Data layout
Unpivot
Turning several columns into rows, so that column headings become values in one column and the cell values go into another.
- Data layout
Definition
Turning several columns into rows, so that column headings become values in one column and the cell values go into another. It is the reverse of a pivot.
Example
ILLUSTRATION using real Raket Parts B.V. totals. A spreadsheet with one row per segment and columns Q1, Q2 and Q3 (for example Industrial: 1,130,254 | 1,562,016 | 1,323,844) becomes three rows: Industrial, Q1, 1,130,254; Industrial, Q2, 1,562,016; Industrial, Q3, 1,323,844. Now a new quarter is a new row, not a new column, and charts and joins work.
Raket Parts B.V. is a fictional company created for Insyt.
For your role
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Why it matters
Data laid out for people to read is often wide; most tools need it long. Unpivoting is one of the most common cleaning steps.
Where it is used
Data preparation in spreadsheets, BI tools and Python. Used by data analysts, BI developers and finance analysts.