Easy Data Transform v1.29.0 released
Easy Data Transform v1.29.0 is now available for Windows and Mac. Improvements include:
- Fixed an issue with column-related options not being correctly updated when columns were added or deleted upstream of a Reorder Cols transform.
- A simple summary of data values selected in the Data table is now shown in the Status bar.
- There is now an expand button in the Right pane for Javascript and Substitute transforms.
- Fixed an issue related to importing Excel datetimes.
Find out more and download the new release from the release page:
This is a free upgrade for everyone with a valid license. If you don’t yet have a license, you can buy one here.
Thanks to everyone who sent us bug reports and suggestions for improvements.
Column propagation
Transforms and outputs in Easy Data Transform reference columns ‘upstream’. As you change items, columns can be added, renamed, re-ordered or removed. These changes then have to be propogated ‘downstream’ through the addition, renaming, re-ordering and removal of any number of other columns. Getting this right has proved to be one of the toughest challenges in programming Easy Data Transform to date. This release fixes an issue that could occur when you made column changes upstream of a Rename Cols transform. This fixes all the column related propagation issues that we know about. If you spot any other issues related to this, please let us know. We can only fix bugs we know about!
Note that deleting a connection (e.g. between two transform items) deletes all column references downstream. So you should try to avoid doing that where you can. However you can:
- Add a transform between 2 existing items without breaking connections (select a connection and add a transform).
- Delete a transform between 2 existing items without breaking connections (select a transform to delete, without selecting any connections).
- Change the file an input item references without breaking connections (click on the browse button in the right pane).
It has been suggested by a few customers that an item might ‘remember’ the columns if referenced and try to restore these connections if disconnected and reconnected. This might work in some cases and we will try to look into this in future. But it is always going to be better not to delete connections, if you can avoid it.
And finally…
Brett Romero takes the unusal position that:
“from a creativity and challenge standpoint, it is often the cleaning and transforming parts of the job that are the most interesting parts of data science”
You can read his article here.
Andy Brice
Oryx Digital Ltd
23-May-2022