Content:
Upload data files
On the Dataset section, click Add new dataset.
You can import data from well-known data sources like
- XLS/CSV – Excel and csv (comma separated values) files
- Google Sheets
- Copy & Paste – Copy the data from a text file or a spreadsheet and then paste them into BStreams
- Data hub – it’s a public repository where files are updated by our staff and ready to be used
Before diving into the article, we would like to explain some important notices that are necessary to know for uploading and management of the dataset within BStreams.
Data fields in your dataset!
In case of the existence of Date fields in your dataset, you need to be sure that the format of your date field is MM/DD/YYYY. This is the only format that is acceptable by the BStreams, and you need to make sure that your dataset has the same format. This is an important consideration because if you wish to add more columns to your dataset within the data management of the BStreams based on your date field, it has to have the correct format. Consequently, all of the generated columns have the right format, and you can manage and visualize your data decently.
Depending on the format of your data, you can reformat your date fields. Here we are suggesting the two popular methods to reformat your dataset:
Reformat Data with MSFT. Excel:
If you have access to MSFT. Excel, and your dataset is in one of the formats of XLSX/CSV or any other readable format for MSFT. Excel, you can format your date fields into the proper format of BStreams. For this purpose, you only need to select your column, right-click on the selected column, and click on the option “Format Cells”. In the new Window for adjustment of the date, you have to choose the Date from the Category, and then English (United States) for the locale. Choose the type that you prefer, and save your data.
Reformat Data with Google Sheet:
BStreams enables you to upload your dataset directly from Google Sheet links. Therefore if you have a dataset in the Google Sheet, you can reformat the date fields to make sure they are readable in the BStreams. You need to select your date column, and from the Format menu on the top bar, select Number and Custome date and time. You need to select the format Month/Day/Year. It’s important to respect this format but if you choose to load without 0, there would be no further problem.
Be aware of the dots and commas!
In BStreams the decimal numbers are separated by a dot (.) and the comma is not readable by the BStreams. If there is a field containing decimal numbers with commas, you need to make sure before uploading the dataset in BStreams, you reformat the field. The method for reformatting starts from the same menu for both MSFT. Excel and Google sheet. Instead of selecting the category of Date in Excel, you need to select the Number category and you need to make sure the option Use 100 separator (,) is unflagged. Instead in Google sheet, from the same Format menu, you can select Custome number formats, and select this format:
Import the data from Excel or CSV files
Click on Browse and upload your chosen file or simply drag & drop it into the predefined area.
If you import an Excel file (as well as an OpenOffice or LibreOffice file) and the document contains multiple sheets, you will be asked to select the one you want to import
Copy & Paste
Copy your data from a delimited text file or a spreadsheet, then paste into the predefined area.
Import the data from Google Sheets
Before uploading your Google sheet, you need to make it public (Make Google Docs, Sheets, Slides & Forms public)
Copy the link sharing then paste the Google Sheet URL.
Import dataset from Data Hub
In the Data hub, files are managed by our staff and many of them are automatically updated.
Simply click on the file you want to import. It will be imported directly into your personal space and ready to be used.
When an update comes, it will be propagated to all your imported files too.
The Dataset Repository
The dataset repository contains a list of all the imported files.
View, edit, and update your dataset or click on the three dots menu to rename your dataset’s headline, edit a description, duplicate or remove it.
Update the datasets
After any change in data, you can update your BStreams dataset.
You can do this from the Data Repository or the Data Manager.
Keep in mind the following before updating a dataset:
- it must contain the same number of fields and the same headlines of the source dataset. On the contrary, BStreams will mark as an error the number of the missing fields.
- it can contain additional fields, but the columns’ headlines – both news or the ones already present in the source dataset – must be unique.
- it does not contain calculated fields previously created with BStreams. Each additional field will be re-calculated by BStreams after the update takes place.
- Once the dataset has been updated, all the charts or maps that use that dataset will be automatically updated.
The way you update the dataset depends on how you imported it
1. Dataset imported from Excel or CSV file
Click the Update button and upload once again your file.
2. Dataset imported from Google Sheets
Click the Update button and confirm the Google Sheet URL.
3. Dataset imported from the Data hub
In this case, you have nothing to do. The dataset is managed by our team and when an update comes, it will automatically update your dataset too.
If you wanted to break the dependency with the Data hub, you could unlink and update it manually as a dataset imported from a file.
Import the data from Excel or CSV files
Click on Browse and upload your chosen file or simply drag & drop it into the predefined area.
Want to learn more about? Email us at support@bstreams.io
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