Starting from a data source

Analyst's Notebook supports data import from a number of sources. When you select the data source for your import, Analyst's Notebook examines the data and searches for compatible import specifications.

To locate files for import:
  1. Click the Home tab, and then click Import. A list of options is displayed in a drop-down menu.
    OptionDescription
    Import from File Opens the Select Data File to Import window.
    Import from Clipboard Opens the Clipboard Preview window and shows any text data on your clipboard.
    Import from Excel Spreadsheet Opens the Select Data File to Import window and shows any spreadsheet files.
  2. Select the option from the menu that describes the data you want to import.
    1. If you select a text file format such as .txt, the Select How to Import the File pane opens.
    2. If you select a spreadsheet file format such as .xls, the Select How to Import the File pane opens with an extra option to select a worksheet. If your spreadsheet contains only a single worksheet, that worksheet is selected automatically.
    3. If you want to select data from your clipboard, you need to copy the data to the clipboard. The Clipboard Preview window shows the contents of the clipboard. If the clipboard contains the correct data, click Continue.
    If Analyst's Notebook identifies any suitable specifications, they are listed in the Select How to Import the File window. A flag next to each specification indicates the quality of the match:
    No flag Column headers in the specification match column headers in the data source you are importing. You can use this specification to import the data in the same way that you imported previous data with this specification.
    No column headers are defined in the specification. The specification is a match for the data, based on a comparison between the format of the data in the first few rows of the file and the format that is expected by the specification.

    You can use this specification as a template to create a new specification. The new specification might not require any changes or only minor changes to be suitable for your data.
    There are incompatibilities between the data source and the specification. Successful import is not possible.
    Note: Specifications in this category are not listed unless you clear the List only specifications that match the import data check box.
  3. To use a specification that is listed to run the import, click Use existing specification, select the specification, then click OK.

    The application displays the Importing window to report on the progress of the import process. The window contains the following information:

    • The duration of the import process
    • An indication of whether the process was successful
    • A count of how many entities and links were created
  4. Optional: In the Importing window, click Save Report to save detailed information about the import process as an HTML file.
    Note: If you do not take this opportunity to save a report, you do not have a permanent record of the import process.
If your data is not compatible with an existing specification, you can import your data with a new specification or you can use an existing specification as a template.