In the era of ‘big data’, the absolute quality of the data set is paramount for optimum value and decision-making.
It is crucial to correct inconsistencies and discrepancies in data to ensure the optimal usefulness and relevance of the data collected.
ASCII editors refer to text editors that are uniquely designed to create and modify files that contain only plain text. While these editors might seem archaic next to more multifaceted, feature-rich (and expensive) data processing tools, they offer a host of features that can streamline data cleansing and improve overall data quality.
Simplicity is often best.
UNDERSTANDING ASCII EDITORS
ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) is a standardised character encoding method that represents text in computers and other communication devices. An ASCII editor, therefore, is a useful bit of software that allows users to create and edit files using ASCII characters only. These can include everything from word documents to programming files. Vital for stripping formatting from a document.
DATA CLEANSING
One critical manner in which ASCII editors enhance data quality is through facilitating efficient data cleansing. Incorrect or inconsistent data entries, such as incorrect punctuation, capitalisation errors, or mismatches in formats, can often subtly compromise data quality. For example, stripping the formatting data from a MS Word document.
ASCII editors can find and correct these errors, allowing data analysts to ensure consistency and accuracy across the data set.
DATA TRANSFORMATION
ASCII editorial tools can easily transform data from one form to another. For example, data conversion is often required to feed into different software tools or databases that could work exclusively with a specific data type or file format.
ASCII editors are effective in this data transformation and can convert files into plain text documents without disrupting the contained data, ensuring both integrity and exchangeability.
DATA EXPLORATION
ASCII editors, such as the ubiquitous Notepad and Notepad+ allow specialists to study different data files intuitively. They can open and explore vast data files quickly, providing an overall tactile sense of the data structure and content.
This core functionality can be invaluable when dealing with large, complex data sets, enabling comprehensive data reviews without any complex processing, thereby improving data integrity.
METADATA MANAGEMENT
ASCII editors can aid in superior metadata management and data tagging. Metadata, such as authorship, creation date, related identifiers, and tags, are pivotal for managing extensive data sets. ASCII editors can create and manage this metadata in a straightforward, readable format, improving data discoverability, and organisation.
BATCH PROCESSING OF FILES
Certain advanced ASCII editors offer batch processing capabilities. This feature enables users to apply a series of editing tasks to a multitude of files at once.
In the context of data management, this tool is incredibly important for stakeholders dealing with large amounts of data files, ensuring uniformity over broad datasets, enhancing efficiency and data quality at the same time.