4.6.3 Reduce Columns

Origin has a tool for reducing data by deleting or merging worksheet columns. Works on all or partial columns of the worksheet and reduces worksheet columns by deleting or statistically merging.


To open this dialog box:

  1. Activate the workbook.
  2. Click Worksheet: Reduce Columns... and open the wreducecols dialog box, which utilizes the wreducecols x-function.

Dialog Options

Recalculate

Controls recalculation of results

  • None
  • Auto
  • Manual

For more information, see: Recalculating Analysis Results

Input Worksheet

Select the worksheet to be reduce. See also: How to specify your input data

Reduce Method
  • Delete N columns, then skip M columns
Delete N columns, then skip M columns
  • Reduce N columns with merged values
Merge every N data points into one data point. The replace data point after merge is calculated by the method specified in Merge by options.
  • Merge by Column Labels
Merge columns with the same column label row into one. The replace value after merge is calculated by the method specified in Merge by options. The column label row is specified in Label Row option.
Label Row

Available only when Merge by Column Labels is selected for Reduce Method. Slect the desired column label row from the drop-down list.

Merge/Delete Columns

Specify how many columns to delete when Reduce Method is set to Delete N columns, then skip M columns, or how many columns to merge when Reduce Method is set to Reduce N columns with merged values.

Skip Columns

Only available when Reduce Method is set to Delete N columns, then skip M columns. Specify how many columns to skip.

Merge by

Available when Reduce Method is set to Reduce N columns with merged values or Merge by Column Label. Specify value to replace merged data points.

  • First Point
Replace every N data points with the value of the first merged point.
  • Last Point
Replace every N data points with the value of the last merged point.
  • Average
Replace every N data points with the average of the merged points.
  • Min
Replace every N data points with the minimum value of the merged points.
  • Max
Replace every N data points with the maximum value of the merged points.
  • Sum
Replace every N data points with the sum of the merged points.
  • SD
Replace every N data points with the standard derivation of the merged points.
  • Median
Replace every N data points with the median of the merged points.
  • Custom
Specify quantities in the Custom control below.
Custom

Choose quantities from the flyout menu or enter desired quantities directly. Multiple quantities should be space-separated (e.g. "ave sd" for average and standard deviation). Each quantity will be output to a separate column and indentified by Merge by column label.

Starting Column to Delete/Merge

The starting column to merge/delete.

Output Worksheet

Specify output worksheet. The output columns are labeled with Merge by quantity.

For help with the range controls, see: Output Results