Fold an Array
Infoveave Data Automation — Pivot & Transpose
One row with an array becomes many rows with one value each — automatically, on every run.
Source systems often pack multiple values into a single array column — product tags, assigned skills, event types, multi-select survey answers. Fold an Array converts each element of the array into its own row while copying the remaining column values alongside it, giving you a normalized, row-per-value dataset that is ready for filtering, grouping, joining, and aggregation — without any manual data reshaping.
What Fold an Array does
Expand an array column into individual rows in Infoveave workflows. Normalize multi-value fields, product tags, and grouped log entries for filtering, joining, and visualization.
When to use Fold an Array
- Your dataset has a column containing arrays — product tags, skill lists, multi-select values — and you need each value as a separate row for filtering or aggregation
- You are normalizing API response data where one field returns a list of items that each need individual processing
- You want to count, group, or filter by individual values inside an array column, which requires first expanding the array into rows
- You are preparing data for a visualization or pivot that needs one value per row rather than a list per row
When to avoid it
- Your array column contains JSON objects rather than plain values — use Flatten JSON Array to expand structured JSON arrays
- You want to convert multiple separate columns into rows rather than an array column — use Fold Multiple Columns instead
- The array values need to become binary indicator columns rather than rows — use Split and Unfold for one-hot encoding
Where it fits in your Infoveave automation
Fold an Array is one step inside a multi-step Infoveave workflow. Chain it with other activities — no code, no manual hand-offs.
Build this workflow visually in Infoveave Data Automation — drag, connect, and schedule with no infrastructure setup.
How teams use Fold an Array
Real scenarios where this transformation saves hours of manual work.
Expand Product Tag Arrays for Category Analysis
A retail analytics team receives product catalog data from a PIM system where each product row has a Tags column containing an array of category labels. Fold an Array expands each tag into its own row, so the team can count tag frequency, filter by specific tags, and identify which products belong to overlapping categories — operations that are impossible while the values remain packed in a single array cell.
Normalize Multi-Diagnosis Codes into Individual Rows
A healthcare data team processes patient records exported from a clinical system where each encounter row has a Diagnoses column containing an array of ICD codes. Fold an Array expands each code to its own row, enabling the analytics team to count diagnosis frequencies, filter for specific conditions, and join against a diagnosis reference table — all of which require one code per row.
Break Log Event Arrays into Individual Audit Events
A security operations team receives session logs where each session row contains an Events array listing all actions taken during that session. Fold an Array expands each event into an individual row while retaining the Session ID, User, and Timestamp on each row, enabling event-level filtering, anomaly detection queries, and compliance audit exports that need one event per record.
See Fold an Array in action
Input data (left) is transformed using the configuration below. The output table (right) is ready for dashboards or downstream steps.
Array ValuesInput Data
| Record ID | Array Values |
|---|---|
| 1 | [A, B, C] |
| 2 | [X, Y] |
Output Data
| Record ID | Array Values |
|---|---|
| 1 | A |
| 1 | B |
| 1 | C |
| 2 | X |
| 2 | Y |
Configuration
Key fields to configure in the Infoveave workflow builder. Full reference available in the documentation.
Column Name
Select the column that contains the array values to expand. The activity reads each array element from this column and creates a new row for each element, carrying all other column values forward on every resulting row. All non-selected columns are duplicated once per array element.
Row Multiplication
Each row in the input produces as many output rows as there are elements in its array. A row with a 3-element array becomes 3 rows. A row with a single-element array stays as 1 row. Rows where the array column is empty or null produce no output rows — those records are effectively filtered out by the expansion.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about Fold an Array in Infoveave.
Also in Pivot & Transpose — and what runs before & after
Transformations in the same family as Fold an Array, often chained together in the same Infoveave workflow.
Part of Infoveave Data Automation
80+ transformations. Zero manual steps.
Fold an Array is one of over 80 transformation activities available inside Infoveave workflows. Chain transformations together — no code, no exports, no waiting for IT.
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