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Column Reference Syntax

Wrangle enables you to specify sets of columns using discrete values, ranges, and wildcards. This section describes the syntax associated with these various types of references.

Column references can fit into the following categories:

Category

Description

Single

A reference to a single column.

Multiple

References to multiple discrete columns.

All

A single reference to all columns in the dataset.

Range

References to a set of consecutive columns in the dataset.

Advanced

Any of the above categories or combinations of them.

The sections below describe how to specify the above categories of column references in raw Wrangle.

Single and Multiple Columns

You can specify single and multiple columns by inserting discrete references to the column name.

Single column:

Insert the column name in the Columns textbox:

myColumn

Example transformation:

Transformation Name

Move Columns

Parameter: Column(s)

Multiple

Parameter: Column

myColumn

Parameter: Option

Before

Parameter: Column

myFirstColumn

Multiple columns:

You can reference multiple discrete columns using comma-separated values:

myColumn, myOtherColumn

Example transformation:

Transformation Name

Move Columns

Parameter: Column(s)

Multiple

Parameter: Column

myColumn,myOtherColumn

Parameter: Option

Before

Parameter: Column

myFirstColumn

All Columns

If needed, you can specify all columns in the dataset using a wildcard. The asterisk character (*) is used to indicate all columns in the dataset:

*

Example transformation:

Transformation Name

Edit column with formula

Parameter: Column(s)

Advanced

Parameter: Column

*

Parameter: Formula

set col: * value: average(myCol)

The above transformation sets the values for all columns to be the AVERAGE value of the myCol column.

Column Ranges

You can use the tilde character (~) to express a range of columns between the start column and the end column, inclusive:

myStartColumn~myEndColumn

Note

If a transformation step is inserted before this one in which the location of one of the columns in the range is changed, then the columns represented by the specified range changes. If the column is no longer present, then this transformation step must be fixed.

Example transformation:

Transformation Name

Move Columns

Parameter: Column(s)

Advanced

Parameter: Column

myStartColumn~myEndColumn

Parameter: Option

Before

Parameter: Column

myFirstColumn

Advanced Column References

You can use advanced column references to express combinations of the above types of column reference categories.

myStartColumn~myEndColumn, thisColumn2, thisColumn3

The above example references:

  • The range of columns between myStartColumn and myEndColumn, inclusive

  • The thisColumn2 column

  • The thisColumn3 column

Example transformation:

Transformation Name

Edit column with formula

Parameter: Column(s)

Advanced

Parameter: Column

myStartColumn~myEndColumn, thisColumn2, thisColumn3

Parameter: Formula

POW($col,2)

For more information on the $col reference, see below.

Column Variable References

When you are applying a transformation step to multiple columns, you cannot reference each column as a parameter in any function in the transformation. Instead, you can insert a variable reference into the function. Below is an example column variable reference used as the input parameter for the SUM function:

SUM($col)

As the transformation is applied to each column in your column set, the $col reference is replaced with the name of the column.

For more information, see Source Metadata References.