SCIENTINSTITUTEOFTECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENTOFCSE

SKILLDEVELOPMENT COURSE
(DATAVISUALIZATION-RPROGRAMMING/POWER BI)
LABMANUAL
[Link]-ISEM(A.Y.2025-26)
 SCIENTINSTITUTEOFTECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENTOFCSE

VISION

Todevelop Data Science professionals through creative and innovative approaches

to address the present and future challenges of the modern computing world.

MISSION

Educate students by expanding their knowledge in cutting–edge technologies

to acquire professional ethics. Impart quality education to build research &
entrepreneurial eco system using niche technologies.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

(DATAVISUALIZATION-RPROGRAMMING/ POWERBI)

Course Objectives:
● EffectiveuseofBusinessIntelligence(BI)technology(Tableau)toapplydatavisualization
● Todiscernpatternsandrelationshipsinthedata.
● TobuildDashboardapplications.
● Tocommunicatetheresultsclearlyandconcisely.
● Tobeabletoworkwithdifferentformatsofdatasets.

CourseOutcomes: Attheendofthecourseastudentshouldbeableto
● UnderstandHowtoimportdataintoTableau.
● UnderstandTableauconceptsofDimensionsandMeasures.
● DevelopProgramsandunderstandhowtomapVisualLayoutsandGraphicalProperties.
● CreateaDashboardthatlinksmultiple visualizations.
● UsegraphicaluserinterfacestocreateFramesforprovidingsolutionstorealworld
problems.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

INDEX

[Link] PROGRAM

1 Understanding Data, Whatis data, where to find data, Foundations for building
DataVisualizations, Creating Your First visualization?
2 GettingstartedwithTableau SoftwareusingDatafile formats, connecting your Datato
Tableau,creating basic charts(line, bar charts, Tree maps),Using the Show me panel.
3 TableauCalculations,OverviewofSUM,AVR,andAggregatefeatures,Creating custom
calculations and fields.
4 Applying newdatacalculations to your visualizations, Formatting Visualizations,
Formatting Tools and Menus, Formatting specific partsofthe view.
5 EditingandFormattingAxes,ManipulatingDatain Tableaudata,PivotingTableau data.

6 Structuringyourdata,SortingandfilteringTableaudata,PivotingTableaudata.

7 AdvancedVisualization Tools:UsingFilters,UsingtheDetail panel,usingtheSize

panels,customizingfilters,UsingandCustomizingtooltips,Formattingyourdatawith
colors.
8 CreatingDashboards&Storytelling,creatingyourfirstdashboardandStory,Design
fordifferent displays,addinginteractivitytoyourDashboard,Distributing& Publishing your
Visualization.
9 Tableaufiletypes,publishingtoTableauOnline,Sharingyourvisualizations,printing,
andExporting.
10 Creatingcustomcharts,cyclicaldataandcirculararea charts,DualAxischarts.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

1. Understanding Data, What is data, where to finddata,Foundations for building

DataVisualizations, Creating Your First visualization?

In our increasingly data-driven world, it’s more important than ever to have accessible ways to
view and understand data. After all, the demand for data skills in employeesissteadily increasing
each year. Employees and business owners at every level need to have an understanding of data
and of its impact.
Data visualization is the graphical representation of information and data. By using visual
elements likecharts, graphs, and maps, datavisualizationtools provideanaccessible wayto see and
understand trends, outliers, and patterns in data. Additionally, it provides an excellent way for
employees or business owners to present data to non-technical audiences without confusion.
IntheworldofBigData,datavisualizationtoolsandtechnologiesareessentialtoanalyze massive
amounts of information and make data-driven decisions.
Differenttypesofvisualizations:

When you think ofdata visualization, yourfirst thought probablyimmediately goesto simplebar
graphs or pie charts. While these may be an integral part of visualizing data and a common baseline
for many data graphics, the right visualization must be paired with the right set of information.
Simple graphs are only the tip of the iceberg. There’s a whole selection of visualization methods
to present data in effective and interesting ways.
GeneralTypesofVisualizations:

• Chart:Information presentedin a tabular, graphical form with data displayed along two
axes. Can be inthe formofa graph, diagram, or map. Learn more.
• Table:Asetoffiguresdisplayed [Link].
• Graph:Adiagramofpoints,lines,segments,curves,orareasthatrepresentscertain
variables in comparison to eachother, usuallyalong two axes at aright angle.
• Geospatial:Avisualizationthatshowsdatainmapformusingdifferentshapesandcolors to
showthe relationship betweenpieces ofdata and specific locations. Learn more.
• Infographic: Acombinationofvisualsand wordsthat represent data. Usuallyusescharts or
diagrams.
• Dashboards:Acollectionofvisualizationsanddatadisplayedinoneplacetohelpwith
analyzing and presenting data. Learn more.

Why datavisualizationisimportant ?

The importance of data visualization is simple: it helps people see, interact with, and better
understand data. Whether simple or complex, the right visualization can bring everyone on the
same page, regardless of their level of expertise.

While we’ll always wax poetically about data visualization (you’re on the Tableau website, after
all) there are practical, real-life applications that are undeniable. And, since visualization is so
prolific, it’s also one of the most useful professional skillsto develop. The better you can convey
your points visually, whether in a dashboard or a slide deck, the better you can leverage that
[Link]
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

accommodate a data-driven world. It is increasingly valuable for professionals to be able to use

data to make decisions and use visuals to tell stories of when data informs the who, what, when,
where, and how.

While traditional education typically draws a distinct line between creative storytelling and
technical analysis, the modern professional world also values those who can cross between the
two: data visualization sits right in the middle of analysis and visual storytelling.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Advantages:

Our eyes are drawn to colors and patterns. We can quickly identify red from blue, and squares
from circles. Our culture is visual, including everything from art and advertisements to TV and
movies. Data visualization is another form of visual art that grabs our interest and keeps our eyes
on the message. When we see a chart, we quickly see trends and outliers. If we can see something,
we internalize it quickly. It’s storytelling with a purpose. If you’ve ever stared at a massive
spreadsheet of data and couldn’t see a trend, you know how much more effective a visualization
can be.

Someotheradvantagesofdatavisualizationinclude:

• Easilysharinginformation.
• Interactivelyexploreopportunities.
• Visualizepatternsandrelationships.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

2. Getting started with Tableau Software using Data file formats, connecting yourData to
Tableau, creating basic charts(line, bar charts, Tree maps),Using the Show me panel.
Tableau File Types and Folders:

You can save your work using several different Tableau specific file types: workbooks,
bookmarks, packaged data files, data extracts, and data connection files. Each of these file types
are described below. For related details, see Save Your Work.

• Workbooks (.twb) – Tableau workbook files have the .twb file extension. Workbooks
hold one or more worksheets, plus zero or more dashboards and stories.

• Bookmarks (.tbm) – Tableau bookmark files have the .tbm file extension. Bookmarks
contain a single worksheet and are an easy wayto quickly share your work.
• Packaged Workbooks (.twbx) – Tableau packaged workbooks have the .twbx file
extension. A packaged workbook is a single zip file that contains a workbook along with
any supporting local file data and background images. This format is the best way to
packageyourwork forsharingwithotherswho don’thaveaccess totheoriginaldata. For more
information, see Packaged Workbooks.

• Extract (.hyper) – Tableau extract files have the .hyper extension. Extractfiles are a local
copy of a subset or entire data set that you can use to share data with others, when you need
to work offline, and improve performance. For more information, see ExtractYour Data.

• Data Source (.tds) – Tableau data source files have the .tds file extension. Data source
files are shortcuts for quickly connecting to the original data that you use often. Data source
files do not contain the actual data but rather the information necessary to connect to the
actual data as well as any modifications you've made on top of the actual data such as
changing default properties, creating calculated fields, adding groups, and so on. For more
information, see Save Data Sources.

• Packaged Data Source (.tdsx) – Tableau packaged data source files have the .tdsx file
extension. A packaged data source is a zip file that contains the data source file (.tds)
described above as well as any local file data such as extract files (.hyper), text files, Excel
files, Access files, and local cube files. Use this format to create a single file that you can
then share with others whomay not have access to the original data stored locallyon your
computer. For more information, see Save Data Sources.

These files can be saved in the associated folders in the My Tableau Repository directory, which
[Link] canalso
be saved inother locations, suchas your desktopor a network directory.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

ChangingtheRepositoryLocation

You can specify a new location for the Tableau repository if you are not using the default location
in your Documents folder. For instance, if you are required to have your data on a networkserver
instead ofon your localmachine, youcanpoint Tableau at theremoterepository.

1. SelectFile>RepositoryLocation.

2. Select a new folder that willact asthe newrepositorylocation intheSelect aRepository

dialog box.

3. RestartTableausothatitusesthenewrepository.

Changingtherepositorylocationdoesnotmovethefilescontainedintheoriginalrepository. Instead,
Tableau creates a new repositorywhere you can store your files.

Use bar charts to compare data across categories. You create a bar chart by placing a dimension
onthe Rows shelf and a measure on the Columns shelf, or vice versa.

A bar chart uses the Bar mark type. Tableau selects this mark type when the data view matches
one ofthetwo field arrangements shown below. You canadd additional fields to these shelves.

FormoreinformationabouttheBarmark type,seeBarmark.

Note: At the end ofthe procedure is anextra s tepyoucantaketodisplaytotalsatthetops ofthe

bars.
CreatesVerticalBars CreatesHorizontalBars

Tocreateabarchartthatdisplaystotalsalesoverafour-yearperiod,followthesesteps:

1. ConnecttotheSample-Superstoredatasource.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Note:InTableau2020.2andlater,theDatapanenolongershowsDimensionsand Measures as
labels. Fields are listed by table or folder.

2. DragtheOrderDatedimensiontoColumnsand dragtheSalesmeasuretoRows.

Notice that the data is aggregated by year and column headers appear. The Sales measure
is aggregated as a sum and an axis is created, while the column headers move to the bottom
of the view. Tableau uses Line as the mark type because you added the date dimension.

3. OntheMarkscard,selectBarfromthedrop-down list.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Theviewchangestoabarchart.

The marks (which are bars in this case) are vertical because the axisis vertical. The length
of each mark represents the sum of the sales for that year. The actual numbers you see here
might not match the numbers you see—the sample data changes from time to time.

4. DragtheShipModedimensiontoColorontheMarks card.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

The view shows how different shipping modes have contributed tototalsales over time.
The ratios look consistent from year to year.

5. Drag theRegion dimension to Rows, and drop it to the left ofSalesto produce multiple
axes for sales by region.

6. Toviewdatain theWestregiononly,[Link], dragthe

Region dimension again, this time fromthe Data pane tothe Filters shelf.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

7. In the Filter[Region]dialogbox, cleartheCentral,East, andSouthcheck boxes,and then

click OK.

BuildaTreemap
Appliesto:TableauDesktop

Use treemaps to display data in nested rectangles. You use dimensions to define the structure of
thetreemap, and measures to definethesizeorcoloroftheindividual [Link] area
relatively simple data visualization that can provide insight in a visuallyattractive format.

Thebasicbuildingblocks foratreemapareasfollows:
Marktype: AutomaticorSquare

Color: Dimensionor Measure

 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Size Measure

LabelorDetail: Dimension(s)

Tocreateatreemapthatshowsaggregatedsalestotalsacrossarangeofproductcategories, follow the steps

below.

1. ConnecttotheSample-Superstoredatasource.

2. DragtheSub-CategorydimensiontoColumns.

Ahorizontalaxisappears,whichshowsproductcategories.

3. DragtheSalesmeasureto Rows.

Tableauaggregatesthemeasureasasumandcreatesaverticalaxis.

Tableaudisplays abarchart—thedefaultcharttypewhenthereisadimensionon the

Columns shelf and a measure on the Rows shelf.

4. ClickShowMeonthetoolbar,thenselect thetreemapchart type.

Tableaudisplaysthefollowingtreemap:
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Inthistreemap,boththesizeoftherectanglesandtheircoloraredeterminedbythevalue
ofSales—the greaterthe sumofsales for each category, the darker and larger its box.

5. Drag the Ship Mode dimension to Color on the Marks card. In the resulting view, Ship
Mode determines the color of the rectangles—and sorts them into four separate areas
accordingly. Sales determines the size of the rectangles:

6. Try another option tomodify thetreemap:clickthe Undo buttontoremove ShipMode from

view.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

7. [Link] the
rectangles, and Sales determines their size:

Withtreemaps, Size and Color [Link] on Size and Color,

but placing a measure anywhere else has no effect. Treemaps can accommodate any number of
dimensions, including one or even two on Color. But beyond that, adding dimensions only breaks
the map into an ever greater number of smaller rectangles. For information on how to place two
dimensions on Color in a treemap, see Example – MultipleFields on Color.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

3. TableauCalculations,OverviewofSUM,AVR,andAggregatefeatures,Creatingcustom
calculations and fields.

Aggregatefunctionsallowyoutosummarizeor changethegranularityofyourdata.

For example, you might want to know exactly how many orders your store had for a particular
year. You can use the COUNTD function to summarize the exact number of orders your company
had, and then break the visualization down by year.

Thecalculationmight looksomething likethis:

COUNTD(Order ID)

The visualization might look something like this:

AggregatefunctionsavailableinTableau

Aggregations and floating-point arithmetic: The results of some aggregations may not always
be exactlyasexpected. For example,you may find that the Sumfunctionreturns a value suchas
-1.42e-14 foracolumnofnumbersthatyou knowshouldsumto exactly0. Thishappensbecause the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 754 floating-point standard requires that
numbers be stored in binary format, which means that numbers are sometimes rounded at
extremely fine levels of precision. You can eliminate this potential distraction by using the
ROUND function (see Number Functions) or by formatting the number to show fewer decimal
places.
Function Syntax Definition

ATTR ATTR(expressi Returns the value ofthe expression if ithas a single value for allrows. Otherwise
on) returns an asterisk. Null values are ignored.

AVG AVG(expressio [Link] numeric

n) fields only. Null values are ignored.

COLLECT COLLECT [Link] values are

(spatial) ignored.

Note:TheCOLLECTfunctioncanonlybeusedwithspatialfields.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Example:

COLLECT([Geometry])

CORR CORR(express ReturnsthePearsoncorrelation coefficientoftwoexpressions.

ion 1,
expression2) The Pearson correlation measures the linear relationship between two variables.
Results range from -1 to +1 inclusive, where 1 denotes an exact positive linear
relationship, as whena positive change inone variable implies a positive change of
corresponding magnitude in the other, 0 denotes no linear relationship between the
variance, and −1 is an exact negative relationship.
CORRisavailablewiththefollowingdatasources:
• Tableaudataextracts(youcancreateanextractfromanydatasource)
• ClouderaHive
• EXASolution
• Firebird(version3.0andlater)
• Google BigQuery
• HortonworksHadoopHive
• IBMPDA(Netezza)
• Oracle
• PostgreSQL
• Presto
• SybaseIQ
• Teradata
• Vertica

For other data sources, consider either extracting the data or using
WINDOW_CORR. See Table Calculation Functions.

Note: The square of a CORR result is equivalent to the R-Squared value for a linear
trend line model. See Trend Line Model Terms.

Example:

Youcanuse CORR to visualize correlationina [Link] wayto

do this isto use a table-scoped level of detail expression. Forexample:

{CORR(Sales,Profit)}

With a level of detail expression, the correlation is run over all rows. If you used a
formula like CORR(Sales, Profit) (without the surrounding brackets to make it a
level of detail expression), the view would show the correlation of each individual
point in the scatter plot with each other point, which is undefined.

SeeTable-Scoped

COUNT COUNT(expre [Link].

ssion)

COUNTD COUNTD(expr Returns thenumber ofdistinct items in a group. Null values arenot [Link]
ession) functionisnotavailableinthefollowingcases:workbookscreatedbeforeTableau
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Desktop 8.2 that use Microsoft Excel or text file data sources, workbooks that use
the legacy connection, and workbooks that use Microsoft Access data sources.
Extract your data into an extract fileto use this function. See Extract Your Data.

COVAR COVAR(expre Returnsthesamplecovarianceoftwoexpressions.

ssion 1,
expression2) Covariance quantifies how two variables change together. A positive covariance
indicates that the variables tend to move in the same direction, as when larger values
of one variable tend to correspond to larger values of the other variable, on average.
Sample covariance uses the number of non-null data points n - 1 to normalize the
covariance calculation, rather than n, which is used bythe population covariance
(available with the COVARP function). Sample covariance is the appropriate choice
when the data is a random sample that is being used to estimate the covariance for a
larger population.
COVARisavailablewiththefollowingdatasources:
• Tableaudataextracts(youcancreateanextractfromanydatasource)
• ClouderaHive
• EXASolution
• Firebird(version3.0andlater)
• Google BigQuery
• HortonworksHadoopHive
• IBMPDA(Netezza)
• Oracle
• PostgreSQL
• Presto
• SybaseIQ
• Teradata
• Vertica

Forotherdatasources,considereitherextractingthedataorusing WINDOW_COVAR.
See Table Calculation Functions.

If expression1 and expression2 are the same—for example, COVAR([profit],

[profit])—COVAR returns a value that indicates how widely valuesaredistributed.

Note: The value of COVAR(X, X) is equivalent to the value of VAR(X) and also
to the value of STDEV(X)^2.

Example:

ThefollowingformulareturnsthesamplecovarianceofSalesandProfit.

COVAR([Sales],[Profit])

COVARP COVARP(expr Returnsthepopulationcovarianceoftwoexpressions.

ession 1,
expression2) Covariance quantifies how two variables change together. A positive covariance
indicates that the variables tend to move in the same direction, as when larger values
of one variable tend to correspond to larger values of the other variable, on average.
Population covariance is sample covariance multipliedby (n-1)/n, where n is the total
number of non-null data points. Population covariance is the appropriate choice
when there is data available for all itemsof interest as opposed
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

towhenthereisonlyarandom subsetofitems,inwhichcasesamplecovariance (with the

COVAR function) is appropriate.
COVARPisavailablewiththefollowingdatasources:
• Tableaudataextracts(youcancreateanextractfromanydatasource)
• ClouderaHive
• EXASolution
• Firebird(version3.0andlater)
• Google BigQuery
• HortonworksHadoopHive
• IBMPDA(Netezza)
• Oracle
• PostgreSQL
• Presto
• SybaseIQ
• Teradata
• Vertica

Forotherdatasources,considereitherextracting the dataorusing

WINDOW_COVARP. See Table Calculation Functions.

If expression1 and expression2 are the same—for example, COVARP([profit],

[profit])—COVARP returns a value that indicates how widely values are distributed.

Note: The value of COVARP(X,X) is equivalent to the value of VARP(X)

andalso to the value of STDEVP(X)^2.

Example:

ThefollowingformulareturnsthepopulationcovarianceofSalesandProfit.

COVARP([Sales],[Profit])

MAX MAX(expressi Returns the maximum of an expression across all records. If the expression is a string
on) value, this function returns the last value where last is defined by alphabetical order.

MEDIAN MEDIAN(expr Returns the median of an expression across all records. Median can only be used
ession) with numeric fields. Null values are ignored. This function is not available for
workbookscreatedbeforeTableauDesktop8.2 [Link]
alsonot available for connections using anyof the following data sources:
• Access
• AmazonRedshift
• ClouderaHadoop
• HPVertica
• IBMDB2
• IBMPDA(Netezza)
• MicrosoftSQLServer
• MySQL
• SAPHANA
• Teradata
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Forotherdatasourcetypes,youcanextractyourdataintoanextractfiletousethis function.
See Extract Your Data.

MIN MIN(expressio Returns the minimum of an expression across all records. If the expression is a string
n) value, this function returns the first value where first is defined by alphabetical order.

PERCENT PERCENTILE Returns the percentile value from the given expression corresponding to the
ILE (expression, specified number. The number must be between 0 and 1 (inclusive)—for example,
number) 0.66, and must be a numeric constant.
Thisfunctionisavailableforthefollowingdatasources.
• Non-legacyMicrosoftExcelandTextFileconnections.
• Extractsandextract-only datasourcetypes(forexample,Google
Analytics, OData, or Salesforce).
• SybaseIQ15.1andlater datasources.
• Oracle10andlater datasources.
• ClouderaHiveandHortonworksHadoopHivedatasources.
• EXASolution4.2andlaterdatasources.
Forotherdatasourcetypes,youcanextractyourdataintoanextractfiletousethis function.
See Extract Your Data.

STDEV STDEV(expres Returnsthestatisticalstandarddeviationofallvaluesinthegivenexpression based on a

sion) sample of the population.

STDEVP STDEVP(expr Returnsthestatisticalstandarddeviationofallvaluesinthegivenexpression based on a

ession) biased population.

SUM SUM(expressio Returns the sum of all values in the expression. SUM can be usedwith
n) numericfields only. Null values are ignored.

VAR VAR(expressio Returnsthestatisticalvarianceofallvaluesinthegivenexpressionbasedona sample of

n) the population.

VARP VARP(expressi Returns the statistical variance of all values in the given expression on the entire
on) population.

Create anaggregatecalculation

Followalongwiththestepsbelowtolearnhowtocreateanaggregatecalculation.

1. InTableauDesktop,connecttotheSample-Superstoresaveddatasource,whichcomes with
Tableau.

2. NavigatetoaworksheetandselectAnalysis>CreateCalculated Field.

3. Inthecalculationeditorthatopens,dothefollowing:

o NamethecalculatedfieldMargin.

o Enterthefollowingformula:
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IIF(SUM([Sales])!=0,SUM([Profit])/SUM([Sales]),0)

Note: You can use the function reference to find and add aggregate functions and
other functions (like the logical IIF function in this example) to the calculation
formula. For more information, see Use the functions reference in the
calculationeditor.

o Whenfinished,clickOK.

The new aggregate calculation appears underMeasures in theDatapane. Just like your
other fields, you can use itin one or more visualizations.

Note:Aggregationcalculationsarealwaysmeasures.

When Marginisplacedonashelforcardintheworksheet,itsnameischanged to
AGG(Margin), which indicates that it is an aggregate calculation and cannot be
aggregated any further.

Rulesforaggregatecalculations

Therulesthatapplytoaggregatecalculationsareas follows:

• For any aggregate calculation, you cannot combine an aggregated value and a
disaggregated value. For example, SUM(Price)*[Items] is not a valid expression because
SUM(Price) is aggregated and Items is not. However, SUM(Price*Items) and
SUM(Price)*SUM(Items) are both valid.

• Constant terms in an expression act as aggregated ordisaggregated values as appropriate.

For example: SUM(Price*7) and SUM(Price)*7 are both valid expressions.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

• All of the functions can be evaluated on aggregated values. However, the arguments to any
given function must either all be aggregated or all disaggregated. For example:
MAX(SUM(Sales),Profit)isnotavalidexpressionbecauseSalesisaggregatedandProfit is not.
However, MAX(SUM(Sales),SUM(Profit)) is a valid expression.

• Theresultofanaggregatecalculationisalwaysa measure.

• Like predefined aggregations, aggregate calculations are computed correctly for grand
totals. Refer to Grand Totals for more information.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

4. Applying new data calculations to your visualizations, Formatting Visualizations,

Formatting Tools and Menus, Formatting specific parts of the view.
WhyUseCalculatedFields

Calculated fields allow you to create new data from data that already exists in your data source.
When you create a calculated field, you are essentially creating a new field (or column) in your
data source, the values or members of which are determined by a calculation that you control. This
new calculated field is saved to yourdata source in Tableau, and can be used to create more robust
visualizations. But don't worry: your originaldata remains untouched.
Youcanusecalculatedfieldsformany,[Link]:
• Tosegmentdata
• Toconvert thedatatypeofafield, suchasconvertingastringtoadate.
• Toaggregatedata
• Tofilterresults
• Tocalculateratios

Types of calculations

You create calculated fields using calculations. There are threemain types of calculations youcan
use to create calculated fields in Tableau:

• Basic calculations - Basic calculations allow you to transform values or members at the
data source level of detail (a row-level calculation) or at the visualization level of detail (an
aggregate calculation).

• LevelofDetail(LOD)expressions-Justlikebasiccalculations,LODcalculationsallow
youtocomputevaluesat thedatasourceleveland thevisualizationlevel. However,LOD
calculations give you even more control on the level of granularity you want to compute.
They can be performed at a more granular level (INCLUDE), a less granular level
(EXCLUDE), or an entirely independent level (FIXED) with respect to the granularity of
the visualization.

• Table calculations - Table calculations allow you to transform values at thelevel of detail
of the visualization only.

The type ofcalculation you choose depends on the needs of your analysis and the question you
want to answer.
Createacalculatedfield

Once youhavedeterminedthetypeofcalculationyouwant to use,it'stimetocreateacalculated field. This

example uses a basic calculation.

Note: The example in this article uses the Sample-Superstore data source that comes with Tableau
Desktop. To follow along with the steps in this article, connect to the Sample- Superstore saved
data source and navigate to Sheet 1.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

1. InTableau, selectAnalysis>CreateCalculated Field.

2. IntheCalculationEditorthatopens,dothefollowing:

o Enteraname forthecalculated field. Inthisexample, thefield iscalled, Discount

Ratio.

o Enteraformula. Thisexampleusesthefollowingformula:

IIF([Sales]!=0,[Discount]/[Sales],0)

Thisformulachecksif salesis notequal [Link] true,itreturnsthe discount ratio

(Discount/Sales); if false, it returns zero.
Tip: Toseealistofavailablefunctions,clickthetriangleiconontheright-side of the

Calculation Editor.

Eachfunctionincludessyntax,adescription,andanexampleforyourreference.

Double-click a function in the list to add it to the formula.

Formoretips,seeTipsforWorkingwithCalculatedFieldsinTableau.

3. Whenfinished, click OK.

The new calculated field is added to Measures in the Data pane because it returns a number.
An equal sign (=) appears next to the data type icon. All calculated fields have equal signs
(=) next to them in the Data pane.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Useacalculatedfieldintheview Step
1: Build the view
1. FromDimensions,dragRegiontotheColumnsshelf.
2. FromDimensions,dragCategorytotheRowsshelf.
3. On theRowsshelf, click the plusicon (+) ontheCategory field to drill-down to
Subcategory.
Theviewupdatestolooklikethis:

Step2:Addthecalculatedfieldtotheview

1. FromMeasures,dragDiscountRatiotoColorontheMarkscard.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

[Link] Discount Ratio

is automatically aggregated as a sum.

2. On the Rows shelf, right-click SUM(Discount Ratio) and selectMeasure

(Sum) >Average.

Theviewupdateswiththeaverageofdiscountratioshown.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

EditaCalculatedField

Ifatany timeyouneedtochangeacalculation,youcaneditthecalculatedfieldanditwill update across your

entire workbook.

Toeditacalculatedfield:

1. IntheDatapane,right-clickthecalculatedfieldandselectEdit.

2. IntheCalculationEditorthatopens,you candothefollowing:

o Editthenameofthecalculatedfield.

o Updatetheformula.

Forthisexample, the formula ischangedto returna discount ratio forordersover 2000

USD in sales:

IIF([Sales]>2000,[Discount]/[Sales],0)

3. ClickOK.

[Link] donotneedtore-addthe updated

calculated field to the view.

Choosing the right formatting is important to both your analysis and your presentation. You can
change the formatting for almost everything you see on a worksheet, including fonts, shading,
alignment, borders, and graph lines. For example, in a text table, you can add banded shading to
help you visually separate consecutive groups of rows or fields.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

In a scatter view with reference lines, you can change the line thickness and color. All of these
settings can be changed using the Format pane. You can specify format settings for the entire
worksheet, all rows, or all fields. You can also format individual parts of the view. For example,
you can format a single field, resize cells and tables, and edit individual axes
Format attheWorksheetLevel
Appliesto:Tableau Cloud,TableauDesktop

Youcanformat settings forfonts,alignment,shading, borders,linesandtooltipsattheworksheet level.

For example, you might want to remove all the borders in a text table, or add shading to every
other column in a view.

When you make formatting changes at this level, they apply only to the view you're working on.
See Format at the Workbook Level for how to make changes that apply to every view in your
workbook.

AccessworksheetformattingsettingsfromTableauDesktop

Are you formatting your worksheets on the web? See Access worksheet formatting settings
fromTableau Cloud

1. Displayaworksheetor dashboard.

2. FromtheFormatmenu, choosethe partoftheviewthatyouwanttoformat,such as Font,

Borders, or Filters.

Format fonts : For a view, you can specify the font, style, size, and color for either the pane
textorheader text,or both. Forexample,in the viewbelow, theheader text is set touse the
Tableau Bold font.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

If you have totals or grand totals in the view, you can specify special font settings to make these
[Link] text table.
The view below shows a text table in which the grand totals are formatted to be dark red.

Formattextalignment:Tableauusesvisualbestpracticestodetermine howtextisalignedin a view,

but you can also customize text. For example, you can change the direction of header text so
that it is horizontal (normal) instead of vertical (up).
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Foreachtextareayoucanspecifythefollowingalignmentoptions:

Horizontal-Controlswhethertextalignstotheleft,right,orcenter.

VerticalAlignment-Controlswhethertextaligns atthetop,middle,orbottom.

Direction - Rotates text so that it runs horizontally (normal), top-to-bottom (up), or bottom-to- top
(down).

Wrap - Controls whether long headers wrap to the next line or are abbreviated, but does not control
text marks.

Formatshading

Shading settings control the background color of the pane and headers for totals, grand totals, as
well as for the worksheet areas outside those areas.

You can alsouse shading to add banding, alternating color from row to row or column to column.
Banding is useful for text tables because the alternating shading helps your eye distinguish between
consecutive rows or columns.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Forrowandcolumnbanding,youcanusethefollowing options:

Paneand Header-Thecolorthebandsuse.

BandSize-Thethicknessofthe bands.

Level-Ifyouhavenestedtableswithmultiplefieldsontherowsandcolumnsshelves,this option allows

you to add banding at a particular level.

Formatborders

Borders are the lines that surround the table, pane, cells, and headers in a view. You can specify
the border style, width, and color for the cell, pane, and header areas. Additionally, you can format
the row and column dividers. For example, in this view the Row Divider borders are formatted to
use an orange color:
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Row and column dividers serve to visually break up a view and are most commonly used in nested
text tables. You can modify the style, width, color, and level of the borders that divide each row
or each column using the row and column divider drop-downs. The level refers to the header level
you want to divide by.

Formatlines

You can control the appearance of the lines that are part of the view, such as grid lines and zero
lines, as well as lines that help you inspect data, such as trend lines, reference lines, and drop lines.

Forexample,youcanset trendlinestousearedcolorandanincreasedthickness:

Formathighlighters
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

The highlighter on your worksheet can be formatted to use a different font, style, color, background
color, font size, and border. Formatting highlighters allows you to better integrate them into your
dashboard or worksheet style. You can also edit the title that displays on each highlighter that
shows in the view.

Formoreinformationaboutusinghighlighters, seeHighlightDataPointsinContext.

Formatafiltercard

Filter cards contain controls that let users interact with your view. You can change filter cards to
use custom formatting. For example, the body text in the filters below is formatted to use the
Tableau Bold font, in aqua.

Formataparametercontrolcard

Parametercontrolsaresimilartofiltercardsinthattheycontaincontrolsthatletusersmodifythe view. If
you create a parameter control, you can customize how it looks. For example,in the view below,
the Sales Range parameter is formatted sothat the sales amount appears inorange.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Copyandpasteworksheetformatting(TableauDesktoponly)
After you format a worksheet, you can copy its formatting settings and paste them into other
worksheets. The settings that you can copy are anythingyou can setin the Format pane, with the
exception of reference lines and annotations. Adjustments like manual sizing and level of zoom
are not copied.
1. Selecttheworksheetfromwhichyouwanttocopyformatting.
2. Right-click(control-clickonMac)theworksheettabandselectCopyFormatting.
3. Selecttheworksheetyouwanttopastetheformattinginto.
4. Right-click(control-clickonMac)theworksheettabandselectPasteFormatting.
Access worksheet formatting settings from Tableau Cloud
AreyouformattingyourworksheetsonTableauDesktop?SeeAccessworksheetformattingsettings
from Tableau Desktop.
1. Displayaworksheet.
2. Fromthe toolbar, click Format >Worksheet, and then choose the part of the view that
you want to format, such as Font, Lines, or Borders and Dividers.

Formatfonts

For a view,you can specifythe font, style, size, and color for yourtext. Inthis example, thetext is
set to use the Tableau Bold font.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Rotatelabels

Tableau uses visual best practices to determine how label text is aligned in a view, but you can
also customize your alignment. For example, you can change the direction of label textso that it’s
horizontal (left to right) or vertical (up and down).

Torotateyourlabels,right-click(control-clickonMac)onalabelandselectRotateLabels.

Note:Tableauadherestoregionalstandardswhendetermining whentobeginorendlinebreaks.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Formatshading

Shadingsettingscontrolthebackgroundcoloroftheworksheet,pane,and headers.

Toaccessthesesettings,togoFormat>Worksheet>Shading.

You can also add banding, alternating color from row to row or column to column. Banding is
useful for text tables because the alternating shading helps your eye distinguish between
consecutive rows or columns.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Forrowandcolumnbanding,youcanusethefollowing options:

Paneand Header-Thecolorthebandsuse.

BandSize-Thethicknessofthebands.

Level-Ifyouhavenestedtableswithmultiplefieldsontherowsandcolumnsshelves,this option allows

you to add banding at a particular level.

Formatlines

You can control the appearance of the lines that are part of the view, such as grid lines and zero
lines. You can turn the lines on or off and format the line type (for example, solid, dotted, or
dashed) and the thickness ofthetimes. Youcanalso format the color andtheopacityofthe lines.

Forexample, youcanturnongrid linestohelpgivequantitativecuestotheviewer. Inthis example,

graydotted grid lines have been added to the viz.

You can also format trend lines, reference lines, and reference bands on the web. You can access
these formatting settings by clicking the tooltip on the line, or by clicking on the line while the
formatpaneis [Link] this example,the trendlinehas beenformatted tobe a solid greenline.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Formatinteractivecontrols

Youcanformatallofyourinteractivecontrols,includinglegends,filters,highlighters,and
parametersatthesame time using theInteractiveControlssectionofthe worksheet format pane.

Toaccessthesesettings,gotoFormat>Worksheet>InteractiveControls.

Ifyou'dlikethesecontrolstohaveconsistentformatting,formattingatthislevelwillsaveyou
[Link], you can format each interactive control individually.

Formatlegends:Ifyouhavealegendonyourworksheet,youcancustomizehowit [Link]
example,inthisexample,theSalesaboveBudgetlegendisformattedsothatthetitleisbolded and the
background is light gray.

YoucanaccesslegendsformattingbyeithergoingintoFormat>Legends,orbyclickinginto
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

[Link] the items

inthe legend, edit the title, or chooseto hide the title or legend throughthis menu.

Formatfilters

Filter cards contain controls that let users interact with your view. You can change filter cards to
use custom formatting. For example, the body text in the filter shown is set to Tableau Medium,
the title text is set to Tableau Semibold, the background is set to green with 50% opacity, and a
black border has been added.

Youcan accessFilters andSetsformattingbyeithergoinginto Format>FiltersandSets, orby clicking

into the menu on the Filter card and selecting Format Filters and Sets.
Formathighlighters

Thehighlighteronyourworksheetcanbeformattedtocustomizeyourfont,backgroundcolor,
[Link]
worksheet style. You can also edit the title that displays on each highlighter that shows in the
view.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

You can access highlighter formatting by either going into Format>Highlighters, or by clicking
into the menu on the Highlighter card and selecting Format Highlighters.

Formoreinformationaboutusinghighlighters,see HighlightDataPointsinContext
Formatparameters

Parametercontrolsaresimilartofiltercardsinthattheycontaincontrolsthatletusersmodifythe view. If
you create a parameter control, you can customize how it looks. For example, in the
viewbelow,theNewBusinessGrowthparameterisformattedsothatthegrowthpercentagetext appears
in green.

YoucanaccessParametersformattingbyeithergoing into Format>Parameters,orbyclicking into the

menu on the parameter card and selecting Format Parameters.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Formatbordersanddividers

Borders are the lines that surround the table, pane, and headers in a view. You can specify the
border style, width, and color for the pane and header areas. Additionally,you can format the row
and column dividers. For example,in this view the Row Divider borders are formatted tousea
blue color.

Row and column dividers serve to visually break up a view and are most commonly used in nested
text tables. You can modify the style, width, color, and level of the borders that divide each rowor
each column using the row and column divider drop-downs.

By default, the Pane and Header dividers areformatted simultaneously to save you time. If you'd
like the pane and the headers to have different formatting, click the link icon to unlink the
formatting and format each member separately.

You can also switch the formatting settings for Row and Column Dividers on or off to hide
stylingoptionsyoudon'[Link],RowDividersformatting isturnedoff,and
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

theColumnDividerspaneandheaderformattingisunlinked.

Rowandcolumn dividerlevelsettings

Thelevelrefersto [Link],if youhavetwofieldson your

measures column, such as category and sub-category, you can choose to have row dividers
justbycategory(level1) or bycategoryand sub-category(level 2).

Inthisexample,therowdividerissetatlevel2.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

5. EditingandFormattingAxes,ManipulatingDatainTableaudata,PivotingTableau data.

When you add a continuous field (a field with a green background) to the Columns or Rows shelf,
it adds an axis to the view. An axis shows data points that lie within a range of values. For each
axis, you can specifythe range, scale, and tick mark properties.

Double-click an axis to open the Edit Axis dialog box and change the axis configuration and
formatting. If you can't edit the axis, see Why can't I edit my axis?

In this example, the Profit field (a continuous measure) on the Rows shelf creates a vertical axis,
and the Order Date field (a continuous date dimension) on the Columns shelf createsa horizontal
axis.

Edit anaxisrange

Toeditanaxisrange,double-clicktheaxisthatyouwanttoedit.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

When you select an axis, the marks associated with the axis are not selected so that you can edit
and format the axis without modifying the marks.

To select the marks associated with the axis, right-click the axis and select Select Marks. You
can also select each mark individually. For more information, see Select marks(Link opens in anew
window).

Whycan'tIeditmyaxis?

Ifyoucan't editanaxis,it'smostlikelyaheaderratherthanaxis.

• Continuous fields (green background) on the Rows and Columns shelves create axes in
the view. When you right-click an axis, you will see this menu:

• Discrete fields (blue background)onthe Rows and Columns shelves create headers, not
axes. When you right-click a header, you will see this menu:
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Youcanedittheformatting ofheadersbyright-clicking aheader,andthenselectingFormat.

Formoredetailsonformattingheadersandfieldlabels,seeFormatattheWorksheetLevelandFormatFiel
[Link], see Dimensions and Measures, Blue
and Green.
Hideandreshowaxesand headers

Ifyou havehidden an axis oraheaderin the view, you can showit again from its related field in the
view.

Tohideanaxis

Right-click (control-click on Mac) the axis in the view, and then clear the checkmark nextto the
Show Header option.

Toshowapreviouslyhiddenaxis

Right-click (control-click on Mac) the continuous field in the view that is associated with axis you
want to show, click its drop downmenu, and then click Show Header.

Changean axisrange

Youcanlimittheaxisrangetofocustheviewoncertaindatapoints.

For example, assume your view shows sales over four years. The automatic axis might show a
range from 0 to $750,000. If sales never gobelow $470,000, you can adjust the axis range to start
at $470,000to keep the focus on where the data points actually lie.

Tochangeanaxisrange:
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

1. [Link] canalsoright-click(control-clickon Mac) the

axis, and then select Edit Axis.

2. IntheEditAxisdialogbox,selectoneofthefollowing options:

o [Link].

o Uniform axis [Link]

maximum data range for all panes in the view.

o Independent axis ranges for each row or column. Makes the axis range
independent. The axis range varies for each pane in the view, depending on the
range of data in each pane.

o Fixed. Specifies to start and/or end the axis at a specific value. You can fix both
ends of the axis or only one end. When you fix both ends of the axis, the axis range
is determined by the values you specify. When you fix only one end of the axis,
you must settheother endoftheaxis asautomatic, uniform, orindependent.

3. You can alsospecify [Link] Includezerocheck box, the

axis range adjusts to show onlythe range ofvalues in the data.

4. ClickOK.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Changetheaxisscaleto reversedorlogarithmic

AxisscaleoptionsincludeReversed andLogarithmic.

WhenyouselectLogarithmic,[Link] data
that contains positive, 0, or negative values on a log scale axis, and is best used to visualize large
negative values on a logarithmic scale, as well as large positive values, or both. For related details,
see About the symmetric log axis transform.
Tochangethescaleofanaxis:
1. Double-click the axis that you want to edit. You can also right-click (control-click on Mac)
the axis, and then select Edit Axis.
2. In the Edit Axis dialog box, on the General tab, select Reversed or Logarithmic for the
axis scale.
Theoptionto chooseSymmetricorPositive isonlyavailablewhentheaxisrangeextends outside
of the closed interval [-10, 10].
Logarithmic: Select Positive or Symmetric for the log scale. The Symmetric option
displays datathat contains positive, 0, and negativevalueson alog scale axis. By default, the
tick marks are drawn at powers of ten, but you can specify any base thatis greater than 1.

3. ClicktheTickMarkstabandselectoneofthefollowing options:

o Automatic-themajortickmarksaredrawnatpowersof10.

o Fixed- themajor tickmarks are drawn ata specified exponent. Type anumber into
the Powers of text box.

o None-majortickmarksarenot shown.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

4. When finished, click OK.

PivotDatafromColumnstoRows

Sometimes, analyzing data that is stored in a crosstab format can be difficult in Tableau. When
workingwithMicrosoftExcel,textfile,GoogleSheets,[Link],youcanpivotyour data
from crosstab format into columnar format. If you are working with other data sources, you can
Pivotusing custom SQL (Tableau Desktop).

Pivotthedata

After you have set up the data source, in the grid, select two or more columns. Click the drop-
down arrow next to the column name, and then select Pivot. New columns called "Pivot field
names" and "Pivot field values" are created and added to the data source. The new columns replace
the original columns that you selected to create the pivot.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Add tothepivot

To add more data to the pivot, select another column, click the drop-down arrow next to the column
name, and then select Add Data to Pivot. Make sure that the pivot columns and values look as
expected before you begin your analysis.

To remove a pivot, click the drop-down arrow next to the name ofa pivot column,and then select
Remove Pivot.
Troubleshootingpivots

• Red fields in the view and fields with exclamation points in the Data pane: Because the
original fields are replaced with new pivot fields, any references to the original fields in the
view will no longer work. They cause fields to become red in the view or show a red
exclamation point next to the field in the Data pane.

• Null values in the grid: If all of the original fields used in the pivot are removed, for
example in an extract refresh, null values display in the pivot fields.

• No pivot option: Pivot appears when you select two or more columns in a single Microsoft
Excel, text file, Google Sheets, and .pdf data source. If using a different data source in
Tableau Desktop, you can use custom SQL to pivot.

PivotusingcustomSQL(Tableau Desktop)

You can also use custom SQL to pivot your data, even if you aren't working Excel, text file, Google
Sheets, and .pdf data sources. When you use the UNION ALL operator in a custom SQL query,
you cantake values fromdistinct columns and put theminto a new column.

Forexample,supposeyouhaveatablecalledContest.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Contest
Runner StartTime End Time
Amanda 9/3/2016 3:04PM 9/3/20163:25PM
Oscar 9/3/2016 3:04PM 9/3/20163:21PM
William 9/3/2016 3:04PM 9/3/20163:16PM

Tooptimize your analysis ofthis data inTableau,you canuse the following customSQLquery to
pivot the "Start Time" and "End Time" columns so that their values are ina single column.
Select[Runner]
,'Start'as[Action]
,[StartTime]as[Time]
From[Contest]
Union ALL
Select[Runner]
,'End'as[Action]
,[EndTime]as[Time]
From[Contest]

TheabovecustomSQLquerydoesthefollowing:

• PivotstheStart Timecolumn header into astring valuecalledStartand addsthat value to a

new column called Action.

• PivotstheEndTimecolumn header intoastring valuecalledEndand addsthat valueto a new

column called Action.

• PivotstheStartTimeandEndTimecolumnssothattheirvaluesareinanewcolumn called
Time.

ThefollowingtableshowstheresultsofthiscustomSQLquery.
Runner Action Time

Amanda Start 9/3/20163:04PM

Oscar Start 9/3/20163:04PM

William Start 9/3/20163:04PM

Amanda End 9/3/20163:25PM

 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Runner Action Time

Oscar End 9/3/20163:21PM

William End 9/3/20163:16PM

TopivotdatausingcustomSQL

1. Connecttoyourdata.

2. Double-clicktheNew CustomSQLoption inthe left pane. Formoreinformation, see

Connect to a Custom SQL Query.

3. In theEditCustom SQL dialogbox,copy andpaste thefollowingcustom SQL query and

replace the contents with information about your table:
Select[StaticColumn]
,'NewValue(fromColumnHeader1)'as[NewColumnHeader]
,[PivotColumn Values1]as [NewValues]
From[Table]
UnionALL
Select[StaticColumn]
,'NewValue(fromColumnHeader 2'as[NewColumn Header]
,[PivotColumn Values2]as [NewValues]
From[Table]
UnionALL
Select[StaticColumn]
,'NewValue(fromColumnHeader 3'as[NewColumn Header]
,[PivotColumn Values3]as [NewValues]
From[Table]

Wherethefollowingistrue:

o StaticColumn:Acomma-delimitedlistofthecolumnsfromTable,both
dimensions and measures, which should not be included in the pivot.

o New Value (from Column Header 1-3): New names that you give to the original
column headers, which are used as row values in the pivot.

o PivotColumn Values 1-3: The columns whosevalues needtobe pivoted intoa

single column.

o NewColumn Header: The name you give the new column that contains the new
row values from New Value (from Column Header 1-3).
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

o NewValues:Thenamegivethenewcolumnthatcontainstheoriginalvalues from
Pivot Column Values 1-3.

o Table:Thetablethatyouconnectedto.

4. ClickOK.

6. Structuringyourdata,SortingandfilteringTableaudata,PivotingTableau data.

The structure of your data may not be something you can control. The rest of this topic assumes
you have access to the raw data and the tools needed to shape it, such as Tableau Prep Builder.
However, there may be situations when you can't pivot or aggregate your data as desired. It is often
still possible to perform the analysis but you may need to change your calculations or how you
approach the data. For an example of how to perform the same analysis with different data
structures, see Tableau Prep Day in the Life Scenarios: Analysis with the Second DateinTableau
Desktop(Link opens in a new window). But if you can optimize the data structure it will likely
make your analysis much easier.

Data Structure

Tableau Desktop works best with data that is in tables formatted like a spreadsheet. That is, data
stored in rows and columns, with column headers in the first row. So what should be a row or
column?

Whatisarow?

A row, or record, can be anything from information around a transaction at a retail store, to weather
measurements at aspecific location, or stats about a social media post.

It's important to know what a record (row) in the data represents. This is the granularity of the
data.
Here,eachrecordisaday Here,eachrecordisamonth
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Tip:A best practice is to have a unique identifier (UID), a value that identifies each row as a unique
piece of data. Think of it like the social security number or URL of each record. In Superstore, that
would be Row ID. Note that not all data sets have a UID but it can't hurt to have one.

Try to make sure you can answer the question "What does a row in the data set represent?". This
is the same as answering "What does the TableName(Count) field represent?". If you can't
articulate that, the data might be structured poorly for analysis.
AggregationandGranularity

A column of data in a table comes into Tableau Desktop as a field in the data pane, but they are
essentially interchangeable terms. (We save the term column in Tableau Desktop for use in the
columns and rows shelf and to describe certain visualizations.) A field of data should contain
[Link] called values or members
(onlydiscrete dimensions contain members).

What values are allowed in a given field are determined by the domain of the field (see the note
below). For example, a column for "grocery store departments" might contain themembers
"deli""bakery", "produce", etc., but it wouldn't include "bread" or "salami" because those are
items,[Link] anotherway,thedomainofthedepartmentfieldislimitedtojust the
possible grocery store departments.

Additionally, a well-structured data set would have a column for "Sales" and a column for "Profit",
not asingle column for "Money", because profit is a separate concept fromsales.

• ThedomainoftheSalesfieldwouldbe values≥0,sincesalescannotbenegative.

• ThedomainoftheProfitfield,however, wouldbeallvalues,sinceprofitcanbenegative.

Note: Domain can also mean the values present in the data. If the column "grocery store
department" erroneously contained "salami", by this definition, that value would bein the domain
of the column. The definitions are slightly contradictory. One is the values that could or should be
there, the other is values that actually are there
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Categorizingfields

EachcolumninthedatatablecomesintoTableauDesktopasafield,whichappearsin the Data pane.

Fields in Tableau Desktop must be either a dimension or measure (separated by a
linewithintablesin the Datapane)and eitherdiscreteorcontinuous(colorcoded:bluefields are discrete
and green fields are continuous).

• Dimensions are qualitative, meaning they can't be measured but are instead described.
Dimensions are often things like city or country, eye color, category, team name, etc.
Dimensions are usually discrete.

• Measures are quantitative, meaning they can be measured and recorded with numbers.
Measures can be things like sales, height, clicks, etc. In Tableau Desktop, measures are
automatically aggregated; the default aggregation is SUM. Measures are usually
continuous.

• Discrete means individually separate or distinct. Toyota is distinct from Mazda. In Tableau
Desktop, discrete values come into the view as a labeland theycreate panes.

• Continuous means forming an unbroken, continuous whole. 7 is followed by 8 and then it's
the same distance to 9, and 7.5 would fall midway between 7 and 8. In Tableau Desktop,
continuous values come into the view as an axis.

• Dimensions are usually discrete, and measures are usually continuous. However, this is not
always the case. Dates can be either discrete or continuous.

o Dates are dimensions and automatically come into the view as discrete (aka date
parts, such as "August", which considers the month of Augustwithoutconsidering
other information like the year). A trendline applied to a timeline with discrete dates
will be broken into multiple trend lines, one per pane.

o We can chose to use continuous dates if preferred (aka date truncations, such as
"August 2024", which is different than "August 2025"). A trend line applied to a
timeline with continuous dates will have a single trend linefor the entire dateaxis.

Tip: For more information, see the training video Understanding Pill TypesorDimensions
andMeasures, Blue and Green in the Help.

In Tableau Prep, no distinction is made for dimensions or measures. Understanding the concepts
behind discrete or continuous are important, however, for things like understanding the detail
versus summary presentation of data in the profile pane.

• Detail: the detail view shows every domain element as a discrete label and has a visual
scrollbar to provide a visual overview of all the data.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

• Summary:thesummaryviewshowsthevaluesasbinnedonacontinuous axisasa
histogram.

Binning&Histograms

A fieldlike age or salary is considered continuous. There is a relationship between the age 34 and
35, and 34 is as far from 35 as 35 is from 36. However, once we're past age 10 or so, we usually
stop saying things like we're "9 and a half" or "7 and ¾". We’re already binning our age to neat
year-sized increments. Someone who is 12,850 days old is older than someone who is 12,790 days
old, but we draw a line and say they're both 35. Similarly, age groupings are often used in place of
actual ages. Child prices for movie tickets might be for kids 12 and under, or a survey may ask
you to selectyour age group, such as 20-24, 25-30, etc.

Histograms are used to visualize the distribution of numerical data using binning. A histogram is
similar to a bar chart, but rather than being discrete categories per bar, the rectangles making up
thehistogram span a bin ofacontinuous axis, such as rangeofthenumber ofblossoms (0-4, 5-9, 10-
14, etc.). The height of the rectangles is determined by frequency or count of those values. Here,
they-axisisthecountofplantsthat fallinto eachbin.Sevenplantshave0-4blossoms,two plants have 5-9
blossoms, and 43 plants have 20-24 blossoms.

In Tableau Prep, the summary view is a histogram of binned values. The detail view shows the
frequency for every value and has a visual scrollbar off to the side that shows the overall
distribution of the data.
Summaryview Detailview
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Distributionsandoutliers

Seeingthedistributionofadatasetcanhelpwithoutlierdetection.

• Distribution: the shape of the data in a histogram, though this depends on the size of the
bins. Being able to see all your data in a histogram view can help identify if the data seems
correct and [Link] will only beofuseifyou know the data and
can interpret whether or not the distribution makes sense.

o For example, if we were to look at a data set of the number of homes with broadband
internet from 1940-2017, we'd expect to see a veryskewed distribution. However,
if we were to look at the number of homes with broadband internet from January
2017 to December 2017 we'd expect a fairly uniform distribution.

o If we were to look at a data set of Google searches for "Pumpkin Spice Latte", we'd
expect to see a fairly sharp peak in the fall, whereas searches for “"convert Celsius
to Fahrenheit" would likely be fairly stable.

• Outlier: a value that is extreme compared to other values. Outliers may be correct values
or they may be indicative of an error.

o Some outliers are correct and indicate actual anomalies; these should not be
removed or modified.
 ITDEPARTMENT SKILLDEVELOPMENT COURSE

o Someoutliersindicateissueswithdatacleanliness,suchasasalaryof$50instead
of$50,000 because a period was typed instead ofthe comma.
Visualoutlierdetectionwithdistributions

DataTypes

Databases, unlike spreadsheets, usually enforce strict rules on data types. Data types classify the
data in a given field and provide information about how the data should beformatted, interpreted,
and what operations can bedoneto that [Link], numerical fields can have mathematical
operations applied to themand geographic fields can be mapped.

Tableau Desktop assigns whether a field is a dimension or measure, but fields have other
characteristics that depend on their data type. These are indicated by the icon each field has (though
some types share an icon). Tableau Prep usesthe same data types. If data type is enforced on a
column and an existing value doesn't match its assigned data type, it may be displayed as null
(because "purple" doesn't mean anything as a number).

Some functions require specific data types. For example, you cannot use CONTAINS with a
numerical field. Type functions are used to change the data type of a field. For example,
DATEPARSE can take a text date in a specific format and make it a date, thus enabling things like
automatic drill down in the view.
ICON DATATYPE
Text(string)values
Datevalues
Date&Timevalues
Numericalvalues
Booleanvalues(relationalonly)
Geographicvalues(usedwithmaps)

Tip:Formoreinformation,refer totheHelparticleonDataTypes.

Pivotand UnpivotData

People-friendly data is often captured and recorded in a wide format, with many columns.
Machine-readable data, like Tableau prefers, is better in a tall format, with fewer columns and
more rows.

Note: Traditionally, pivoting data means going from tall to wide (rows to columns), and unpivoting
means goingfrom wide to tall (columnstorows).However,Tableauusestheword pivot to mean going
from wide (people-friendly) to tall (machine-readable) by turning columns into rows. In this
document, pivot will be refer to the Tableau sense of the word. For
clarity,itcanhelptospecify"pivotcolumnstorows"or"pivotrowstocolumns".

For more information, refer to the Help articles Pivot Your Data and Tips for Working with
yourData.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Wide data:In the WHO malaria data set, there is a column for country, then a
column per year. Each cell represents the number of cases of malaria for that
country and year. In this format we have 108 rows and 16 columns.

It's easy for a person to read and understand this format. However, if we were to bring this data
into Tableau Desktop, we get a field per column. We have a field for 2000, a field for 2001, a field
for 2002, etc.

To think of it another way, there are 15 fields that all represent the same basic thing—number of
reported cases of malaria—and no single field for time. This makes it very hard to do analysis
across time as the data is stored in separate fields.
Example:workingwithwide data

Another indication that this format isn't ideal for analysis can be seen in the fact that nowheredo
we have informationabout what the actualvalues mean. For Algeria in2012, we havethe value
[Link]?It'snotclearfromthestructureofthedata.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

If the name of the column isn't describing what the values are but rather conveys additional
information, this is a sign the data needs to be pivoted.

Talldata

Ifwepivot the data, wereshape thedata from wideto tall. Now, rather than having acolumn for each
year, we have a single column, Year, and a new column, Reported Cases. In this format we have
1,606 rows and 3 columns. This data format is taller rather than wider.

Now in Tableau Desktop, we have a field for Year and a field for Reported Cases as well as the
original Country field. It's much easier to do analysis because each field represents a unique quality
about the data set—location, time, and value.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Note: this image has not been updated to reflect the most current UI. The Data pane no longer
shows Dimensions and Measures as labels.
Example:workingwithtalldata

Nowit'seasytoseethatforAlgeriain2012,the55referstothenumberofreportedcases (because we could

label this new column).

Normalization:Relationaldatabasesaremadeupofmultipletablesthatcanberelatedorlinked together
in some way. Each table contains a unique identifier, or key, per record. By relating or joining on
the keys, records can be linked to provide more information than is contained in a single table.
What information goes into each table is dependent on the data model used, but the general
principle is around reducing duplication.

For example, consider event planning for an event like a wedding. We need to keep track of
informationat the levelofgroups (suchas familiesor couples) as wellas the levelofindividuals.

Atablecouldbecreatedthatcombinesalltheinformationtogether:
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

However, if an address is incorrect and needs to be fixed, it must be fixed across multiple rows,
potentially leading to errors or conflicts. A better structure is to create two tables, one for
information that pertains to the group (such as address and if the invitation was sent) and one for
information pertaining to the individuals (for things like seating assignments and dietary
restrictions).
Grouptable Individualtable

It's much easier to track and analyze group-level information in the group table and individual-
level information in the individual table. For example, the number of chairs needed can be obtained
from the number of Attending = Yes records in the individual table, and the number of stamps
needed for thank-yous can be obtained from the number of records in the group table where Gift
isn't null.

The process of breaking up all the data into multiple tables—and figuring out which table contains
which columns—is called normalization. Normalization helps reduce redundantdata and simplifies
the organization of the database.

So why didn't we just keep the original denormalized table? It is harder to maintain and was storing
redundant information. At scale, the level of data duplication can be come massive. Storing the
same information over and over isn't efficient.
Normalizedtableshaveafewkeyproperties:
• Eachrowneedsauniqueidentifier
• Each table needs a column or columns that can be used to connect it back to other tables
(key).

These shared (key) columns are used for relating or joining tables back [Link] our data, the
relationship or join clause would be onthe Group field in each table.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

JoinTypes

7. Advanced Visualization Tools: Using Filters, Using the Detail panel, using the Size panels,
customizing filters, Using and Customizing tooltips, Formatting your data with colors.

After youcreateadashboard, you might needto resizeand reorganize it to workbetter for your users.

Controloveralldashboardsize

Dashboard size options

Fixed size (default): The dashboard remains the same size, regardless of the size of the
window used to display it. If the dashboard is larger than the window, it becomes scrollable.
You can pick from a preset size or specifya custom size.

Fixed size dashboards let you specify the exact location and position of the content on the
dashboard, which can be useful if there are floating objects.

Published dashboardsthat useafixedsize canload fasterbecause they'remore likelyto use

[Link],seeOptimizeWorkbook
Performance.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Range: The dashboard scalesbetween minimum and maximum sizes that you specify. If the
window used to display the dashboard is smaller than the minimum size, scroll bars are
displayed. If it's larger than the maximum size, white space is displayed.

Use this setting when you're designing for two different display sizes that need the same
content and have similar shapes—such as small- and medium-sized browserwindows. Range
also works well for mobile dashboards with vertical layouts, where the width may change to
account for different mobile device widths, but the height is fixed to allow for vertical
scrolling.
Automatic:Thedashboardautomaticallyresizestofillthewindowusedtodisplayit.

Use this setting if you want Tableau to take care of any resizing. For best results, use a tiled
(ratherthanfloating)[Link]
differentscreens,so usethissetting with caution ifyou don'tknowwherethedashboardwill be
consumed.

Dashboards with variable sizes need to be freshly rendered for every browser request which
can have a performance impact.

Setoveralldashboardsize

• UnderSizeontheDashboardpane,selectthedashboard'sdimensions(suchasDesktop
Browser) or sizing behavior (such as Fixed size).

Groupitemsusinglayoutcontainers

Layout containers let you group related dashboard items together so you can quickly position them.
As you change the size and placement of items inside a container, other container items
automatically adjust. Layout containers can also be used for formatting.

Layoutcontainertypes
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

A horizontal layoutcontainerresizesthewidth of theviews and objectsitcontains; avertical layout

container adjusts height.
Horizontallayoutcontainer Verticallayoutcontainer

[Link]

Addalayout container

1. UnderObjectsontheDashboardpane,selectHorizontalorVertical.

2. Dragthecontainer tothedashboard.

3. Addviewsandobjectstothe layoutcontainer.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Evenlydistributealayoutcontainer'sitems

1. [Link],selectanindividualitem within the

container and choose Select Container from its shortcut menu.

2. Withthelayoutcontainerselected,chooseDistributeEvenlyfromitsshortcutmenu:
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Items that are already within the layout container arrange themselves evenly; any items
you add will do the same.

Automaticallyresizesheetsinlayoutcontainers

Ifyou add multiplesheets with related datato alayout container,whenever marks areselectedin one
sheet, you can automatically resize related sheets.

In this example, when a mark is selected in the map, the bar chart updates to display profit and
sales for that mark; when no marks are selected in the map, it automatically expands to fill the
layout container.

1. Add multiplesheetswithrelateddatatoalayoutcontainer.

2. Fromthedrop-downmenuofthesheetyouwant toexpand,chooseUseasFilter.

3. ChooseDashboard>Actions,anddouble-clickthegeneratedfilter youjustcreated.

4. In theTarget Sheetssection ofthe EditFilter Action dialog box, select the other sheets in
the layout container.

5. Tocontrolhowtarget sheetsresizewhenno marksareselected inthesourcesheet,select one of

the following:

o Showallvaluesreturnstargetsheetstotheiroriginalsize,showingalldata.

o Excludeallvaluescollapsestargetsheetsundertheirtitles, hidingalldata.

Removealayoutcontainertoindependentlyedititemsit contains

1. Select the container either onthe dashboard or in the Item hierarchyarea ofthe Layout
pane.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

2. Fromthedrop-downmenuatthetopofthecontainer,selectRemoveContainer. Tile
or float dashboard items

[Link]

Eachobject, layout container, andviewthat youplaceonadashboard iseither tiled(thedefault) or

floating.
Tiledlayout Floatinglayout
Tileditemsdon't overlap;theybecomepart ofa [Link] the
single-layergridthatresizesbasedontheoverall example below, a map floats over tiled views.
dashboard size.

For best results, give floating objects and views a

fixed size and position on a fixed size dashboard.

Floatortileanewitem

1. Under Objects in the Dashboard pane, click the layout option you want to
use: Floating or Tiled.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

2. Dragthevieworobjectontothedashboardontheright.

Tip: Youcanalso assignafloating layout to anitembyholding downShiftonyour keyboardas you

drag it onto the dashboard.

Switchanexistingitemfromtiledtofloating

1. Selecttheiteminthedashboard.

2. Intheitem'sshortcutmenu,selectFloating:
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Size,position,reorder,andrenameindividualdashboarditems Set

an item's size and position

Ifyouwantahighdegreeofcontrolovertheplacementofeveryiteminadashboard, choose Fixed size or

Range for overall dashboard sizing, and then set each item's size and position using the Layout
pane.

1. Select the dashboard item you want to position and size. In the Layout pane, the item's
name appears under Selected item.

Tip:ToquicklytogglebetweentheDashboardandLayoutpanes,presstheTkey.

2. Define the item's position x and y position in pixels as an offset from the top leftcorner of
the dashboard. For example, to place an object in the top left corner of the dashboard,
specify x = 0 and y = 0.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Thevaluesyou entercanbepositiveornegativebutmustbewholenumbers.

3. To resize an item, click and dragitin the [Link] can alsouse the settingsunder Size.

4. To hide the title of the item you have selected, clear the Show title check box. (The similar
Show dashboard title check box on the Dashboard pane controls the overall dashboard
title.)

Tip:Toquicklypositionfloatingitems,press arrowkeystomove1pixel, orShift+arrowkeysto move 10

pixels. To quickly resize items, add Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) to these shortcuts.

Align itemswithagrid

Topresentavisuallyconsistentdesign,arrangeandsizedashboarditemsoveragrid.

1. ChooseDashboard >ShowGrid.

2. Tochangethegridsize,chooseDashboard>GridOptions.

Tip: To quickly toggle the grid on and off, press the G key.

Reorder objects

The Item hierarchy area on the Layout pane lets you quickly change how objects are layered and
grouped on your dashboard. Items at the top of the list appear in the front, while items at the bottom
appearin back.
Reorderanyobject inTableauCloud orTableauServer

In Tableau Cloud and Tableau Server, you can reorder both tiled and floating objects in the
hierarchy. You can also drag items both withintheir current containers, and into othercontainers at
any level. This lets you nest items with more flexibility than editing on the canvas, which limits
you to placing objects in the innermost container.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

ReorderfloatingobjectsinTableauDesktop

In Tableau Desktop, you can drag floating items at the top level of the hierarchy to change how
they layer over each other.

Renameitems

Tobetterdistinguishbetweendashboarditems,youcanrenamethem.

In the Item hierarchy area of the Layout pane, right-click an item, and choose Rename
Dashboard Item. On the dashboard itself, this command is also available from the drop-down
menu for each object.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Addpadding,borders,andbackgroundcolorsarounditems

Padding lets you precisely space items on dashboard, while borders and background colors let you
visually highlight them. Inner padding sets the spacing between item contents and the perimeter
of the border and background color; outer padding provides additional spacing beyond the border
and background color.

Note:Ifyoucan'tchangetheborderorbackgroundcolorforaparticulardashboarditem,change its
formatting at the worksheet level.

[Link]

1. Selectanindividualitem,oryourentiredashboard.

2. On theLayouttab at left, specify border style and color, background color and opacity, or
padding size in pixels.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Herearesomehandydashboardspacing tips:

• To preciselyalign one dashboard itemwith another, deselect All sides equal, and adjust
padding for only one side.

• Tocreateseamlessdesigns,specifyzeroouterpadding foradjoining items.

Visuallyintegrateelementswithtransparency

Transparentelementscreateaseamlessvisuallookforyourdashboards,revealingunderlying objects and

images.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Tip: To create a background image that shows through floating transparent elements, add an image
object as the only tiled item. Fixed-size dashboards ensure that the floating elements maintain a
consistent visual relationship with the image, regardless of screen size.

Makeworksheetbackgroundstransparent

1. Inyourdashboard,selectthesheet.

2. Choose Format >Shading, click the Worksheet menu, and choose None for the
background color.

If the sheet appears opaque, change the background color to None for the underlying
dashboard, object, or layout container. You can quickly adjust these items on the Layout
tab for the dashboard.

3. Tosmoothlyintegratethetransparentsheetwithotherdashboarditems, choose Format

>Borders and Format >Lines, and either remove borders and lines or change their colors.
Additionalstepsfortransparentmaps

1. ChooseFormat>Shading,clickthePanemenu, andchooseNoneforthecolor.

2. Choose Map >Map Layers, and deselect the opaque Base layer. Then, to make transparent
maps more distinct when zoomed out, select the Coastline layer.

Depending on the map style, you also may need to experiment with turning other layers on
or off.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Makeasheetpartiallytransparent

1. IntheLayoutpaneforthedashboard,select the sheet.

2. ClicktheBackground color,andsetthecolorandopacity.

Floattransparentlegends,filters,highlighters,andparameters

To visuallyconnect filters, parameters, and highlightersto related data, float these items, which
aretransparent bydefault. Text always remains fullyopaque, maintaining legibility.

Ifafloatingobjectcontinuestodisplayacolor,checktheseobject-andworksheet-levelsettings:
• Selecttheobject,andontheLayouttab,clicktheBackground color,andchooseNone.
• ClicktheFormatmenu,andthenchooseLegends,Filters,Highlighters,
[Link], intheFormat paneat left,chooseShading>None.

8. CreatingDashboards&Storytelling,creatingyourfirstdashboardandStory,Designfor
different displays, adding interactivity to your Dashboard, Distributing & Publishing your
Visualization.
Createadashboard, andaddorreplace sheets
Youcreateadashboard inmuchthesamewayyoucreateanewworksheet.
1. Atthebottomoftheworkbook, clicktheNewDashboardicon:
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

2. FromtheSheetslistatleft,dragviewstoyourdashboardatright.

3. Toreplace asheet, select it inthedashboard at right. IntheSheets list at left, hoverover the
replacement sheet, and click the Swap Sheets button.

Note: When you replace a sheet, Tableau retains any padding, border, or background color.
However, you may need to adjust sheet size if content differs significantly. You may also
need to delete dashboard items specific to the previous sheet, such as filters, which become
blank.
Addinteractivity

Youcanaddinteractivitytodashboardstoenhance users'[Link] techniques:

• Inthe upper corner ofsheet, enable the Use as Filteroptionto use selected marks in the
sheet as filters for other sheets in the dashboard.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

• When authoring in Tableau Desktop, add actions to use multiple sheets

asfilters,navigatefromone sheettoanother, displayweb pages,and more. For details,see
Actionsand Dashboards.
Adddashboardobjectsandset theiroptions

In addition to sheets, you can add dashboard objects that add visual appeal and interactivity. Here's
guidance about each type:
• Horizontal and Vertical objects provide layout containers that let you group related
objectstogether and fine-tunehow your dashboard resizeswhenusers interact withthem.
• Textobjectscanprovideheaders,explanations,andother information.
• Image objects add to the visual flavor of a dashboard, and you can link them to specific
target URLs. (While Web Page objects can also be used for images, they are better for
complete web pages. The Image object provides image-specific fitting, linking, and alt-
text options.)
• Web Page objects display target pages in the context of your dashboard. Be sure to review
these web security options, and be aware that some web pages don't allow themselves to
be embedded—Google is one example.
Note:Forsecurityreasons,yourTableauadministratormaypreventWebPageand Image
objects from displaying target URLs.
• Blankobjectshelpyouadjustspacingbetweendashboarditems.
• Navigation objects let your audience navigate from one dashboard to another, or to other
sheets or stories. You can display text or an image to indicate the button's destination to
your users, specify custom border and background colors, and provide informational
tooltips.
• Download objects let your audience quickly create a PDF file, PowerPoint slide, or PNG
image of an entire dashboard, or a crosstab of selected sheets. Formatting options are
similar to Navigation objects.
Note:Crosstab download is possible only after publishing to Tableau Cloud or Tableau
Server.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

• Extensionobjectslet youaddunique featurestodashboardsorintegratethemwith

applications outside Tableau.
• Ask Dataobjectsletusers enter conversationalqueriesforspecificdata sourcefields,
whichauthorsoptimize forspecificaudiencessuchassales, marketing, andsupport staff.

Addan object

FromtheObjectssectionatleft,and drag anitemtothedashboardontheright:

Copyobjects

You can copy and paste objects either within the current dashboard, or from dashboards in other
sheets and files. You can even copy objects between Tableau Desktop and Tableau in your web
browser.
Youcan't,however, copythefollowing:
• Sheets inadashboard
• Itemsthatrelyonaspecificsheet,suchasfilters, parameters,andlegends
• Layout containerswithsomethingyoucan'tcopyinsidethem,likeasheetorfilter
• Objectsonadevicelayout
• Dashboardtitles

Tip:Inadditiontothemenucommandsdescribedbelow,youcanalso usethestandardkeyboard
shortcuts for copying and pasting on your operating system.

1. Select a dashboard object, and fromthe objectmenu, select Copy Dashboard Item. Or
fromthe main menu, select Dashboard >Copy Selected Dashboard Item.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

2. Goto thedashboardwhereyouwanttopaste [Link] paste inthe

upper-left corner ofthe dashboard,or select anexisting itemto pastenext to.

3. InTableau Desktop, choose File>Paste. Inabrowser, either choose Edit>Pasteoruse the

keyboard shortcut for pasting.

4. Theobject ispasted10pixelsbelowandtotherightoftheupper-leftcornerofthe
dashboardorthe selected object. To move the pasted object, dragthe handle at the top.

Note:Copied Show/Hide buttons may target the originalobject or be disabled. For instructions
onhow to fix this, see Show and hide objects byclicking a button.

Setoptionsforobjects

Click the object to selectit. Thenclick the arrow inthe upper cornerto openthe shortcut menu. (The
menu options vary depending on the object.)
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

DetailedoptionsforImageobjects

With the Image object, you can either insert image files into dashboards or link to images posted
on the web. In either case, you can specify a URL the image opens when clicked, adding
interactivity to your dashboard.

Note:URLs for web-based images require the HTTPS prefix for improved security. For image
URLs with other prefixes, use the Web Page object.

1. From the Objects section at left, drag an Image object to your dashboard at right. Or, on an
existing Image object in a dashboard, click the pop-up menu in the upper corner, and
choose Edit Image.

2. Click either Insert Image File to embed an image file into the workbook or Link to Image
to link to a web-based image.

Consider linkingtoaweb-basedimagewhen:

o The image is very large and your dashboard audience will view it in a browser.
(Unlike web-based images, inserted images must be downloaded every time a sheet
opens, slowing performance.)

o The image is an animated GIF file. (Inserted images don't supportanimatedGIFs.)

 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

3. Ifyou're inserting animage, clickChooseto selectthefile. Ifyou're linking to animage,

enter its web URL.

4. Setremainingimagefitting,URLlinking,andalttextoptions.(Alttextdescribesthe image in
screen-reading applications for improved accessibility.)

DetailedoptionsforNavigationandDownloadobjects

Navigation and Download objects have severalunique options that help you visually indicate a
navigation destination or file format.

Anavigationbuttonusingtextforthebuttonstyle

1. Intheuppercorneroftheobject,clicktheobjectmenu,and chooseEdit Button.

2. Dooneofthefollowing:

o FromtheNavigatetomenu,chooseasheetoutsidethecurrentdashboard.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

o FromtheExporttomenu,chooseafileformat.

3. Choose image or text for ButtonStyle, specify the image or text you wantto appear, and
then set related formatting options.

4. For Tooltip text, add explanatory text that appears when viewers hover over the button.
This text is optional andtypically best used with image buttons. (For example, you might
enter "Open Sales viz" to clarify the destination for a navigation button that appears as a
miniature sales chart.)
PublishDataSourcesandWorkbooks:

Suppose you create a view that exposes a new range of questions in the data you’re using, and you
want to share this analysis with other people using this data. Or maybe you are your team’s Data
Steward, in charge of building the data models approved for use by analysts, and meeting your
organization’s requirements for security, compliance, performance, and so on.

You can share your work with the rest of your team by publishing itto Tableau Server or Tableau
Cloud. After it’s published, you and your team can access it through your web browser or the
Tableau mobile app. Publishing data sources can also help you to centralize data management.
Whypublish
Youcanpublishdatasourcesandworkbookswhenyouwanttowidentheaudienceforyour data analysis
within your organization. Bypublishing you canbegin to do the following:
• Collaborateandsharewithothers
Allow people in your organization to view, interact with, download, subscribe to, share,
edit, and save published views, even if they do not use Tableau Desktop. Incorporate views
into blog posts or websites.
• Centralizedataanddatabasedrivermanagement
Create and publish data models that everyone can use. Centralized data management
allows for sharing a single source for your Tableau data. All workbooks connected to the
published data reflect updates to it.
In addition, when you publish and connect to data on the server, people connecting to the
data from Tableau Desktop do not need to install and maintain database drivers on their
own computers.
• Supportmobility
Access your data from a different computer or location, through a web browser or the
Tableau Mobile iOS app. Sign in to your organization's Tableau Server from a private
networkoffsite.
Whatyoucanpublish
Contenttypesyoucanpublish include:
• Data sources: You can publish data sources that others can use to build new workbooks.
A data source can contain a direct (or live) connection to your database or an extract you
can refresh on a schedule.
Forinformation,seeBestPracticesforPublishedDataSources.
• Workbooks: Workbooks contain your views, dashboards, and stories, and data
[Link],suchasbackgroundimagesandcustom
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

geocoding, if they reside in alocation that the server or other Tableau users cannot access.
Who canpublish
To publish to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud, your server or site administrator must grant you
the following capabilities:
• AsiteroleofCreator(formerlyPublisher)onthesiteyou'republishingto.
• ViewandSavecapabilitiessettoAllowed ontheprojectintowhichyoupublish.
If you use Tableau Desktop and are not sure whether you can publish to a server, or you are
havingtroublepublishing,[Link]’reanadministrator, see Content
Access and Ownership(Link opens in a new window) in the Tableau Server help (or the Tableau
Cloud version(Link opens in a new window)) for more information about site roles and
permissions
PublishaDataSource
Appliesto:Tableau Desktop
When you are ready to make a data source available to other users, you can publish it to Tableau
Server or Tableau Cloud. If the data source is in a workbook thatyou published to Tableau Server
or Tableau Cloud, you can make it available by saving it, provided it’s anembedded Excelor text
file. For details, see Publish a Data Sourceonthe Web.
Note:Ifyouhaven't yet readabout best practices forcreatingdatasources andwhentocreatean
extract, see Best Practices for Published Data Sources.
Generalpublishingsteps
The following steps give an overview of the publishing workflow you will use regardless of the
type of data or the server you publish to. Below these steps you can find supplemental information
for authentication types and using Tableau Bridge.

1. SelectServer>PublishDataSource.

If your workbook is connected to multiple data sources, select the one youwant from the
Publish Data Sources submenu.

2. Ifyou’re not alreadysignedintoTableauServerorTableauCloud, signinnow.

How you sign in depends on how your administrator has set up your environment. For
information, see Sign in to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

3. InthePublishDataSourcedialogbox,dothefollowing:

o For Project, select the project you want to publish to and enter the data source
name.

o For Description and Tags, add a description and tags that will help youand other
users find it.

Separate tags using either a comma or a space. To add a tag that contains a space,
put it in quotation marks (e.g., “Sales Quotes”).

o For Refresh Schedule, if publishing an extract, you have the option to select a
refresh schedule to ensure that your extract data stays fresh. If you choose not to
select a schedule here, you can select a schedule from Tableau Server after
publishing.

Note: This option is not available when publishing from the Data Source page or
to Tableau Cloud.

o ForPermissions,acceptthedefault projectsettings.

Generally a site administrator manages permissions on the server. If you think your
data source is an exception, work with your administrator to determine the best
course of action, and see Set Permissions as You Publish a Data Source
orWorkbook.

o For Authentication, if you need to provide credentials to access your data, you can
specify how authentication should be handled when the data is published to the
server.

Theoptionsavailableforaccessingthedatasourcedependonthetypeofdatayou publish
and whether you are publishing to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud.

Information appears at the bottom of the dialog box to let you know whether you
need to take further action, such as adding Tableau Cloud to your data provider's
authorized list.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

For informationabout the authenticationtypes, seeSet Credentials for AccessingYour

Published Data.

4. Ifyouarepublishing file-based datathat isonaWindows mappeddrive, orusing images that

will not be available fromthe server, select Include external files.

When you include external files, copies of the files are put on the server as part of your
data source. Copies of files are also put on the server and included as part of the data source
when you publish extracts of multi-connection data sources that contain a connection to
file-based data such as Excel. For more information about the implications ofpublishing
extractsof multi-connection data sources, see Join Your Data

If you do not want to publish the external files to the server, change the connection
information so that the data source references a full UNC path. For example, rather than
connecting to D:\[Link], you would connect to \\filesrv\[Link].

5. By default, during the publishing process, Tableau updates the workbook connection to
use the new published data source. It also closes the localdata source.

To continue using the local data source instead, clear the Update workbook to use the
published data source check box.

Note: Ifyouselect Undoafterpublishingthedata source, Tableauwillreverttousingthe

localdatasource,butthe [Link],Tableaudoesnot replace
a local data source when you publish a cube (multidimensional) data source to Tableau
Server. (Tableau Cloud does not support publishing cube data sources.)

6. ClickPublish.

After publishing is complete, your web browser opens Ask Data for the data source, where
youcanask [Link], see Automatically
Build Views with Ask Data.

7. (Optional) Set up arefreshscheduleontheserver. For more information, seethe

following topics:

o ScheduleRefreshesonTableauServer(Link opensina newwindow)

o ScheduleRefreshesonTableauCloud(Linkopensinanewwindow)
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o ScheduleRefreshesUsingTableauBridge-seethesection below.

9. Tableau file types, publishing to Tableau Online, Sharing your visualizations, printing,
and Exporting.
AuthorizeAccessto CloudDataPublishedtoTableauCloud
Appliesto:Tableau Desktop

The information in this topic applies to you if you publish workbooks or data sources to Tableau
Cloud that contain live connections to cloud data—for example, Amazon, Google, [Link].

As a security measure, cloud data providers might require you to supply a list of authorized IP
addresses from which external applications request access to your data. A request from an IP
address that is not explicitly approved could be rejected. To make sure live connections you publish
to Tableau Cloud remain uninterrupted, add Tableau Cloud to your data provider’s allowlist (safe
list).

The table lists IP address ranges Tableau Cloud uses, depending on your site location. You can
see its location inthe URL that appears after you sign into Tableau Cloud.
Host Name(Instance) Site Location IPAddress orRange
[Link] USWest-Oregon [Link]

[Link]
[Link] USWest-Oregon [Link]

[Link]
[Link] USWest-Oregon [Link]

[Link]
[Link] USWest-Oregon [Link]

[Link]
[Link] USEast-Virginia [Link]

[Link]
[Link] USEast-Virginia [Link]/28
[Link] USEast-Virginia [Link]/28
[Link] EUWest-Ireland [Link]
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Host Name(Instance) Site Location IPAddress orRange

[Link]
[Link] EUWest-Ireland [Link]

[Link]
[Link] AsiaPacific-Japan [Link]/28
[Link] AsiaPacific-Australia [Link]/28
[Link] EUWest-UK [Link]/28
[Link] Canada- Quebec [Link]/28

TheseaddressesarededicatedtoandcontrolledbyTableau.

Note: In addition to enabling communication over the Tableau Cloud IP range,you might need to
enable access over the appropriate database port (for example, 80 or 443) depending on the
communication type (HTTP or HTTPS).
ExportViews fromTableauDesktoptoAnotherApplication
Appliesto:TableauDesktop

There are severalways to get views and workbooks out ofTableau Desktop and into a
presentation, report, or web page.

Note:Ifyou're using Tableau Cloud orTableau Server, instead see Download

ViewsandWorkbooks and Link to a PNG, PDF, or CSV ofa View.
Copyaviewasanimage

You can quickly copy an individual view as an image and paste it into another application, such
as Microsoft Word or Excel. If you're using Tableau Desktop on macOS, a TIFF (Tagged Image
File Format) image is copied tothe clipboard. OnWindows, a BMP (Bitmap) image is copied.

1. SelectWorksheet>Copy>Image.

2. In the Copy Image dialogbox,select the elementsyou want toincludein [Link] the
view contains a legend, under Image Options, select the legend layout.

3. ClickCopy.

4. Openthetargetapplicationandpastetheimagefromtheclipboard.
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Exportaviewasanimagefile

To create an image file that you can reuse, export the view rather than copy it. You can choose
BMP, JPEG, PNG, orSVGimage fileformats on macOS or Windows. Note,however,that SVG
substitutes Tableau fonts (Tableau Regular, Tableau Semibold, etc.) with a similar font.

1. SelectWorksheet>Export>Image.

2. Inthe Export Image dialog box, select the elements you wantto include inthe image. If
the view contains a legend, under Image Options, select the legend layout.

3. ClickSave.

4. IntheSaveImagedialogbox,specifyafilelocation,name,[Link] Save. Export

as a PowerPoint presentation

When you export a workbook to Microsoft PowerPoint format, selected sheets become static PNG
images on separate slides. If you export a story sheet, all story points export as separate slides.
Any filters currently applied in Tableau are reflected in the exported presentation.

Tip:To optimize a dashboard for PowerPoint, onthe Dashboardtab, choose Size>Fixed Size
>PowerPoint (1600 x 900).

ToexportaworkbooktoPowerPoint:

1. SelectFile>ExportasPowerPoint.

2. Selectthesheetsyouwanttoincludeinthepresentation.(Hiddensheetscanalsobe included.)

The exported PowerPoint file reflects the file nameof your workbook, andthetitle slide
states the workbook name and the date the file was generated.

Tip:ChooseFile>PageSetuptoshoworhidetitles,views,legends,and captionsforan individual sheet.

(These options in the Show section aren't available for dashboards.)
ExporttoPDF

To create a vector-based file that embeds the Tableau fonts, print to PDF. After customizing the
layout of page elements using the File >Page Setup dialog, choose File >Print to PDF. For
detailed instructions, see Print Views fromTableau Desktop
PrintViewsfromTableauDesktop
Appliesto:Tableau Desktop

Beforeprinting, specifyhow youwant the printedpageto lookusing the PageSetup dialogbox. Then
print to a printer or PDF.
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Setupthe page

You can apply different page setup options for each worksheet in a workbook, For example,
worksheets canprint with titles showing or hidden, withunique page orientation, and more.

Tobegin,selectFile>PageSetup.

Generalsettings(available forindividualsheets,notdashboards)

• Show-Showorhidethetitle,view,caption,colorlegend,shapelegend,sizelegend,and map
legend.

• Headersand Breaks-Controltheappearanceofthesetable elements.

o Repeat headersand legendsoneachpage - addstablerow and column headersat the

top ofeach printed page when a view breaks across several pages.

o Break pages on pane boundaries -prevents pagebreaksin themiddle of a table cell.

• Pages Shelf- Ifthe view uses the Pages Shelf, specifywhether to print the current page or
all pages.

Layoutsettings

• LegendLayout-Ifyouincludeoneormorelegends,selecthowyouwantthelegendsto appear
on the printed page.

• Margins-Specifytop,bottom,left,andrightmarginsbytypingvaluesintothetext boxes.

• Centering- Optionally, select whether to center the view horizontally or vertically—or

both—on the page.

PrintScalingsettings

These settings affect only printed documents, not exported images or PDFs. However, the page
orientation settings are used as the default when you publish the workbook to Tableau Cloud or
Tableau Server.

• PrintScaling- Scaleaview tofitwithinasinglepage or printacrossmultiplepages. Select

from the following options:

o Automatic–Scalestheviewautomaticallybasedonthepapersize.

o Scaleto–Scalestheviewtothespecifiedpercentageofitsoriginalsize.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

o Fit to – Scales the view to fit within the specified area. Select the number of printed
pages across and down. For example,if you have a really wide view that is not
verytall,you canspecify three pages across byone page down.

• Page Orientation- Specify how you want the view oriented onthe printed page. Select
from the following options:

o Use Printer Setting – Use the page orientation that is already specified by the
printer.

o Portrait–Presentstheviewsothatitisorientedverticallyontheprintedpage.

o Landscape – Presents the view so that it is oriented horizontally on the printed page.

The following diagram shows the difference between portrait and landscape page
orientations.

Printaview

After you have configured thePage Setupsettings, select File>Print. The following options in the
Print dialog box are unique to Tableau.

ShowSelections

When this option is selected any selections you’ve made in the views will be maintained while
printing.

ChangethePrint Range

When you printfrom a workbook with multiple worksheets, each worksheetrepresents one or more
printed pages, depending on the page setup.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Selectfromthefollowingprintranges:

• EntireWorkbook-Printsalltheworksheetsinthe workbook.

• ActiveSheet-Printsonlythesheetcurrentlydisplayedintheworkbook.

• SelectedSheets-Printstheselectedsheets.

YoucanselectmultipleworksheetsinaworkbookbyholdingdowntheCTRLorShift keys(or the z

keyona Mac) while clicking the worksheet tabs that you want to select.
PrinttoPDF

Note:Ifyou're using Tableau Cloud orTableau Server, instead see Download

ViewsandWorkbooks and Link to a PNG, PDF, or CSV ofa View.

In Tableau Desktop, you can saveviews as PDF files rather than printing them as hard copies.
You do not need to have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer.

Whenyouprint anindividualsheet to PDF, filters intheview arenot included. To show filters, create a
dashboard containing the sheet and export the dashboard to PDF.

PrinttoPDFusingaWindowscomputer

1. Specifypagesetupoptionsforeachsheetinyourworkbook.

2. SelectFile>Printto PDF.

3. InthePrinttoPDFdialog box,selecttheprintRange:

o EntireWorkbook-Publishesallthesheetsintheworkbook.

o ActiveSheet-Publishesonlythesheetcurrentlydisplayedintheworkbook.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

o Selected Sheets - Publishes the selected sheets. To select multiple sheets in a

Tableau workbook, hold down the Ctrl key as you select sheet tabs along the bottom
of the Tableau workbook.

4. Select a Paper Size. If you select Unspecified, the paper size will expandtothe
necessarysize to fit the entire view on a single page.

5. Select View PDF File After Printing if you want to automatically open the PDF after
creating it. This option is only available if you have Adobe Acrobat Reader or Adobe
Acrobat installed on your computer.

6. Select whether to Show Selections. When this option is selected the selections in the views
are maintained in the PDF.

7. ClickOKandspecifywhere [Link].
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

10. Creating custom charts, cyclical data and circular area charts, Dual Axis charts.
Tableau provides convenient options for building time series charts. The built-in date and time
functionsallowyoutousethedrag-and-dropoptiontocreateandanalyzetimetrends,drilldown with a
click, and easily perform trend analysis comparisons.
To build a time series chart in Tableau, we will use the built-in Sample Superstore data that
[Link] outlinedbelowtocreateatimeseries chart.

1. Drag the Order Date field to the Columns shelf and the Sales variable to the Rows shelf.
The default chart will give us a yearly trend line chart. The Marks shelf automatically
selects a line graph for the chart.

2. In thechartabove, weseethat thedisplay is in [Link] further drill down to quarter and

monthlevels,wecansimplyclickonthe plusicon ontheorderdatein the Columns shelf. This
will generate the following output, which now displays the data broken down to the month
and quarter level.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

3. The above chart is useful, but it is displayed in a discrete format. It will bemore beneficial
if the data is displayed in continuous form. To convert the chart into a
continuousformattimeserieschart,thefirststepistorolluptheYEAR(Order Date) back to year
level,andthen thesecondstepistoright-clickon itandselect the Year and Continuous options.
This is illustrated in the chart below.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

4. Anotheroption inTableauto buildthecontinuouschart isto directlyselect thelinechart type

in the Show Me card, as shown in the chart below.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

The above chart shows the trend of annual sales during the period 2016 through 2019. There is a
continuous trend of increase in sales volume. However, it is better to analyze the time series data
by breaking it down to a monthly level.

5. It is easy to change the chart breakdown from annual to monthly. This can be done by
simply changing the Columns shelf from YEAR (Order Date) to MONTH (Order Date).
Thiswillgenerateamonthlytimeserieschart. From ananalyticsperspective,thischartis more
insightful as it allows us to see the sales fluctuations across months and years. This is also
useful for decomposing the seasonality and trend components of the time series data.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

6. Tableaualsoprovidestheabilitytochangethepathpropertyaswellasthechart type.

ChangethePathProperty
We can change the path property by going into the Marks shelf and clicking on the Path option.
There are three options for the type of line graph for the view, and selecting the second option will
produce the following chart. The output is like the previous chart, but the trend shifts are more
pronounced now.

ChangetheChartType
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Wecanchangethecharttypetooptionssuchasabaroranareachart,eitherfrom the Marks shelf or from

the Show Me option. However, for time series data, this is not suggested as the line chart is the
best option.

CreateanAreaChart

An area chart is a line chart where the area between the line and the axis are shaded with a color.
These charts are typically used to represent accumulated totals over time and arethe conventional
wayto display stacked lines. Follow the steps below to create an area chart.

Thebasicbuilding blocksforanareachartareasfollows:
Marktype: Area

Columnsshelf: Dimension

Rowsshelf: Measure

Color: Dimension

Tocreateanareachart,followthesteps below:
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

1. OpenTableauDesktopandconnecttotheSample-Superstoredatasource.

2. Navigatetoanewworksheet.

3. FromtheDatapane, drag OrderDatetotheColumnsshelf.

4. OntheColumnsshelf,right-clickYEAR(OrderDate)andselectMonth.

5. FromtheDatapane,dragQuantitytothe Rowsshelf.

6. FromtheDate pane,dragShipModetoColorontheMarkscard.

7. OntheMarkscard, click theMarkTypedrop-downandselectArea.

Thevisualizationupdatestothefollowing:
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

You can add formatting to an area chart. For example, you can edit the color legend and
turn on mark labels and borders. For more information, see Format at the
WorksheetLevel(Link opens in a new window).

CreateDualAxisCharts:
A dual axis chart is used to present the relationship between two variables. More specifically, these
charts are useful for demonstrating the relationship between two or more measures with different
[Link] helpinpresentingplentyofinformationinthe limited space
present on your dashboard and also allows you to understand the trends, you may have missed
otherwise.
For example, in our US Super Store dataset, we have the Profit and Sales measures. These two
measures have different magnitude and scale. Let’s directly dive into the implementation in a
stepwise manner.
Here, for our visualization, we are going to use three attributes Sub-Category from the dimensions
and two measures i.e. Profit and Sales.
Openanewworksheetand addtheSub-categoryfromthedimensionpanetotheColumns shelf.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Now pick Sales from the Measures pane and drop in the Row shelf below the Sub-Category.
Similarly, Select Profit measure and drop next to the Sales in Row shelf. After this step, your
visualization will look as shown in the image below.

Here we have two charts present on multipleaxes. Thenext stepis to convertthese two different
charts into a dual axis chart. For this click on the triangle present on the profit pill in the rows
shelf.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Hereafter,youwillhaveadrop-downmenujustselecttheDualaxisoptionfromthat.

OnceyouselecttheDualaxisboom![Link]
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

Although you have a dual axis visualization, they are on different scales. Now there is a need to
bring both measures on the same scale using synchronize axis. For this right-click on any axis
Profit orSales and select synchronize axis fromthe menu. Asshown inthe following image.

HereistheresultyouhaveyourDualaxischartwithsynchronizedaxes.
 SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE

[Link]
fromAutomatic to bar in the markets card or changing the respective colors, adding borders.

Similarly,you can go to Profit and change its shape to a line. Your final visualization will look
like this. Interesting right!
SKILLDEVELOPMENTCOURSE