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Spotfire Data

Data is represented as a set of tables in the DataManager. It is similar to a relational database, but is cached in memory and optimized for speed. Relations between tables are explicitly defined.

Overview

Data is loadad from a variety of external data sources, usually a file or a database. Data is saved, either embedded in a file or linked to the original data source. When a document is saved linking to data, the properties of the tables are saved. Derived properties are not stored in the file, but are recalculated when the file is opened.

See Data Management for a conceptual overview of data in Spotfire.

Tables

Spotfire represents data in tables. When data is loaded, one ore more tables exist.

• DataTable

Table relations

A relation associates rows in two tables with each other. It is used to propagate or map markings and filterings between the two tables. Relations can be added, edited and removed.

• DataRelation

Columns

Each column in a table has a name, a type and properties. Columns can be removed, new columns can be calculated from existing ones, and additional columns can be joined into the table from external data sources.

Columns can be indexed on distinct values. Such an index is the simplest form of a hierarchy, a one-level hierarchy in Spotfire. For a regular column the Hierarchy property returns a one-level index mapping of distinct values. The Levels property indicates the capacity for a multi-level DataHierarchy. Such a hierarchy is typically created from a list of columns, but a common case is also to turn a DateTime column into a hierarchy.

• DataColumn
• DataHierarchy

Rows

The actual data in a table is represented by data rows. A unique data value in a table is referenced by the intersection of a specific coloum and row. Rows can be added and removed.

• DataValueCursor
• GetRows
• RowValues

Code Examples

• Accessing Row Values
  Code example showing how to access the row values of one string and one integer column.
• Setting Binary Values on a DataValueCursor
  A data source or transformation creates binary data by populating a DataValueCursor.
• Looping Simple Type Columns
  Code example showing how to loop through all non-binary columns and add them to a table plot.
• Looping Binary Type Columns
  Code example showing how to loop through all binary columns, add them to a table plot, and set a renderer.
• Creating Binary Data
  This example shows how to create binary data by creating binary images.