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

How to work with Parameters


Parameters are a particular element in Tableau, as with Dimensions, Measures, and Sets. They can be Continuous or Discrete depending on the data type in use. The three major aspects of Parameters are:

  • They are not linked to the Data Source (they don't rely on any field)
  • They only return one value at a time
  • They are, by default, static, so there is no built-in way to refresh the values automatically

Note

For the last point, you can use external Extensions, to create dynamic Parameters.

Let's start with how to create a Parameter.

Creating a Parameter

To create a Parameter, you can use the small arrow next to Dimensions as highlighted in the following screenshot: 

When you create a Parameter, Tableau automatically opens the Edit Parameter window, as illustrated in the following screenshot:

This window is the only place where you can change or configure a Parameter. On the top, you can specify its Name and add a Comment (visible when you hover over it). You can also change...