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Excel Dummy Data: How to Get Sample Data for Testing and Training



Download Excel Dummy Data: A Complete Guide




If you are an Excel user, you may have encountered situations where you need some dummy data to test or demonstrate your work. For example, you may want to check if your formulas are working correctly, or if your charts are displaying the right trends, or if your pivot tables are summarizing the data accurately. But how do you get dummy data in Excel? And where can you download it from?




download excel dummy data




In this article, we will show you how to create and download dummy data in Excel using different methods. We will also explain what dummy data is and why you need it.


What is Dummy Data and Why Do You Need It?




Dummy data is mock data generated at random as a substitute for live data in testing environments.




Dummy data is not real data, but it mimics the characteristics and structure of real data. For example, if you have a dataset of customer names, addresses, and phone numbers, you can create dummy data that looks like this:


NameAddressPhone Number


John Smith123 Main Street, New York, NY 10001(212) 555-1234


Jane Doe456 Elm Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90001(213) 555-5678


Bob Jones789 Pine Road, Chicago, IL 60601(312) 555-9012


The dummy data does not contain any real information about the customers, but it has the same format and length as the real data.


Dummy data can help you test your formulas, functions, charts, pivot tables, and other features in Excel without risking your real data.




One of the main reasons why you need dummy data in Excel is to test your work before applying it to your real data. This way, you can avoid errors, mistakes, or unwanted changes that may affect your real data.


For example, suppose you have a dataset of sales transactions and you want to calculate the total sales amount for each product category. You can use a formula like this:


=SUMIF(B2:B10,"Books",C2:C10)


This formula will sum up the values in column C (Sales Amount) if the corresponding value in column B (Product Category) is "Books". But what if you are not sure if your formula is correct, or if you want to see how it works with different values? You can use dummy data to test your formula and see the results without affecting your real data. For example, you can create a dummy dataset like this:


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Product CategorySales Amount


Books100


Clothes200


Electronics300


Books400


Clothes500


Electronics600


Books700


Clothes800


Electronics900


If you apply the same formula to this dummy dataset, you will get the result of 1200, which is the sum of 100, 400, and 700. This way, you can verify that your formula is working as expected, and you can also experiment with different values and criteria.


Dummy data can also help you create and test your charts, pivot tables, and other features in Excel that require data as input. For example, you can use dummy data to create a pie chart that shows the percentage of sales for each product category, or a pivot table that summarizes the sales amount by month and year.


How to Create Dummy Data in Excel Using Formulas




You can use various formulas in Excel to generate random numbers, dates, text, and other types of data.




One of the easiest ways to create dummy data in Excel is to use formulas that generate random values. Excel has several functions that can help you with this task, such as RANDBETWEEN, RAND, RANDARRAY, DATE, CHOOSE, and more. Here are some examples of how to use these functions to create dummy data.


RANDBETWEEN: Generates a random integer between two values.




The syntax of the RANDBETWEEN function is:


=RANDBETWEEN(bottom,top)


Where bottom and top are the lower and upper bounds of the range of numbers that you want to generate. For example, if you want to generate a random number between 1 and 10, you can use this formula:


=RANDBETWEEN(1,10)


This will return a random integer from 1 to 10. You can copy and paste this formula to fill a range of cells with random numbers. Note that the RANDBETWEEN function is volatile, which means that it will recalculate every time the worksheet changes. If you want to keep the values static, you can copy them and paste them as values.


RAND: Generates a random decimal number between 0 and 1.




The syntax of the RAND function is:


=RAND()


This function does not take any arguments. It will return a random decimal number between 0 and 1. For example, if you enter this formula in a cell:


=RAND()


This will return a value like 0.3456789. You can copy and paste this formula to fill a range of cells with random numbers. You can also use the RAND function to generate random numbers within a specific range by multiplying it by a factor. For example, if you want to generate a random number between 0 and 100, you can use this formula:


=RAND()*100


This will return a value like 34.56789. You can also round the result to get an integer value by using the ROUND function. For example:


=ROUND(RAND()*100,0)


This will return a value like 35. RANDARRAY: Generates an array of random numbers with a specified size and range.




The syntax of the RANDARRAY function is:


=RANDARRAY(rows,columns,[min],[max],[whole_number])


Where rows and columns are the number of rows and columns that you want to fill with random numbers, min and max are the optional lower and upper bounds of the range of numbers that you want to generate, and whole_number is an optional argument that specifies whether you want to generate integers (1) or decimals (0). For example, if you want to generate a 3x3 array of random numbers between 1 and 10, you can use this formula:


=RANDARRAY(3,3,1,10,1)


This will return a result like this:


749


268


531


You can also omit the min, max, and whole_number arguments and use the default values of 0, 1, and 0 respectively. For example:


=RANDARRAY(3,3)


This will return a result like this:


0.76543210.12345670.9876543


0.45678900.87654320.2345678


0.34567890.65432100.5678901


Note that the RANDARRAY function is also volatile and will recalculate every time the worksheet changes.


DATE: Returns a date value based on the year, month, and day arguments.




The syntax of the DATE function is:


=DATE(year,month,day)


Where year, month, and day are the numeric values that represent the year, month, and day of the date that you want to generate. For example, if you want to generate a date value for January 1st, 2021, you can use this formula:


=DATE(2021,1,1)


This will return a value like 44197, which is the serial number that Excel uses to store dates. To display this value as a date format, you can apply a custom format to the cell, such as dd/mm/yyyy or mm/dd/yyyy. For example:


Date ValueDate Format (dd/mm/yyyy)


4419701/01/2021


4422801/02/2021


4425601/03/2021


You can also use the DATE function to generate random dates within a specific range by combining it with the RANDBETWEEN function. For example, if you want to generate a random date between January 1st, 2021 and December 31st, 2021, you can use this formula:


=DATE(2021,RANDBETWEEN(1,12),RANDBETWEEN(1,31))


This will return a value like 44345, which corresponds to August 15th, 2021. Note that this formula may not always return a valid date, as some months have fewer than 31 days. To avoid this issue, you can use a more complex formula that takes into account the number of days in each month. CHOOSE: Returns a value from a list of values based on an index number.




The syntax of the CHOOSE function is:


=CHOOSE(index_num,value1,value2,...)


Where index_num is a number between 1 and 254 that specifies which value to return from the list of values, and value1, value2, ... are the values that you want to choose from. For example, if you want to generate a random color name from a list of four colors, you can use this formula:


=CHOOSE(RANDBETWEEN(1,4),"Red","Green","Blue","Yellow")


This will return one of the four color names at random. You can copy and paste this formula to fill a range of cells with random color names. You can also use the CHOOSE function to generate random text from a list of words or phrases. For example, if you want to generate a random greeting from a list of three greetings, you can use this formula:


=CHOOSE(RANDBETWEEN(1,3),"Hello","Hi","Hey")


This will return one of the three greetings at random. You can copy and paste this formula to fill a range of cells with random greetings.


How to Download Dummy Data from Online Sources




You can also download dummy data from various online sources that offer free or paid datasets for different purposes.




If you don't want to create dummy data in Excel using formulas, or if you need more complex or realistic data, you can also download dummy data from various online sources that provide free or paid datasets for different purposes. For example, you can find dummy data for sales, products, customers, employees, transactions, invoices, and more. Here are some examples of online sources that offer dummy data for Excel users.


Contextures: Provides sample data for training or testing in Excel, such as sales, products, customers, etc.




Contextures is a website that offers various resources and tips for Excel users, including sample data that you can download and use for training or testing in Excel. You can find sample data for different topics, such as sales, products, customers, orders, invoices, inventory, and more. You can also find sample workbooks that demonstrate how to use various Excel features, such as pivot tables, charts, formulas, and more.


To download sample data from Contextures, you can visit their website and browse through their categories. You can also use their search box to find the data that you need. Once you find the data that you want to download, you can click on the link and save the file to your computer. You can then open the file in Excel and use it as dummy data.


Mockaroo: Allows you to create custom mock data with different fields, formats, and options.




Mockaroo is an online tool that allows you to create custom mock data with different fields, formats, and options. You can choose from hundreds of predefined fields or create your own custom fields. You can also specify the number of rows, the format (CSV, JSON, SQL, etc.), the delimiter (comma, tab, etc.), and the line ending (Windows or Unix) of your mock data. You can also preview your mock data before downloading it.


To create mock data with Mockaroo, you can visit their website and start adding fields to your schema. You can drag and drop fields from the left panel or click on the plus icon to add a new field. You can also edit the name, type, options, and formula of each field. Once you are done with your schema, you can click on the Download Data button and save the file to your computer. You can then open the file in Excel and use it as dummy data. Faker: A Python library that generates fake data for various categories, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, etc.




Faker is a Python library that generates fake data for various categories, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, dates, lorem ipsum, and more. You can use Faker to create realistic dummy data for testing or development purposes. You can also customize the locale, format, and provider of your fake data.


To use Faker, you need to install it on your computer using pip or another package manager. You can then import it in your Python script and create a Faker object. You can then use the methods of the Faker object to generate fake data. For example, if you want to generate a fake name, you can use this code:


from faker import Faker faker = Faker() name = faker.name() print(name)


This will print a name like John Smith or Jane Doe. You can also specify the locale of your fake data by passing it as an argument to the Faker object. For example, if you want to generate a fake name in French, you can use this code:


from faker import Faker faker = Faker('fr_FR') name = faker.name() print(name)


This will print a name like Jean Dupont or Marie Martin. You can also use the Faker object to generate fake data for other categories, such as address, phone_number, email, date_of_birth, etc.


To export your fake data to Excel, you can use the pandas library to create a DataFrame from your fake data and then save it as an Excel file. For example, if you want to create a DataFrame with 10 rows of fake names and emails, you can use this code:


from faker import Faker import pandas as pd faker = Faker() names = [faker.name() for _ in range(10)] emails = [faker.email() for _ in range(10)] df = pd.DataFrame('Name': names, 'Email': emails) df.to_excel('fake_data.xlsx', index=False)


This will create an Excel file named fake_data.xlsx with the following data:


NameEmail


James Johnsonjames.johnson@example.com


Laura Millerlaura.miller@example.com


Robert Smithrobert.smith@example.com


Sarah Jonessarah.jones@example.com


David Williamsdavid.williams@example.com


Jennifer Brownjennifer.brown@example.com


Michael Davismichael.davis@example.com


Lisa Wilsonlisa.wilson@example.com


Mark Taylormark.taylor@example.com


Mary Clarkmary.clark@example.com


Conclusion




Dummy data is a useful tool for testing and experimenting with Excel features without affecting your real data. You can create dummy data in Excel using formulas or download it from online sources. In this article, we showed you how to use some of the most common formulas and functions to generate random numbers, dates, text, and other types of data. We also introduced you to some of the online sources that offer free or paid datasets for different purposes. We hope that this article helped you learn how to create and download dummy data in Excel.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)




Q: How can I create dummy data with specific criteria or conditions?




A: You can use conditional formulas or functions to create dummy data with specific criteria or conditions. For example, if you want to generate a random number between 1 and 10 that is divisible by 2, you can use this formula:


=RANDBETWEEN(1,10)*2


This will return an even number between 2 and 20. You can also use logical operators or functions to combine multiple conditions. For example, if you want to generate a random number between 1 and 10 that is divisible by 2 or 3, you can use this formula:


=IF(RAND()


This will return an even number between 2 and 18, or a multiple of 3 between 3 and 30.


Q: How can I create dummy data with a specific format or pattern?




A: You can use text functions or custom formats to create dummy data with a specific format or pattern. For example, if you want to generate a random phone number with the format (xxx) xxx-xxxx, you can use this formula:


=TEXT(RANDBETWEEN(100,999),"000")&" "&TEXT(RANDBETWEEN(100,999),"000")&"-"&TEXT(RANDBETWEEN(1000,9999),"0000")


This will return a value like (212) 555-1234. You can also use custom formats to display your dummy data in a specific format. For example, if you want to display a random date with the format dd/mm/yyyy, you can use this formula:


=DATE(2021,RANDBETWEEN(1,12),RANDBETWEEN(1,31))


This will return a value like 44197, which is the serial number for the date. You can then apply a custom format to the cell, such as dd/mm/yyyy. This will display the value as 01/01/2021.


Q: How can I create dummy data with a specific distribution or probability?




A: You can use statistical functions or tools to create dummy data with a specific distribution or probability. For example, if you want to generate a random number that follows a normal distribution with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10, you can use this formula:


=NORM.INV(RAND(),50,10)


This will return a value that is normally distributed around 50 with a standard deviation of 10. You can also use the Data Analysis Toolpak to generate random numbers that follow different distributions, such as binomial, Poisson, uniform, etc. To use the Data Analysis Toolpak, you need to enable it in Excel by going to File > Options > Add-Ins > Analysis Toolpak > Go > OK. Then, you can go to Data > Data Analysis > Random Number Generation and choose the parameters of your distribution.


Q: How can I create dummy data with a specific relationship or correlation?




A: You can use formulas or tools to create dummy data with a specific relationship or correlation. For example, if you want to generate two sets of random numbers that have a positive correlation of 0.8, you can use this formula:


=CORREL(RANDARRAY(10),RANDARRAY(10))


This will return a value that is close to 0.8, which indicates a strong positive correlation between the two sets of random numbers. You can also use the Data Analysis Toolpak to generate random numbers that have a specific correlation matrix. To do this, you need to create a correlation matrix in Excel that specifies the correlation coefficients between each pair of variables. Then, you can go to Data > Data Analysis > Correlation and select the range of your correlation matrix.


Q: How can I create dummy data with realistic names, addresses, emails, etc.?




A: You can use online sources or tools that generate realistic names, addresses, emails, and other types of data. For example, you can use Mockaroo or Faker to create custom mock data with realistic fields and formats. You can also use websites that provide sample data for different categories, such as nameslist.org or generatedata.com. 44f88ac181


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