Merging datasets
Data merging is the process of combining data from multiple sources into a unified
structure so it can be analyzed, reported on, or passed to downstream steps in a data
pipeline. It ensures related information is aligned, comparable, and organized in a way that
supports meaningful insights.
Minitab Data Center offers the following common data-merging operations.
- Join
- Combines related data from different datasets by matching values in one or more
key fields (for example, linking measurements to part metadata).
Adds columns and makes datasets wider
- Union
- Stacks multiple datasets with the same structure into a single dataset,
increasing the number of rows while keeping the same columns.
Adds rows and makes datasets longer
Together, these operations help standardize, enrich, and reshape data so it flows smoothly through the pipeline and is ready for analysis or reporting.
