Home Build an Excel or BI demo that is easy to explain
Build an Excel or BI demo that is easy to explain
A useful demonstration dataset has clear units, dates and assumptions. Start with quantity, unit price and one currency, then check your calculations before designing the dashboard.
Try the reviewed example
Open this exact schema in the generator
These are synthetic examples. Record the engine version, schema and seed together. Checksums and row counts are in the example manifest. Review the output before importing it into a disposable test environment.
Watch the browser workflow
Silent walkthrough: open the saved schema, inspect its fields, choose the output format and start the download. The recording demonstrates browser generation and export; follow the written instructions below for the application or database steps.
Choose the teaching question before the rows
For a demo of monthly sales, use an order ID, order date, quantity, unit price and currency. Set a fixed date window and one currency so that the chart does not silently mix incompatible amounts. In the browser generator, use a Custom List with only USD for the currency field. This is a fictional demonstration convention, not a currency conversion.
From a repository checkout, the following command creates a CSV with explicit date bounds:
node cli/bin/fundata.js generate --field order_id:row_number --field ordered_on:date:from=2025-01-01,to=2025-12-31,format=yyyy-MM-dd --field quantity:integer:min=1,max=5 --field unit_price:price:min=5,max=500 --field currency:custom_list:values=USD --rows 100 --seed bi-demo-v1 --format csv --out sales-demo.csv
For a ready-made file, choose sales sample data or employee sample data. Check their column definitions before using a saved workbook built for a different schema.
Import deliberately instead of trusting automatic types
In Excel, import CSV through the text/CSV import workflow and inspect the preview. Keep identifiers and postcodes as text when leading zeros matter. Confirm that ordered_on becomes a date and that quantity and unit_price become numeric columns. Decimal separators and delimiter defaults differ by spreadsheet locale.
If you prefer a workbook, export XLSX using the browser generator's separate workbook download or convert an existing CSV with CSV to Excel. The CLI example produces CSV; the CLI does not offer XLSX output. See the Excel sample-data guide for workbook-oriented workflows.
Calculate line totals before aggregating
With the example columns in order, quantity is column C and unit price is column D. Add a line_total column with =C2*D2 and fill down. In an Excel table, use =[@quantity]*[@unit_price]. Sum line totals by month in a pivot table, and independently check two rows by hand.
The example deliberately has no tax, shipping, returns or foreign-exchange model. Call the metric demo line total unless you add those business rules. A synthetic dataset illustrates an import or chart; it is not evidence of customer behavior, market demand or actual sales performance.
Package the demo for the next person
Include a short data dictionary, the fixed date window, the chosen currency and a note that every record is synthetic. Save the reviewed export, schema, seed and engine revision with the workbook. This lets a learner distinguish a charting mistake from a changed input file.
Create a CSV dataset, browse sample CSV files, or use Excel to JSON when the same demo needs a frontend fixture.
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