Column and variable types in AddMaple
When you upload a survey file, AddMaple scans headers and sample values and assigns a column type to each field. That type controls default charts, how pivots count responses, and which preparation tools apply.
Use this page as a map. For step-by-step preparation (merging split columns, grouping grids, cleaning labels), start with Prepare messy survey data for analysis and Importing and preparing data. When you need detail on a specific type, open the guides below.
Detected survey columns
These are the main types AddMaple recognizes on import. You can override any assignment in Manage Columns.
| Type | When you see it | Deep dive |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple choice | One answer per respondent (single-select categorical) | Multiple Choice |
| Multi-select | Select-all-that-apply, tags, or checkbox sets | Multi-Select |
| Numeric | Counts, ratings as numbers, amounts, percentages | Numeric |
| Opinion scale | Likert or agreement scales (numeric or text labels) | Opinion Scale Columns |
| Grouped opinion scales | Several scale items shown together | Grouped Opinion Scale Charts |
AddMaple also detects dates, text / open-ended fields, and boolean yes/no columns. Those are covered in Which column types are detected? and in Importing and preparing data.
Custom variables
Sometimes you need a column that does not exist in the export—or detection did not merge options the way you need.
| Task | Guide |
|---|---|
| Build filtered or rule-based segments (personas, tiers, flags) | How to create custom columns/variables |
| Manually define a multi-select when columns were not merged | Create a custom multi-select column |
| Set fixed bins for numeric or date data | How to create custom bins |
Related preparation
After types look right, you may still need to:
- Combine or group columns — How to combine columns, Group Data
- Clean category labels — How to work with legends, Clean with AI
- Turn categories into numbers for means or composites — Assign Numbers, Numeric Factors
- Adjust automatic binning — Number Binning, Date Binning