Ottava offers a key benefit: the ability to easily visualize complex data sets. With Ottava, you can effortlessly manipulate and analyze multi-dimensional data without the hassle of complicated transformations into tabular formats.

Here, we're excited to announce a highly anticipated feature to make the process even easier for you: the ability to seamlessly copy multi-dimensional data from Excel or Google Sheets and paste it directly into Ottava. The data you paste will be automatically reconstructed to fit the needs. This functionality streamlines the process, offering a more efficient solution for a variety of use cases. Let's explore the highlight of this update: the copy/paste feature.

Harness Smart Copy/Paste

This feature is intuitive—simply copy the multi-dimensional data from your spreadsheet, select the entire Pivot Grid by selecting the radio button on the top-right corner, and paste as you would in Spreadsheets. The data will automatically adjust to fit the Pivot Grid's structure, and you can instantly view the recommended charts on the fly.

Below, you'll find a video presenting the data from the financial report of the condensed consolidated statements of income for Nvidia for the years 2022 and 2023, integrated into Ottava.

Partial Copy/Paste

Additionally, Ottava supports smart partial pasting. Select only the necessary data from your sheet, focus on the desired starting point in Pivot Grid, and paste. The selected data will seamlessly integrate to fit the data structure according to the section of the selected starting cell.

And let's it! You're now equipped to enjoy this feature!

Dig Smart Copy/Paste Deeper

If you're eager for a deeper understanding, here we'll take a quick look at the underlying data structure in Ottava Pivot Grid that influences how this feature operates.

Pivot Grid's data structure consists of three main components: row headers, column headers, and values.

Adapting to this structure allows for a wide range of analyses on multi-dimensional data, with some key restrictions:

1. Within the same parent group, duplicate child group names are not allowed.
2. Blank group names are not permitted.

On pasting, the data will be adjusted to accommodate the two restrictions mentioned above. Firstly, if any group name is repeated within the same parent group, it will be automatically renamed with a "(1)" appended at the end. If a second repetition occurs, it will be further renamed with a "(2)" suffix.

Secondly, as blank group names are not permitted, they will be designated as "(Blank)", "(Blank) (1)", and so on. We recommend renaming these blank groups to enhance the clarity of data analysis.

But what if the pasted data don't align perfectly with the current Pivot Grid structure?

Not to worry! Our solution ensures that the existing structure remains unchanged. If the group exists, it will be renamed. If the group does not exist, a new one will be inserted. If the existing group is not included in the pasted structure, it will be left untouched. We believe it's safer to let you decide whether to delete these groups rather than deleting them automatically.

Here's an example:

The new copy/paste feature in Ottava represents a leap forward in data importing. Seamlessly integrating multi-dimensional data from Spreadsheets into Pivot Grid streamlines workflow and enhances efficiency across various use cases. We're excited to hear your thoughts and experiences as you explore this feature. Your feedback is invaluable as we work to make Ottava even better suited to your needs.