BlambdaR instructions

BLambdaR expects a csv file: a "comma separated values" file. This file should contain rows of numbers, and each row should correspond to one pattern and include data for 14 REE (in ppm), from La to Lu, excluding Pm and Y. When opened in a text editor, the file should look like this:

In this file, the first pattern has 3.622 ppm of La, 12.477 ppm of Ce and so on, until it ends with 0.571 ppm of Lu. The second pattern has 1.447 ppm of La, 5.241 ppm of Ce, and so forth.

When this file is opened in a spreadsheet such as Excel, it looks like this:

The file should not contain headers! That is, no need to include a row with the element names such as "La", "Ce", etc. Include just the numbers.

Usage example

Let's say that you have data in an Excel spreadsheet that looks like this:

In this case, each pattern is a column. We need to rotate the table so each pattern is in a row. For that, we use the transpose function (more about rotating data). The result:

Next, only the numbers and nothing else should be copied to a new sheet. Make sure you have exactly 14 columns, from A to N.

Finally, use the "Save As" option to convert the file to csv. Notice that there are several "csv" formats in Excel. Use the one that is called "CSV (Comma delimited)". See image:

Now the file should be ready for upload to BLambdaR.

Missing values

Numbers that are missing, below detection limit, or otherwise to be excluded from the least-squares fit should be left empty, or given the value zero. Do not include any strings such as "bdl" or "nd" in the spreadsheet.

This will not work:

This will work:

You can use either a zero, a negative number, or keep the cell empty.

Contact me at michael.anenburg@anu.edu.au if you have any issues. The app is in development, so if something doesn't work, there's a chance it's not your fault, but mine. Help me fix it by letting me know that it doesn't work!