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Source Data Formats¶

Every analysis tool reads its data from an Excel range through the same two steps: the Data Selection dialog, then the tool's own Data tab. This page explains both, and how Quantum XL interprets what it reads.

Step 1: The Data Selection dialog¶

When you launch a tool, the Data Selection dialog opens first. If you had a range selected in Excel, it is filled in as the starting point; otherwise pick the range here.

Selected Range: type a range or select it in the worksheet. Selecting an entire column or sheet is fine; Quantum XL trims to the used cells.
Data Orientation:
- Data in Columns (default): each column is a dataset, one observation per row
- Data in Rows: each row is a dataset, one observation per column
- One Group Data: the whole range is a single dataset; a Dataset Name box appears (default "Dataset")
First Row/Column is Header (checked by default): the first row (or first column, for data in rows) supplies the dataset names. Unchecked, names are generated ("Col A", "Col B", ... or "Row 1", "Row 2", ...).
Exclude Data in Hidden Cells (checked by default): hidden rows and columns are left out of the analysis.

Click Next to continue to the tool's dialog.

Step 2: The tool's Data tab¶

Each tool's dialog opens on a Data tab built from the same parts (individual tools hide the parts they do not support):

Excel / GroupBy: analyze the datasets as selected, or switch to GroupBy mode to split one data column by the values of grouping columns
Data Types: every column gets a detected type: Continuous, Nominal, DateTime, Count, or Integer. A dropdown per column lets you reclassify if the detection is wrong; the tool's column lists re-filter accordingly.
Data Columns: which datasets to analyze. Each tool allows only the types that make sense for it; see the tool's Preparing Your Data page.
Frequency Data (Optional): on tools that support it, a column whose values act as repeat counts
Overlay Datasets on a Single Chart: on tools that support it, combines the selected datasets into one chart
Clicking any column shows a summary line: its type, row counts, empty and invalid cells, and min/max values.

A column can play only one role at a time; picking it in one list disables it in the others.

GroupBy data¶

In GroupBy mode you choose grouping columns and their order; Quantum XL produces one analysis per unique group value (or combination, when several grouping columns are used, joined like "Plant1|2024-03").

A DateTime grouping column also gets a time bucket: Year, Month, Week, Day, Hour, Minute, or Second
A column with more than 100 unique values cannot be a grouping column (it would create more than 100 charts)

How cells are interpreted¶

Empty cells, cells containing only spaces, and Excel error values (#N/A, #DIV/0!, ...) count as empty and are excluded from calculations
A column's type is detected from the majority of its non-empty cells; use the Data Types dropdown to override
Columns that are entirely empty are dropped
Dates keep their date value (they are not converted to text)

Data Template¶

QXL Stat Tools > Data Template > Create Data Template builds a pre-structured worksheet for collecting data and running analyses from it. It runs the previous version's code and its help has not been rewritten for v18.