Automatic Updates
From dataZoa Wiki
Time series are all about change. dataZoa's automatic updates recognize changes and propagate them wherever appropriate.
Contents
Data
From the Web
- When you drag-and-drop data series into dataZoa from other sites around the Web, we monitor for changes and make updates accordingly.
- For sites with important and closely watched data release schedules, we sync up as quickly as the sites allow.
- There are many nuances and details in the updating process, but generally speaking we check for changes everywhere at least once a day.
Uploaded
- Despite all appearances, we do not have magic powers. When you have uploaded your own data you will need to keep it up to date by updating it or re-loading.
- If you are officially responsible for some particular data, encourage your colleagues to follow it in dataZoa rather than making copies. No copies means no confusion.
- Don't forget to preserve your series keys if you re-load your data. That's how your displays and calculations stay up to date.
Updated
- When you update existing series in your account manually, the changes are fully propagated.
- Series keys are naturally preserved.
- Changes to series in your account that are shared with you, rather than owned by you, are fully propagated.
Displays
- dataZoa displays are not static snapshots. If you embed a dataZoa display into a presentation, the presentation will show the up-to-the-moment state of things.
- Whenever you view a dataZoa display, you are seeing the current state of the data, not a copy of how things were at the time it was created.
- That said, dataZoa does not refresh displays that are currently on screen; the on-screen display stays put until you refresh it.
- Make that presentation just once. As data changes, last month's presentation then automatically becomes this month's.
- To archive a display at a particular point in time, hit the PDF button and store a snapshot.
Calculations
- dataZoa calculations work kind of like a world-scale spreadsheet. Change a number anywhere and everything that depends on it changes downstream, automatically.
- Dependencies can get complicated and that's AOK. dataZoa keeps track of the multiple parent/child relations for you (yes, even non-traditional situations).
- Whenever you view a calculated series, by itself or in a dataZoa display, you are seeing the current state of the data, not a copy of how things were at the time it was created.
- When you change a calculation that other calculations depend on, that change flows right through as well.