"Uploading and using Excel file in Rapidanalytics"

mdc
mdc New Altair Community Member
edited November 5 in Community Q&A
Hi,

I am testing Rapidanalytics and find it very convenient. I see some minor problems with rendering in Chrome and IE, but it could be just my installation problem.

My question: Is there a way to use an Excel file (from the client side) as the data source? I can upload the Excel file but it is converted to a blob format, which I don't think (I tried every possible way I could think of) could be used in the process. Is this a limitation to the opensource version?

thanks,
Matthew
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Answers

  • fischer
    fischer New Altair Community Member
    Hi,

    uploading Excel files in the Web frontend does not make sense, at least not without a Web-based import wizard. Why don't you use the RapidMiner import wizard to upload to RA?

    Best,
    Simon
  • mdc
    mdc New Altair Community Member

    Hi Simon,

    I guess I will have to use RA's import wizard then.

    The reason for wanting an Excel input is that I am trying to save myself from doing an extra step, which is the import process using RM. I have a process that does scoring only and I don't really need the input data to be in the repository afterwards.

    thanks,
    Matthew
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Hello

    Although I hate to say it, one of the cool things about Microsoft's SQL Server Analysis Services is the tight integration between it and Excel.

    If you have a worksheet open in Excel, a "Data Mining" menu appears and there are buttons that allow you to "Cluster", "Estimate", "Classify", "Associate" and so on.

    Here's a link http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/9/D/69D1FEA7-5B42-437A-B3BA-A4AD13E34EF6/SQL2008PredictAnalysis.docx to an overview - there's a picture on page 5.

    I have used Microsoft's product a lot and it is nowhere near as powerful as RapidMiner. However, if users get used to a particular way of working there can often be resistance to the path of true enlightenment.

    Andrew
  • fischer
    fischer New Altair Community Member
    Hi,

    SQL Server is as tightly integrated with Excel as RapidAnalytics is with RapidMiner :-)

    Even more: RapidMiner does have an import wizard for Excel files --  no process needed. You need an import Wizard anyway, why would you want it Web based? Does SQL Server have a Web interface for uploading Excel files?

    I agree that such a Web-based wizard would be nice, but I think for analysts who use it together with RM anyway, it's rather useless. It may be relevant for people who use only the Web interface, e.g. for looking at reports. I believe there will be something like this in the future, though I'm not absolutely certain what the application will be exactly.

    Best,
    Simon
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Hello

    The thing about Excel and SQL Server is that a toolbar appears in Excel that lets you use some features of SQL Server Analysis Services so it means that an Excel user doesn't have to leave the comfort and safety of their favourite tool. Behind the scenes, the SQL Server database could be somewhere else and it all happens invisibly.

    I'm not saying SQL Server Analysis Services is more powerful - it definately isn't. The point is that if you want to reach more users and "get them early" then if you can find a way to allow them to get some basic data mining value from RapidMiner without leaving Excel then you might find it would lead some to become power RapidMiner users (and buyers).

    regards

    Andrew

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