Data Studio offers a number of ways to transform your data in various ways. You can either use:

  • a Function
  • the Transform step

Manipulate and configure your data.

This step allows you to add/remove various Functions and arrange or exclude columns.

Clicking the Columns row on any Transform Workflow step will open the panel where you can select the columns you want to work with.

Moving columns

Moving columns allows you to change the order in which they appear in the data. This can be done by selecting the columns and pressing the up/down arrow button next to the columns list.

Columns can also be moved by dragging them up/down the list.

Renaming columns

Rename a column by selecting the column and clicking Rename on the toolbar. You will then be presented with a modal box prompting you to enter the name and an optional summary.

If multiple columns are renamed at the same time, the modal box will provide you with an opportunity to apply a common prefix or suffix to the originating column name. Alternatively, you will be able to rename all columns individually.

Excluding columns

Select the columns you want to exclude and click Exclude in the toolbar. This can also be done by hovering over the column name and clicking the inline icon.

To make columns visible again, select the columns and click the Include button in the toolbar.

Transforming and creating columns

A column can be transformed by applying one or many Functions to it. These Functions range from a simple action, such as converting a column to uppercase, to more complex multiple column operations.
Whatever it may be, transforming a column can be done to create a new column or to change the data in an existing one.

Suggestions

Before applying any custom transformations, you can use the Suggest option to analyze the data being explored and return some recommended transformations based on its content.

Any of these suggestions can be applied to the data by checking their selection boxes and clicking Apply.

The transformation suggestions can also be created as new columns rather than replacing the original data, by checking New column? in the table and specifying a column name.

Applying a Function

  1. Select the columns
  2. Decide to transform the data in the existing columns, or create new ones for the results
    • To change existing columns click Existing column on the toolbar
    • To create new columns click New column on the toolbar
  3. Choose an existing Function from the list (these are grouped into expandable categories)
  4. After choosing your Function you will be presented with options to configure it
  5. Click Apply transformation to apply your Function to the columns

Creating an advanced Function

  1. Select the columns
  2. Click Existing column or New column (see Applying a Function above for more info)
  3. Click Create your own function
  4. Create a Function with as many Function steps as you like
  5. Click Apply to apply your Function to the columns

If the column already has a transformation Function applied you will first be prompted to choose whether to 'Append to existing functions' or 'Replace existing functions'.

Duplicating columns

Duplicating columns can be done by selecting the columns and clicking Duplicate on the toolbar. The duplicated column will be placed after the original column and will be renamed with the prefix 'Copy of '.

Editing a transformation

  1. Select the column that is already transformed
  2. Click Edit on the toolbar
  3. Either edit the options in the configuration form or start over with a completely new Function

Removing a transformation

To remove the Functions applied to columns, select them and click Delete on the toolbar.

You can only completely delete a created column rather than just remove the transformation, because created columns can't exist without a Function.