Data file discovery, visualization, and importing

摘要

Various data source locations storing files can be accessed and/or crawled. At each location, files can be identified. These files can be analyzed to obtain attributes characterizing such file. Thereafter, a visualization can be generated in a graphical user interface that takes the form of data map that characterizes the identified files along two or more dimensions, with each dimension being based on a different attribute of the file. For example, the vertical dimension can be based on a number of columns and the horizontal dimension can be based on a number of rows. The graphical user interface can include graphical user interface elements associated with each identified file. These elements, when activated, can cause complementary information characterizing the corresponding identified file to be displayed. The elements can then be used to import or otherwise utilize one of the identified files into an application (such as a spreadsheet software application.

主权项

1. A method for implementation by one or more data processors forming part of at least one computing system, the method comprising:
accessing or crawling, by at least one data processor, data source locations available to a user to identify files comprising data; analyzing, by at least one data processor, each identified file to obtain attributes characterizing the file; generating, by at least one data processor in a graphical user interface, a data map characterizing the identified files along at least two dimensions, a first dimension being based on a first attribute of the corresponding identified file, a second dimension being based on a second attribute of the corresponding identified file, each identified file having a corresponding graphical user interface element, wherein the first attribute comprise a number of rows of a corresponding table and the second attribute comprises a number of columns of the corresponding table; receiving, by at least one data processor, user-generated input activating one of the graphical user interface elements with a corresponding identified file; and initiating, by at least one data processor, importation of the identified file corresponding to the activated graphical user interface element into an application; wherein at least one identified file is individually parsed into two or more components, the attributes are obtained for each component and each component has a different corresponding graphical user interface element within the data map.