How to Import Your Data from a File

You can import Excel, .csv, .json, .txt, and SAS data files from your local machine.

To import your data from a file

1. Open the blank dashboard you created in Create a Dashboard.
2. Choose Add Data > New Data.
3. Click File From Disk.
4. Click Choose files.
5. Navigate to and select the file(s) to import.

6. Click Prepare Data.

   If the file is an Excel workbook with more than one worksheet of data, the Select Worksheets dialog opens. Select the worksheets to import and click Select.

   If the tables on each Excel worksheet have the same set of objects, the Partitioned Tables dialog opens. Click Yes to group the data in a single table or No to keep them in separate worksheets.

   The Preview Dialog opens. The system converts each file to a separate table. The top pane contains a table view, while the bottom pane contains a view of the data in the selected table. MicroStrategy Workstation uses the first row of data as headers for the columns. These column headers appear as the names of the metrics and attributes that you define. A metric () is a business measure or key performance indicator (that is, Revenue, Profit, Employee Headcount, Probability of Purchase, etc.). An attribute () is a business concept (that is, Product, Employee, Month, etc.). Attributes provide content for metrics.

7. In the top pane, select the drop-down arrow next to a table name and choose Parse. The Parse Your Data Dialog opens.
8. Confirm the Tabular radio button is selected. MicroStrategy Workstation assumes your data is stored in a simple tabular layout by default.
9. If the data in the import file does not include column headers for the data columns, select the Insert new column headers checkbox. A default column header appears for each data column. You can rename the new column headers on the Preview dialog.
10. Click Apply.
11. On the Preview dialog, right-click a column name and choose Rename to rename it.
12. Right-click a column name and choose Convert to Metric or Convert to Attribute to change either an attribute to a metric or a metric to an attribute.
13. If your data contains different forms of the same attribute in separate columns, you can create a multi-form attribute to combine the forms into a single attribute. Press and hold the Ctrl key to select multiple columns in the top pane, right-click, and select Create Multi-form Attribute.
14. Right-click a column name and choose Change Data Type to change the data type to one of the menu options (for example, Phone Number, Email, Date, Time, etc.).
15. Right-click a column name and choose Define Geography to assign a geographic role using one of the menu options (for example, Latitude, Longitude, City, etc.).
16. Right-click a column name and choose Do Not Import to remove it from the import.
17. Click Finish.

Related Topics

Preview Data and Specify Import Options

Introduction to Attributes

How to Create Multi-Form Attributes

Assign Geo Roles for Map Visualizations During Import