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Uploading data files

Variable values can be imported from text files, Microsoft Excel documents, and OpenOffice/LibreOffice spreadsheets.

Transferring data from a file to a variable’s value is a 2-step process:

  1. Upload a file
  2. Assign a row or column of data to the variable

Note

CSV files (Comma Separated Values), a special type of text file that can be written by many applications, are also supported. Note that you’re not just limited to comma-separated data; semicolons, tabs, etc. will work just as well.

Uploading a file

  1. Click on the Upload data file tab at the bottom of the Solver. (See screenshot below)
  2. In the panel that slides up, click on the button at the bottom of the Uploads panel
  3. Select a file from your computer
  4. Click on the button at the bottom right of the file upload panel
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CSV file upload panel showing the choose file and upload buttons
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Upload panel showing 1 uploaded file named data.csv

Note

Any files you upload will be deleted from our server if you log out or do not use them for several hours

Assigning a row or column of data to a variable

  1. In the Solver, find the variable you want to assign the file data to and click on it

  2. Select the file you uploaded (from the steps above)

  3. Select whether you want to use a column or row (line) of data from the file

    • The data file is parsed into a grid of data made up of columns (vertical) and rows (horizontal), similar to a spreadsheet.

  4. Find the line or column number that has the data you want to use for the variable, and enter it into the text box

    • The 1st value in the file, i.e. at the upper left-hand corner, is on row 1, column 1

  5. Make any adjustments to the file layout settings, as described below

  6. Press the button

The variable’s value field will then be updated with the new data.

selected file
Upload panel after selecting the variable T|avg and the file named data.csv

Advanced file layout settings

The server will do its best to figure out the layout of the data in your file.

For text files, it will guess which field separator is in use for the file (comma, semicolon, etc), as well as attempting to deduce the format of the numbers, whether it be continental European-style commas for the decimal mark, or the period used in most English-speaking countries.

You can see the server’s guesses on the right-hand side of the file upload panel.

If any of this information is wrong, correct it before pressing the button.

selected file
A semicolon will be used as the field separator for the uploaded text file data.csv. The decimal mark is a period, and the thousands separator a comma
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