Rename columns
Description
The Rename Columns activity allows you to change column names in a dataset using a user-defined mapping of existing column names to new ones. This is especially useful when working with data from diverse sources that use inconsistent or undescriptive column headers.
By renaming columns, you can make your data easier to understand, standardize naming conventions, or prepare it for integration with other systems or tools.
Use this activity to:
- Standardize inconsistent column names from different sources
- Improve readability before presenting data
- Align column headers with naming conventions expected by downstream activities
Use case: If a dataset from an external vendor uses cryptic field names like
col1,col2, etc., this activity can rename them toProduct,Category, andPricefor clarity and consistency.
Input
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Data | Tabular data with original column headers. |
Output
| Output Type | Format | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Data | Table | The same dataset with updated column names. |
Configuration Fields
| Field Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Column Map | A mapping of existing column names to their new names. You can define multiple rename pairs in the format: Original Name → New Name. For example: id → index, product → result |
Sample Input
| id | category | product | price | in_stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electronics | Laptop | 500 | true |
| 2 | Electronics | Camera | 350 | false |
| 3 | Electronics | Tablet | 250 | true |
| 4 | Furniture | Sofa | 600 | true |
| 5 | Furniture | Bed | 450 | true |
| 6 | Furniture | Table | 150 | false |
Sample Configuration
| Original Column | New Column |
|---|---|
| id | index |
| product | result |
Only
idandproductare renamed. The remaining columns stay unchanged.
Sample Output
| index | category | result | price | in_stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electronics | Laptop | 500 | true |
| 2 | Electronics | Camera | 350 | false |
| 3 | Electronics | Tablet | 250 | true |
| 4 | Furniture | Sofa | 600 | true |
| 5 | Furniture | Bed | 450 | true |
| 6 | Furniture | Table | 150 | false |