Table

The table format is useful where your values don't vary over time, i.e. it is more of a static database of information.

The table format consists of:

• The top row represents the category name or variable name
• Each row below the top row represents a single category item
• The first column must contain the primary category. Additional columns will contain mapped categories, unmapped categories, or variables:

1. Mapped Categories: The first row must have the name of the category being mapped from and the name of the category being mapped to, in the following format: [from category] > [to category]
   • The arrow (">") is important - it's how Causal distinguishes between a normal category column, and a category mapping column! This is equivalent to linking categories in Causal, except that you cannot modify the link from within Causal in this case.
   • Each row contains the "mapped" category
2. Unmapped Categories: The first row will contain the name of the category and each row contains a category item.
   • It is rare that you will use unmapped -- or nested -- categories in the table format
3. Variables: The first row will contain the name of the variable and all subsequent rows will contain the values, whether it's a date or a number, for the associated category item.
   • You do not need to include a > in a variable column!

In our example snip above:

• Name is the primary category
• Each name is mapped to a team category, which is why the format name > team is used, and the rows show how the Name maps to a Team, e.g. Kevin is in the Engineering team
• start date [date], salary, and bonus are all variables, so they don't need a >