Excel ETL for New Experiments - materials-commons/materialscommons.org GitHub Wiki

There are three steps to using Excel files to build new experiments: preparation of the data and Excel file, uploading the file and data using Globus, and running the ETL command. If you have a smaller ETL file and are not interested in using including data files in your ETL, you can build the experiment description without the data by loading the excel file and doing the ETL in one step, through a drag and drop interface.

In either case, however, the excel spreadsheet needs to be formatted to describe the workflow processes of the experiment. This consists of setting up the spread sheet to describes the processes, chronologically arranged from left to right for each sample. That is, for each spreadsheet we assumes a linear sequence of processes that starts with a special process (called "create sample") called describing the source of the sample, and pertinent details about it "pre-experiment" preparation (for example, position with a larger sample, parameters of size, descriptions of shape, images, composition). Then there are the process(es) that define the (variable) ways in which the sample is transformed or manipulated, interspersed with and/or followed by measurements of sample properties (the results/data). Processes that alter the sample usually have parameters that describe how the sample was processed (for example, a Heat Treatment might have parameters describing the method of treatment: temperature profile, time, environment, quenching, etc.). And measurement process have parameters describing how the measurement was setup and measurement values (the results of the measurement). Of course, any process can include parameters and/or measurements, but the general flow from left to right will be: create, transform, measure, with the transform, measure steps being repeated. This preparation of the spreadsheet is described in a separate section.

Also, an introductory slide set is available on Google Docs: ETL with Globus and Excel