learning to use tableau

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Getting Started> Learning to Use Tableau

Learning to Use Tableau

The purpose of this section is to get you started with Tableau by presenting a simple example.The exercises takes you through all the basic steps you would use for your own work.

Open TableauOpen DataBuilding Views (Manually)Building Views (Automatically)Save your Wor

Open Tableau

You can open Tableau by selecting All Programs> Tableau 8.1on the Windows Start menu or

by doubleclicking the desktop shortcut.

Tableau opens showing the start page. The start page contains recently used workbooks! sa"ed

data connections! sample workbooks! and some other getting started resources. #lthough the

start page shows when you first open Tableau! you can always return to the start page after you

start working by clicking the start page tab in the upper right corner of the workbook.
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Open $ata

The first step to getting started with Tableau is to connect to the data you want to explore. %or

this example! you will connect to the Sample Superstore Sales &'xcel( data source that is

installed with the application. There are many ways to connect to data! for example you can use

the start page! the toolbar! or the $ata menu. %ollow the instructions below to connect to an'xcel workbook from the start page.

) *lick Connect to Dataon the left side of the start page.

) The $ata page opens showing the types of data sources you can connect to. %or this

example! select Microsoft Excel.


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) +a"igate to an 'xcel file on your computer and open it. Then complete the 'xcel

Workbook *onnection dialog box and click O.

The 'xcel data for this example is located in the $atasources directory of your Tableau

,epository. -y default! your Tableau ,epository is created in your y $ocuments folder

when Tableau is installed.

) Select how you want to connect to the data. You can select from the following options/


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o Connect li!e0 *reates a direct connect to your data. The speed of your data

source will determine performance.

o "m#ort all $ata0 1mports the entire data source into Tableau2s fast data engine

as an extract. The extract is sa"ed with the workbook.

o "m#ort some $ata0 1mports a subset of your data into Tableau2s fast data

engine as an extract. This option re3uires you to specify what data you want to

extract using filters.

Once connected! the columns from the data source &e.g.! *ustomer +ame! Order $ate! and

Total Sales( are shown as fields on the left side of the workbook in the $ata window. 'ach

column is shown as a separate field that you can drag and drop to start exploring your data.

The fields are organi4ed into two sections/ dimensions and measures. $imensions typically hold

categorical data such as product types and dates! while measures hold numeric data such as

sales and profit.

#n important concept to understand in Tableau is that you can build "iews of your data by

dragging fields from the $ata window to the shel"es in the "iew.

-uilding 5iews &anually(

You can build data "iews by dragging fields from the $ata window and dropping them onto the

cards and shel"es that are part of e"ery Tableau worksheet.

This section presents fi"e data "iews using the SampleSuperstore Sales data source that is

installed with the application.

!"ample # $ Basic View

!"ample % $ &ested Table

!"ample ' $ Small Multiples

!"ample $ ilter Data

!"ample * $ +olor !ncoding

'xample ) 0 -asic 5iew
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1n this example! you will build a basic "iew that shows yearly profits. %ollow the steps below to

build this "iew.

) *lick and drag the Or$er Datefield from the dimensions area of the $ata window to the

*olumns area of the "iew.

When you place a field on columns area of the "iew it is also added to the *olumns

shelf. You can also drag directly to these shel"es. When you drag a field o"er a shelf! a

blue arrow indicates that the shelf can accept the field.

The resulting table has four columns and one row. 'ach column header represents a

member of the Order $ate field &67)7! 67))! 67)6! and 67)8(. 'ach cell contains an

9#bc: label! which indicates that the current mark type for this "iew is text.

+otice that the field is colored blue indicating it is discrete. #lso! the field name changed

to Y'#,&Order $ate( because year is the default date le"el for this field. The default

date le"el is determined by the highest le"el that contains more than one distinct "alue

&e.g.! multiple years! multiple months! etc.(. That means that if Order $ate contained

data for only one year but had multiple months! the default le"el would be month. You


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can change the date le"el using the field menu.

) $rag the ;rofit field from the easures area of the $ata window and drop it on the ,ows

area of the "iew.

The table is automatically transformed into a line chart and a "ertical axis is created for

the measure. # line is used as a great way to compare data o"er time! and allow you to

"isually compare data and identify trends effecti"ely.


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The line chart shows profit o"er time. 'ach point along the line shows the sum of profit for the

corresponding year.


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The ;rofit field is colored green! indicating that it is continuous. #lso the field name changed to

S


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S


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$rag the Order $ate field from the $ata window and drop it on the *olumns shelf to the

right of the Year&Order $ate( field.

The new dimension di"ides the "iew into separate panes for each year. 'ach pane has columns

for the 3uarters of the gi"en year. This "iew is called a nested table because it displays multiple

headers! with 3uarters nested within years.

'xample 8 0 Small ultiples


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1n this example you will modify the "iew from 'xample 6 0 +ested Tableto show 3uarterly profit

by year and customer segment.

$rag the Customer %egmentdimension from the $ata window and drop it =ust to the left of the

;rofit axis in the "iew.

The field is added to the ,ows shelf and row headers are created. 'ach header represents a

member of the *ustomer Segment field.

Tableau does not allow you to place a dimension to the right of a measure on either the ,ows or

*olumns shel"es.

The new dimension di"ides the "iew into ) panes/ one for each combination of year and

customer segment. This "iew is a more complex example of a nested table and is often referred

to as a small multiples "iew.
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'xample ? 0 %ilter $ata

1n this example you will modify the "iew from 'xample 8 0 Small ultiplesto only show data for

orders in 67)) and 67)6 and made a profit.

) $rag the Profitmeasure from the $ata window and drop it on the %ilters shelf.
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) Select the aggregation you want to use for the filter. %or this example! select %UMto

create a filter on the S


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applied. #ggregations do not apply to multidimensional data because in those

databases! the data has already been aggregated in the database.

) 1n the %ilter dialog box! use the sliders or type into the text box to change the lower limit

on the range of "alues to 7.

) When finished! click O.

The "iew updates to only show orders that had a S


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) 1n the %ilter dialog box! deselect all years except 67)) and 67)6 and then click O.


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The S


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'ach pane now has four lines! one for each region. This "iew now shows profit for each

customer segment and region for 67)) and 67)6 orders with a positi"e profit.


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-uilding 5iews utomatically(

,ather than building "iews by dragging and dropping fields! you can use Show eB to create

"iews automatically.

This section presents two examples using the SampleSuperstore Sales &'xcel( data source

that comes with the application.

!"ample # $ S,ow Me wit, Two ields

!"ample % $ S,ow Me wit, Many ields
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'xample ) 0 Show e with Two %ields

1n this example! you will create a line chart that displays profit as a function of time. %ollow the

steps below to create this "iew.

) Select Or$er Dateand Profitin the $ata window. Cold the *ontrol key &*trl( on your

keyboard to select multiple fields.

) *lick %(o) Meon the toolbar.

) 1n the Show e pane! select the type of "iew you want to create.


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-ecause a date dimension and a measure are selected! Tableau suggests you build a

line "iew! which is generally the best way to look at measures o"er time.

The "iew below shows S


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You can see the "alues for each year by turning on ark Dabels. *lick the Mar* Labelsbutton

on the toolbar.


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'xample 6 0 Show e with any %ields

1n this example you will use Show e to build a scatter plot that shows sales "ersus profit for

each product and customer.

) Select %ales! Profit! "tem! and Customer +amein the $ata window. Cold the *ontrol

key &*trl( on your keyboard to select multiple fields.


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) *lick %(o) Meon the toolbar.

) 1n the Show e pane! select the scatter "iew.


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Show e automatically creates a scatter plot with the fields you selected. You can now

manually start dragging fields to further refine the "iew.


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Sa"e your Work

#fter you ha"e created all the desired "iews of your data! you should sa"e the results in aTableau Workbook. Sa"ing a Tableau workbook allows you to sa"e all your worksheets for later

use. 1t also allows you to share your results using a con"enient file. %ollow the steps below to

sa"e your workbook.

) Select &ile > %a!eor press *trl E S on your keyboard.


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) -rowse to a file location to sa"e the workbook.

-y default! Tableau sa"es workbooks in the Workbooks directory in your Tableau

,epository.

) Specify a file name for the workbook.


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) Specify a file type. You can select from the following options/

Tableau ,or*boo* -.t)b0 Sa"es the all the sheets and their connection information in

a workbook file. The data is not included.

Tableau Pac*age$ ,or*boo* -.t)bx0 Sa"es all the sheets! their connectioninformation and any local resources &e.g.! local file data sources! background images!

custom geocoding! etc.(.

) When finished! click %a!e.

learning to use tableau

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