Data blocks¶

A data block is a panel on an item page. It reads one or more attached files and shows them as an interactive plot. Some blocks also do simple analysis, such as baseline correction or picking out cycles.

How to add your first block is covered in Add your first data block.

Which blocks are available¶

Different instances have different blocks. Each block handles one kind of data, and new blocks are added as plugins. Your instance's blocks depend on the techniques your group uses and the plugins your administrator has installed.

To see what your instance has, click Add a block on any item. Hover over a block type to see what it does and which file types it reads.

Most instances include a few general-purpose blocks:

• Comment, for rich-text notes.
• Media, for images and videos.
• A tabular data block, for plotting columns from spreadsheets and text files.

Comparing files¶

Some blocks can plot several files together, for example to compare measurements before and after cycling. If a block supports this, it shows an option to choose comparison files.

Saving and reloading¶

Block settings, titles and notes are saved when you save the item.

A block remembers its results. If the underlying file changes, for example because Beholder uploaded a newer version, click the refresh button in the block's header to re-read it.

Some instances process large files in the background. The block then shows a loading message until the plot is ready.

Getting data out of a block¶

To use a block's data elsewhere:

• Save the plot as an image with the save tool beside it.
• Export the plotted data. Some blocks have an Export .csv button.
• Download the original file from the file list.
• Use the Python API. get_item with load_blocks=True returns block data, and get_block fetches a single block.