Guide

How to Compare and Plot Two Flat Files (CSV/Excel) Online

A common task in data analysis is comparing two different datasets side-by-side. Maybe you want to compare this month's sales to last month's, or analyze sensor data from two different experiments.

Doing this in Excel can be a headache of copying, pasting, and manually aligning rows. With DataPlotter, you can simply overlay data from different files in a few clicks.

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Step 1: Upload Both Files

First, you need to get both datasets into the tool. You have two options:

• Individual Upload: Drag and drop your first CSV/Excel file, then do the same for the second one.
• Folder Upload: Put both files in a folder and use the Folder Icon to upload the entire directory at once.

Step 2: Plot the First File

Once your files are uploaded:

1. Go to the File Source dropdown menu.
2. Select your first file (e.g., Sales_January.csv).
3. Configure your X and Y axes as usual.
4. Click the Plot button.

Now your first line or bar is visible on the chart.

Step 3: Add the Second File (The Comparison)

This is where the magic happens. To add the second file to the same chart:

1. Go back to the File Source dropdown.
2. Switch to your second file (e.g., Sales_February.csv).
3. Select the columns you want to compare (e.g., the same "Revenue" column).
4. CRITICAL: Do not click "Plot." Instead, click the Add to Plot button.

Step 4: Style Your Trace

To make the comparison clear, you'll want to distinguish the two files visually:

• Expand the Customization Panel.
• Look for the Trace Style section.
• Change the Name of each trace (e.g., "January" vs "February").
• Adjust the Color so they don't look the same.

Your chart now clearly compares two different files side-by-side!

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