution to a particular formulation is [[#Infeasible]].

===Opt Den===
{{Optimum Density}}

=== Prev Cost ===
'''Previous Cost ''' is the total ingredient cost of the formula solution from the previous '''solve'''.


=== Round  ===
{{Formula Rounding}}

=== Species ===
The [[Species List | species]] is the type of animal that the formula is designed for. The species of a formula can be changed only by a user at the level of the formula's owner. The ability to change the species is provided to allow you to copy a diet (formula) from one species to another,

The following Species Codes are pre-loaded:

*'''Beef'''

*'''Dairy'''

*'''Poultry'''

*'''Swine'''

===Total Cost===
Total ingredient cost of the formula after clicking  '''solve'''.

It is the cost of the yield.

=== Type  ===
{{Formula Type}}

=== UoM ===
The '''unit of measure''' is kg for metric system users and lb for English system users. It is specified on the [[Formula Defaults ]] page in the [[Workshop]] and applies to the control level as a whole.

=== Yield ===
The actual weight of the least-cost solution. The '''solve''' button creates the '''yield'''. It should be the same or very nearly the same as the batch weight (unless [[#Opt Den|optimum density]] is specified). If not, the least-cost solution may be [[#Infeasible Solution (Formula)|infeasible]].

== Formula reports ==
The '''Formula reports''' enable you to quickly display, print, extract, or send a variety of information about a formula. The default is to display as HTML; that is, to show the report results on the screen. You can also select PDF and XLS. PDF creates a file that you can print or email to someone. XLS creates a spreadsheet, which you can open in Microsoft Excel, Open Office, or other programs so that you can make new calculations on the results of the reports.  

The [[Solution report|Solution]] and [[Batch report|Batch]] reports require that a formula be solved at least once. The [[Parametrics]] report does not have this requirement. 

=== [[Solution report]] === 
The [[Solution report]] shows the results of solving formula.

=== [[Batch report]] ===
The [[Batch report]] lists the ingredients in the solution in the order that they are to be mixed.

=== [[Parametrics|Parametrics report]] ===
The [[Parametrics]] report helps you investigate what would happen if one or more of your formula specifications were to change.