Multiple Variables are Stored in One Column

Tidy Data Rule(s) Broken: Each variable forms a column

Select the "multiple-variables" table from the left pane.

SPLIT BY DELIMITER:

1. Notice that the “Book” column includes both the title and the author? These are 2 different variables. In analysis you might want to do something like count the number of books an author has written.

2. Right click on the “Book” header. Hover over Split Column, then select By Delimiter…

3. In the Split Column by Delimiter window
   • [WINDOWS] click on the Select or enter delimiter option
     
   • [MAC] Use the drop-down-menu titled Separator
     and choose –Custom– from the drop-down menu.
4. You may have noticed that the title and author are separated using the word “by” in the “Book” column. This will be the delimiter. NOTE: if the variables are separated by any spaces, these should be included in the delimiter you use or else there will be white space which software will recognize as a character. Type in   by  (with a space on both sides) into the input box and select OK.

Click for Navigation help (all steps in the "split by delimiter" section)

RENAME HEADERS:

1. Rename the columns to be more descriptive by double clicking on them (eg. “Title” and “Author”)

Click for Navigation help

NEXT STEP: Variables in Rows and Columns

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