ExploreMyDataGuides and engineering write-ups on working with awkward data files.https://exploremydata.com/2026-09-03T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamCopyright ExploreMyDataExploreMyData feed generatorConverting 100 MB in a static page without a serverhttps://exploremydata.com/engineering/converting-100mb-in-a-static-page2026-09-03T00:00:00Z2026-09-03T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamThirty-nine converters, each a static HTML file with no framework. Where the size cap comes from, and the bundling bug that only broke in production.A chart palette you can validate by machinehttps://exploremydata.com/engineering/cvd-safe-chart-palette2026-09-03T00:00:00Z2026-09-03T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamEight hues, two modes, and a separation floor a script checks rather than an eye. Why the order of the palette is itself the safety mechanism.How a detached ArrayBuffer rewrote our file loaderhttps://exploremydata.com/engineering/duckdb-wasm-buffer-detachment2026-09-03T00:00:00Z2026-09-03T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamregisterFileBuffer transfers your bytes to a worker and detaches them. That one fact rewrote our CSV loader, its decode order and its rescue chain.Finding tables in PDFs without a serverhttps://exploremydata.com/engineering/pdf-tables-lattice-stream-ocr2026-09-03T00:00:00Z2026-09-03T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamA PDF has no tables in it, only text at coordinates and lines on a page. Three passes that reconstruct a table anyway, and the tolerances that decide it.A rebuildable pipeline: every step is SQLhttps://exploremydata.com/engineering/rebuildable-pipeline2026-09-03T00:00:00Z2026-09-03T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamForty operations that each emit SQL, chained as views and rebuilt from scratch on every change. Why the stored SQL is a cache, not the source of truth.Convert a Bank Statement PDF to CSV or Excelhttps://exploremydata.com/blog/workflows/bank-statement-pdf-to-csv2026-08-02T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamTurn a bank statement PDF into a clean CSV or Excel file in your browser. Works with multi-page and scanned statements. Nothing gets uploaded.Exporting Data as a Self-Contained HTML Tablehttps://exploremydata.com/blog/advanced/export-html-table2026-04-03T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamExport your data as a single HTML file with a styled, responsive table. Opens in any browser with zero dependencies. Supports dark mode.How to Extract Tables from a PDF, Step by Stephttps://exploremydata.com/blog/advanced/extract-tables-from-pdf2026-04-03T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamA step-by-step walkthrough for pulling tables out of a PDF: ruled and borderless layouts, multi-page reports, and scanned pages that need OCR.Grouping and Aggregating Data: A Practical Guidehttps://exploremydata.com/blog/advanced/group-aggregate-guide2026-04-03T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamHow to use the Group and Aggregate operation to compute SUM, AVG, COUNT, and other aggregates across grouped rows. No SQL required.Working with XML Data: Import, Explore, and Converthttps://exploremydata.com/blog/advanced/import-xml-data2026-04-03T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamImport XML files from RSS feeds, SOAP APIs, and enterprise exports. ExploreMyData flattens XML into a table you can filter, transform, and export as CSV or JSON.Creating Charts and Visualizations from CSV Datahttps://exploremydata.com/blog/exploring/create-charts-from-csv2026-04-03T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamBuild bar charts, line charts, and grouped visualizations from CSV data directly in your browser. Pick columns, choose aggregations, and see results instantly.Converting PDF Invoices to a Clean Spreadsheethttps://exploremydata.com/blog/workflows/pdf-invoice-to-spreadsheet2026-04-03T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamExtract line items from PDF invoices, fix column names and types, compute totals, and export as Excel. All in the browser, no upload required.Summarizing Sales Data by Region and Product Categoryhttps://exploremydata.com/blog/workflows/summarize-sales-by-region2026-04-03T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamFilter, group, and aggregate a CSV of order data into a summary by region and product category. Export the result as Excel.Using AI to Generate SQL Queries for Your Datahttps://exploremydata.com/blog/advanced/ai-sql-generation2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamDescribe what you want in plain English and get DuckDB SQL back. Use AI to build filters, expressions, and full queries.Building Complex Filters with AND, OR, and NOThttps://exploremydata.com/blog/advanced/complex-filter-conditions2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamBuild multi-condition filters using the visual condition builder - combine AND/OR logic, nesting, and type-specific operators.CSV, Parquet, JSON or Excel: Which Format to Usehttps://exploremydata.com/blog/advanced/convert-csv-parquet2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamHow the four common table formats compare on size, speed, type safety, and who can open them, plus which one to reach for in each situation.Analyzing Data Across Multiple Fileshttps://exploremydata.com/blog/advanced/cross-file-analysis2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamLoad orders, customers, and products as separate tabs, chain left joins, then group the combined result for revenue by tier and category, all in the browser.DuckDB SQL Cheatsheet for CSV Analysishttps://exploremydata.com/blog/advanced/duckdb-sql-cheatsheet2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamQuick reference for the DuckDB SQL syntax available in ExploreMyData - aggregations, window functions, string functions, date functions, and more.Building a Multi-Step Data Pipelinehttps://exploremydata.com/blog/advanced/multi-step-pipeline2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamChain five or more operations into a reproducible pipeline: edit any step, delete it, and read the SQL each one generates.Using Multiple Views to Compare Transformationshttps://exploremydata.com/blog/advanced/multi-view-tabs2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamCreate parallel analysis branches on the same data without losing your current pipeline. Compare different transformations side by side.Finding the Nth Largest or Smallest Valueshttps://exploremydata.com/blog/advanced/nth-largest-smallest2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamThe Smallest and Largest operations add the Nth value as a constant column, so you can filter to the top 10 by revenue without hardcoding a threshold.Using Regex to Extract Patterns from Texthttps://exploremydata.com/blog/advanced/regex-extract-patterns2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamExtract Text in regex mode returns the whole match, Regex Capture returns a group. Patterns for zip codes, invoice numbers, emails, and dollar amounts.Window Functions Without Writing SQL: A Visual Guidehttps://exploremydata.com/blog/advanced/window-functions-explained2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamROW_NUMBER, RANK, DENSE_RANK, running totals, LAG and LEAD explained with worked tables and no SQL to write, plus the direction switch that flips results.Converting "$1,234.56" Strings to Actual Numbershttps://exploremydata.com/blog/cleaning/convert-currency-strings2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamConvert Type strips dollar signs and commas and reads parentheses as negative, so prices become real numbers you can sum, average, sort and filter.Finding Near-Duplicate Rows in Your Datahttps://exploremydata.com/blog/cleaning/deduplicate-fuzzy-matches2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamFind and merge near-duplicate records where names differ by case, spacing, or abbreviations using text normalization and Remove Duplicates.Extracting Email Domains to Identify Company Accountshttps://exploremydata.com/blog/cleaning/extract-email-domains2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamPull the domain from email addresses to identify which companies your users belong to. Extract everything after the @ symbol in seconds.Filling Missing Category Labels Using Forward Fillhttps://exploremydata.com/blog/cleaning/fill-missing-categories2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamFix report data where category names only appear on the first row of each group, leaving the rest blank. Use forward fill to propagate values down.Converting Yes/No/True/False/1/0 to a Consistent Booleanhttps://exploremydata.com/blog/cleaning/fix-boolean-columns2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamCollapse Yes, Y, TRUE and 1 into one value with Bulk Replace, then optionally cast to a real BOOLEAN with a SQL step, and check for values you missed.Fixing Dates When Your CSV Has Three Different Formatshttps://exploremydata.com/blog/cleaning/fix-dates-multiple-formats2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamFix a date column with mixed formats - MM/DD/YYYY, Jan 15 2024, and 2024-01-15 - into one consistent date type using ExploreMyData.Fixing Messy Phone Number Formats in Your Datahttps://exploremydata.com/blog/cleaning/fix-phone-numbers2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamStandardize phone numbers in 8+ formats - (555) 123-4567, 555.123.4567, +1-555-123-4567 - into one consistent format using ExploreMyData.A Complete Guide to Handling NULL and Empty Valueshttps://exploremydata.com/blog/cleaning/handle-null-values2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamUnderstand the difference between NULL, empty strings, "N/A", and "null" in your data, and learn how to handle each one consistently.How to Remove Test Data and Junk Rows from a CSVhttps://exploremydata.com/blog/cleaning/remove-test-rows2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamFilter out test rows, placeholder data, and zero-value entries from CSV exports using ExploreMyData's condition builder.Splitting a Full Address into Street, City, State, Ziphttps://exploremydata.com/blog/cleaning/split-address-fields2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamBreak apart single-column addresses like "123 Main St, Springfield, IL 62701" into separate street, city, state, and zip columns.How to Standardize Inconsistent Company Names in a CSVhttps://exploremydata.com/blog/cleaning/standardize-company-names2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamFix inconsistent company names like "IBM", "I.B.M.", and "International Business Machines" in your CSV using Find & Replace, Bulk Replace, and Text Transform.Checking Date Ranges and Gaps in Time Series Datahttps://exploremydata.com/blog/exploring/check-date-ranges2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamVerify your data covers the expected date range, find missing months, and spot unexpected gaps using the date column explorer.Comparing Two Versions of the Same Data Filehttps://exploremydata.com/blog/exploring/compare-two-files2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamFind what changed between two exports of the same data using a FULL JOIN and null checks. Spot new rows, deleted rows, and changed values.Understanding Category Distributions in Your Datahttps://exploremydata.com/blog/exploring/distribution-categorical2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamSee how many records fall into each category, find dominant groups, and spot rare values using the categorical column explorer.Finding Patterns in Missing Datahttps://exploremydata.com/blog/exploring/find-missing-data-patterns2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamDiscover which columns have the most NULL values and whether missing data follows a pattern - by date, category, or source.How to Find Outliers in Numeric Data Without Codehttps://exploremydata.com/blog/exploring/find-outliers-numeric2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamSpot suspicious values in revenue, quantity, or price columns using histograms, top/bottom filters, and the numeric column explorer.What to Do First When You Open a New CSV Filehttps://exploremydata.com/blog/exploring/first-look-at-csv2026-03-24T00:00:00Z2026-08-15T00:00:00ZArif Aslamhttps://exploremydata.com/authors/arif-aslamA systematic approach to understanding an unfamiliar data file. Check row counts, column types, distributions, and data quality in under 5 minutes.