Categorizing continuous numerical data using binning functions
The final way in which you can create custom columns in Spotfire is through binning. Just as for calculated and hierarchy columns, you create binned columns using the Insert drop-down in Column Properties, selecting the option Binned Column…. A binned column is just a way to turn a continuous set of values, usually numeric but not always, into a set of more discrete values or bins. Age would be a typical case. You might prefer, when using a bar chart to show an age distribution, to plot a series of boundaries, such as < 20, 20–30, 30–40, 40–50, 50–60, 60–70, and >70, rather than a continuous set of individual ages.
The Binned Column… dialog offers five methods for binning data, and each of these methods corresponds to a function that you can later edit using the expression editor:
You can set specific limits by using the following expressions:
BinBySpecificLimits([column name], value 1, value 2, …, value n)
This method allows...
