Directory macros/latex/contrib/datatool
datatool — Tools to load and manipulate data
Version 3.4 (2025-04-03)
Author: Nicola L. C. Talbot (dickimaw-books.com)
LICENCE
This material is subject to the LaTeX Project Public License. See http://www.ctan.org/license/lppl1.3 for the details of that license.
Copyright 2007-2025 Nicola Talbot
DESCRIPTION
This bundle consists of the packages: datatool.sty, datatool-base.sty, databar.sty, databib.sty, datapie.sty, dataplot.sty, datagidx.sty and person.sty.
Localisation support is supplied separately. See datatool-regions (currency and number group and decimal characters) and datatool-english (fixed text translations and orthography).
datatool.sty (databases)
Databases can be created using LaTeX commands or loaded from comma or tab separated variable files.
Databases can be sorted numerically or alphabetically (descending or ascending). Ensure you have localisation support installed for alphabetical sorting that follows the language's orthography rules (alphabet order).
Repetitive operations can be performed on each row of data in a database (such as mail merging.) Conditions can be imposed to exclude rows.
datatool-base.sty (base package)
The underlying base package used by all the other packages in this bundle.
Commands are provided to determine if an argument is an integer, a decimal number (scientific notation supported), currency or a string. To parse ISO dates and times, the date/time parsing needs to be enabled with \DTLsetup{datetime={parse}}. Parsing of regional dates requires support from the applicable region file (see datatool-regions).
Locale dependent number settings are supported (such as a comma as a decimal character and full stop as a number group character). This can be done via the captions hook, if supported, but the appropriate region file needs to be installed (see datatool-regions).
Commands are provided to convert between locale dependent numbers/currency and the plain decimal format required for arithmetical computations to be performed on elements of the database.
Strings can be tested to determine if they are all upper or all lower case.
Names can be converted to initials using \DTLinitials.
Comma-separated lists can be sorted numerically or alphabetically (descending or ascending). Ensure you have localisation support installed for alphabetical sorting that follows the language's orthography rules (alphabet order).
datapie.sty (Pie Charts)
A database defined by datatool.sty can be converted into a pie chart. This is best done with \DTLsetup{store-datum} to avoid repeated re-parsing of formatted numbers.
Segments can be separated from the rest of the chart to make them stand out.
Colour/grey scale options.
Predefined segment colours can be changed.
Hooks provided to annotate chart.
dataplot.sty (Line and Scatter Plots)
A database defined by datatool.sty may be plotted as a 2D scatter or line plot. This is best done with \DTLsetup{store-datum} to avoid repeated re-parsing of formatted numbers.
Settings provided to govern the appearance of the chart. (e.g. show/hide axes, legend, grid, major/minor tick marks).
Hooks provided to add extra information to the plot.
databar.sty (Bar Charts)
A database defined by datatool.sty can be converted into a bar chart. This is best done with \DTLsetup{store-datum} to avoid repeated re-parsing of formatted numbers.
Colour/grey scale options.
Predefined bar colours can be changed.
Horizontal or vertical formats provided.
Hooks provided to annotate chart.
databib.sty (Bibliographies)
Provides commands to convert a BibTeX database into a datatool database.
datagidx.sty (Indexes and Glossaries)
Provides a way of indexing or creating glossaries/lists of abbreviations that uses TeX to do the sorting and collating instead of using an external indexing application, such as Xindy or MakeIndex. Ensure you have localisation support installed for alphabetical sorting that follows the language's orthography rules (alphabet order).
person.sty (Referencing People)
Provides commands to display a person's name and pronoun in an order of service style document to provide consistency, or in mail merging to eliminate the cumbersome use of he/she'' etc.
NOTES
The datatool bundle replaced the csvtools bundle which is now obsolete (2007).
This material is subject to the LaTeX Project Public License. See http://www.ctan.org/license/lppl1.3 for the details of that license.
Package FAQ: dickimaw-books.com/faq.php?category=datatool
Download the contents of this package in one zip archive (19.2M).
datatool – Tools to load and manipulate data
The tools comprise the packages:
- datatool-base.sty: the underlying base package used by all the other packages in this bundle;
- datatool.sty: databases may be created using LaTeX commands or by importing external files; they may be sorted numerically or alphabetically; repetitive operations (such as mail merging) may be performed on each row of a database, subject to conditions to exclude particular rows; commands are provided to examine database elements, and to convert formats (for example, to convert a numeric element to a format compatible with l3fp or the fp package;
- datapie.sty: a database may be represented as a pie chart; flexible options allow colouring of the chart, and annotation hooks are available;
- dataplot.sty: a database may be represented as a 2-dimensional scatter or line plot; flexible options control of the plot's overall appearance, and of legends and other extra information;
- databar.sty: a database may be represented as a bar chart; overall appearance, colouring and annotation are controllable;
- datagidx.sty: provides a way of indexing or creating glossaries/lists of abbreviations that uses TeX to do the sorting and collating instead of using an external indexing application, such as xindy or makeindex (although you may prefer \printnoidxglossary now provided by the glossaries package);
- databib.sty: a bibliography may be loaded into a datatool database, and manipulated there before being printed (this permits a LaTeX-based route to printing bibliographies in formats for which no BibTeX style is available, although biblatex is now the better route); and
- person.sty: provides support for displaying a person’s name and pronoun in a document, thus avoiding cumbersome use of “he/she”, etc.
The drawing packages make use of PGF/TikZ for their output.
Localisation support needs to be installed separately. See datatool-regions and datatool-english.
The bundle supersedes and replaces the author’s csvtools bundle.
| Package | datatool |
| Bug tracker | https://www.dickimaw-books.com/bugtracker.php?category=datatool |
| Version | 3.4 2025-04-03 |
| Licenses | The LaTeX Project Public License 1.3 |
| Copyright | 2007–2025 Nicola Talbot |
| Maintainer | Nicola Talbot |
| TDS archive | datatool.tds.zip |
| Contained in | TeX Live as datatool MiKTeX as datatool |
| Topics | Data display Data manipulation Data import |
