Mystery File! 🔍

[pm0kjp]

Mystery File Data Challenge

There can be a pretty large gap between having a data file, and being able to use that data in any useful way. In this data challenge you will take a mystery data file and figure out how to extract useful information from it.

Embrace the struggle

This data challenge is meant to be difficult and might be frustrating at times. Take note of what you are feeling as you work your way through, and don't hesitate to comment about your struggles and achievements here.

Opening unknown files

The mystery file you will be using in this challenge is a safe data file, containing raw, public data. In general is it not a good idea to open unknown files.

Exploring the Mystery File

Take a look at the mystery_file for this challenge. You can use the buttons on the right side of the file's header to download it or copy its contents. Once you have a copy of it downloaded, see if any programs on your computer can open it.

• Does it open when you double-click on it? Does right-clicking give you a list of possible applications to open it with?
• Can a basic text editor like NotePad (Microsoft) or TextEdit (Apple) open this file?

File Extensions

Computers use file extensions, the short string of letters after a period at the end of a file's name, to figure out how it should try to open a file for you. Some extensions you might recognize are .doc, .jpg, .pdf, .mp4, .html. Because the mystery file doesn't have an extension, your computer doesn't know what it should try to use to open it.

What happens if you change the name of mystery_file to mystery_file.txt? Does your computer suggest a program to open it with?

There are hundreds of different file extensions, some of which are extremely specialized. Using more general file-types, like those in this list will tend to make your data more interoperable. Some of the most common formats for text or numerical data are:

• .csv
• .html
• .css
• .json
• .xml
• .yaml

Figure out what each of these 6 types of files looks like as raw text. Do any of them look like they might match our mystery file?

File Contents

What, if anything, can you learn from looking at the file? Does this look like a particular type of data? Are there keys, titles, or other text hints about what this data might relate to?

Some types of data have specialized file formats that an internet search will tell you more about. For example, if you suspected that a file contained genetic sequences (it doesn't) an internet search for "DNA file format" will show you several formats including .FASTA and .GCG.

Viewing the file as it was meant to be viewed

When you think you know what format the file is in, do an internet search for "format viewer". There are several websites that will let you copy and paste the file's text contents into the browser and render them nicely for you.

• If you have successfully opened the file as it was meant to be opened, it will be very clear (and look very different from the raw data you have been seeing up until then).
• Make sure to celebrate your accomplishment, either as a comment here or in the "Celebrations" Discussion.
• Context Hint: the DART team is based at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

[maltenform]

Just logging in that I got it and displayed it