Creating a data matrix 1. You can also create a matrix using PAUP's own editor. A common mistake is to record data directly into the terminal via codes, then forget what the different codes signify.
Brackets can enclose comments at the beginning of the file.
These comments will not be read as part of your data. If you place an exclamation mark after the initial bracket, the comment will be echoed to the output. This can prevent you from having to tell PAUP all of the things that you want it to do each time you search for trees. In the beginning, however, I suggest strongly that you treat each search anew. You may not need anything here for your project, but peruse the menu as you will.