Excel data structure

[AdamJ]

Hi guys,

I've never worked with SAS VA before and thus have a trivial question: what is the required data structure of a source data file. I'd like to use a local excel file. Should I have measures/dimensions in columns and each row for one individual in one point in time?

Is there any rule? Where can I find a sample data file?

Thanks a lot!

A

[MichelleHomes · Accepted solution]

Hi Adam,

Welcome to the SAS Visual Analytics community and using SAS Visual Analytics.

To answer your question in terms of the excel data file structure. It is as you describe. Have your columns as the measures/dimensions you wish to analyze/report on and each row being for a point in time for the entity or thing you want to analyze. When you use the import process, the columns are known as data items. You can find more about the import process at SAS(R) Visual Analytics 7.1: User's Guide

I would strongly encourage for you to spend some time looking at the SAS Visual Analytics document for the version of software you have installed. You can access the documentation at SAS Visual Analytics Documentation. There are also free videos that may guide you to at SAS Visual Analytics: Tutorial Library. If you expand, SAS Visual Data Builder, there is a video Access Data Load and Import Tables. This may be of interest. ( - I noticed that the links to each of the SAS Visual Analytics: Tutorial Library videos are invalid, can you please look into this?)

You may want to also look at the following blog posts that provide some advice/tips on data preparation for SAS Visual Analytics: http://blogs.sas.com/content/sascom/2014/12/05/data-visualization-first-prepare-your-data/

A sample of a data file with some troubleshooting tips can be found in other discussion threads if you search for Excel in the VA community. Here is an example,

Let us know how you go.

Kind Regards,

Michelle

[AdamJ]

Hi Michelle,

awesome! Thanks a lot, very helpful

A

[MichelleHomes]

Hi Adam,

My pleasure. This community, the SAS VA user guide are both very useful and you may also want to consider attending the SAS Training in the United States -- SAS Visual Analytics: Fast Track course. I teach this course for SAS Education Australia and find that attendees are extremely productive after spending a few days with focused attention learning the various components, visualizations and report objects and is consolidated in the case study.

Kind Regards,

Michelle

[AnnaBrown]

Indeed, welcome to the community, Adam, and to using SAS Visual Analytics!

Thanks for your assistance here, Michelle. We're looking into that page. However you can access the tutorial videos right now here: http://support.sas.com/training/tutorial/va71

Anna