Removing a data source from a data table

If your data table was built on data from more than one data source (by addition of columns or rows), you can remove data sources from the data table as they become obsolete. This is done in the data canvas.

You can remove most data sources (not sources in top-level embedded data tables, sources added before frozen nodes, or when remaining nodes contain no data). However, you cannot remove all data sources in the data table. Instead, you can remove the entire data table.

Prerequisites

You must have some data loaded in the analysis and the analysis must be in Editing mode.

Procedure

  1. On the authoring bar, click Data canvas .
  2. Make sure the data table of interest is selected in the upper-left drop-down list.
    This step is only applicable if you have two or more data tables in the analysis.
  3. In the data canvas, hover with the mouse pointer over the data source node or the add rows/columns node that you want to remove.
    An icon with a trash can is shown at the upper left corner of the node.

    Hovering with the mouse pointer over the icon before clicking it will show you an animation of what will be removed from the data table; for example, a data source and the add rows operation it belonged to.

  4. Click on .
    A confirmation message is shown.
  5. Click OK.

Result

The data source and any related add columns or add rows operations are removed from the data table. Note that you may end up with a different set of columns than you had before when you change the structure of the data.

If a data source with transformations on the source node itself is removed, then the transformations will be discarded. Transformations on an Added rows node or on an Added columns node will be transferred to the nearest remaining node. If desired, you can always remove any remaining transformations at a later stage, see Removing operations in the data canvas.