Welcome > Set up extraction > Relation Evaluator > Limit the number of alternatives

Limit the number of alternatives

Limit the number of alternatives returned by the Relation Evaluator to produce a more manageable amount of data. When only the first few results are important, use this option.

The alternatives are first ordered according to the confidence option selected. The list is then shortened according to the values specified for Return up to <N> alternatives and Return only alternatives closer than <N> mm.

Important If the highest alternatives all have equal confidence values, this limit may prevent important data from being considered for the field result. For the best results, specify a limit of at least 2 so the field is aware of any conflict between similarly confident alternatives.

To limit the number of alternatives, type a number in the Return up to <N> alternatives field.

For example, the Relation Evaluator is configured to return the best alternatives from a Format Locator. A second Format Locator uses a regular expression to produce a unique and easy to recognize alternative (Amount), and serves as the anchor alternative. The below option is selected, so all alternatives from the main Format Locator that are below the word Amount are returned.

You can restrict the number of alternatives within a certain distance by following these steps:

  1. Open the locator properties.
  2. On the Settings tab, select Return only alternatives closer than <N> mm.
  3. Enter a number in the field.

    An alternative must be within this distance from the anchor alternative to be considered as a result.

  4. Open a test document and click Test to test your settings.
  5. Optionally, click Close to close the locator properties window.
  6. Save the changes to your project.