Book Image

Getting Started with Tableau 2018.x

By : Tristan Guillevin
Book Image

Getting Started with Tableau 2018.x

By: Tristan Guillevin

Overview of this book

Tableau is one of the leading business intelligence tools used worldwide, in organizations of every scale. In its latest release, Tableau 2018 promises richer and more useful features related to visual analytics, reporting, dashboarding, and a host of other data visualization aspects. Getting Started with Tableau 2018.x will get you up and running with these features. The book starts with all the new functionalities of the different Tableau 2018 versions, along with concrete examples of how to use them. However, if you're new to Tableau, don't worry! The rest of the book will guide you through each major aspect of Tableau with examples. You'll learn how to connect to data, build a data source, visualize your data, build a dashboard, and share it online. In the final chapters, you'll also learn advanced techniques such as creating a cross-database join, data blending, and more. By the end of the book, you will have a firm understanding of how to effectively use Tableau to create quick, cost-effective, and business-efficient business intelligence solutions.
Table of Contents (21 chapters)
Title Page
Copyright and Credits
Packt Upsell
Contributors
Preface
Free Chapter
1
Catching Up with Tableau 2018
Index

Understanding the Data Source


The Data Source is the final result of all the actions (Join, Union, Split, Pivot, and more) when connecting to a dataset, and all the customization you can apply afterward (Hide, Rename, Add Aliases, and so on). The goal for your Data Source is to be as performant, simple, and easy to understand as possible.

A Data Source can be a Live connection

, an Extract 

, or published on Tableau Server

. But no matter the type of connection, you will always find the same elements.

Data Sources elements

Four different elements comprise the Data Source:

  • Dimensions
  • Measures
  • Sets
  • Parameters

Dimensions and Measures are mandatory in Tableau. You'll always find them. They have at least one field, and that field has a data type. 

Note

It's essential to understand the difference between Dimensions and Measures. Everything is explained in ???Chapter 2, The Tableau Core

Sets and parameters are your creation. A Data Source can have no sets and no parameters. Sets are explained in the section...