Spec XML

Descriptions of fields and options in the Spec XML section of the Table Uploader.

When uploading a table, the Table Uploader analyzes the structure of a small sample of the input file and automatically generates a specification (.spec) file. The specification file defines the upload configuration for the table and is visible in the Spec XML section.

The code editor on the right side of the window displays the specification file in XML format. As you customize the upload configuration in the various sections of the Table Uploader, the specification file is updated to match. If necessary, you can also make changes directly to the specification file in the code editor before uploading the table.

You can save a specification file so it can be used again. Saving the specification file is helpful if you regularly upload files with the same data format.

Figure 1. Spec XML section in the Table Uploader
Sample size
Located on the left side of the window, this drop-down list allows you to adjust the sample size of the input data used to generate the specification file. If your dataset has a very large number of columns, it may be necessary to examine a larger sample to make sense of the data.
To change the sample size, click the Sample size drop-down list and chose a size from the list of options.
Note: Working with a larger sample will be slower.
Specfile
Located on the right side of the window, the Specfile code editor displays the specification (.spec) file for the table.

As necessary, you can edit the specification file directly in the code editor.

Re-Autospec
This button regenerates the specification file based on the data in the input file.

Click this button to remove any edits made to the a specification file either in the code editor or in the various sections of the Table Uploader. This button can also be used to change a loaded specification file to an automatically generated version.

Load
This button allows you to choose a previously saved specification file to configure the settings for the table.

This is helpful if you regularly add tables to the Insights Platform with the same data format. For example, if you upload weekly sales data, the specification file can automatically complete all of the configuration settings of the table for you.

Save
This button saves a copy of the specification file displayed in the code editor to your computer.

You can save your customized upload configuration in a specification file and use it to save time when uploading tables with the same data format in the future.

Apply Changes
This button applies the changes made to the specification file in the code editor.

For changes to take affect, you must apply them to the input file before uploading the table.