Proper data formatting

Well-organized and clean data allows Powerdrill to carry out precise, error-free analysis and visualization. To ensure this, follow these best practices:

Column headers: Use clear, descriptive headers in the first row.

Tabular structure: Structure your data with records listed in rows beneath the headers.

Universality: Use plain, widely understood language for column names, avoiding industry or company-specific terms.

Some examples

Figure 3: The spreadsheet is structured

Figure 4: The main body of the spreadsheet is structured, though it includes titles and footnotes


Improper data formatting

Composite spreadsheets or poorly formatted data may prevent from analyzing or transforming the information. To avoid issues, be mindful of the following common pitfalls:

Multi-level headers

Too many empty rows / columns

Irregular tables contained

Multiple sections

Some examples

Figure 1: Spreadsheets with multi-level headers are difficult to index

Figure 2: Spreadsheets with multiple sections, such as financial statements, should be formatted into tabular data