Generally speaking, no, fixing “list to data” should NOT take 60 steps.
While data transformation can be complex and involve multiple techniques, a 60-step process for a single “list to data” problem suggests a number of potential issues:
Over-engineering/Excessive Granularity
You might be breaking down every tiny sub-task into its own “step” rather than grouping logical operations. For example, . A trim list to data whitespace from column A,” “trim whitespace from column B,” etc., instead of a single “clean whitespace across relevant columns.”
Lack of Efficient Tools/Techniques: If you’re doing a lot of manual, repetitive tasks or using inefficient methods (e.g., trying to parse complex text with basic string operations instead of regex or an NLP library), it will inflate the number of steps. Modern data manipulation libraries (like Python’s Pandas) can often accomplish multiple transformation steps with a single line of code or a few commands.
Unclear Problem Definition or Target Schema: If you don’t have a clear idea of what your output should look like, you might be taking many detours, trying different approaches, and adding steps that are later discarded or refactored. A well-defined target schema helps streamline the process.
Poorly Structured Source Data (Extreme Case)
While some lists are truly messy, a 60-step process might indicate that the source list is so unstructured and inconsistent that it’s extremely difficult to work with. In such cases, the problem might not be your transformation process, but the quality of the incoming data itself.
Manual Processes Instead of Automation: If you’re manually cleaning and restructuring . A ata in a clean email spreadsheet, 60 steps could easily accumulate. Automated scripting . A (Python, R, etc.) or ETL tools consolidate these steps into reusable code or workflows.
What an ideal “list to data” transformation process typically looks like (conceptua . A l steps, not literal open the gates for list to data by using these simple tips line counts):
approach involves a smaller, logical sequence of high-level steps: