The Data Transformer - Cleaning Up Data in the Browser

JULY 31, 2012

This a brief post to announce an alpha prototype version of the Data Transformer, an app to let you clean up data in the browser using javascript:

http://transformer.datahub.io/

2m overview video:

What does this app do?

  1. You load a CSV file from github (fixed at the moment but soon to be customizable)
  2. You write simple javascript to edit this file (uses ReclineJS transform and grid views + CSV backends – here’s the original ReclineJS transform demo)
  3. You save this updated file back to github (via oauth login - this utilizes Michael’s great work in Prose!)

This prototype was hacked together in an afternoon a couple of weeks ago when I was fortunate enough to spend an an afternoon with Michael Aufreiter, Chris Herwig, Mike Morris and others at the Development Seed offices. It builds on ReclineJS + oauth / github connectors borrowed from Prose.

It’s part of an ongoing plan to create a “Data Orchestra” of lightweight data services that can play nicely together with each other and connect to things like the DataHub (or GitHub …): http://notebook.okfn.org/2012/06/22/datahub-small-pieces-loosely-joined/