Ray Givler’s Post

🏆 If I had to name my most significant achievement in Tableau, it would be Benchmarker.   〰️ It's not full of gratifying graphs, charming charts, or pleasing plots.   ⚙️ But it solves a lot of problems and opens the doors to tons of analysis.   ✔️ It allows you to "filter" a single data source by two groupings of multiple dimensions simultaneously.   👍 With Sets!   💰 That's very valuable.   ❌ Nobody showed me how to make it.   👂I heard a little bit about Sets, and I thought, "That means I can I get two cuts of my data at once."   🙉 Luckily, I had not heard the mantra, "You can't combine sets of different Dimensions", which would have limited my thinking.   🔨 So off I went and created what could not be done.   💗 My users love the private production version of this tool. It's broadly applicable. I hope it you can create a version of it at your company.   🔗Dashboard link with instructions in comments.   🏗→🧠 Build to Learn!   💭🚶♀️🚶♂️ Follow for more.   #tableau #data #analytics #VizoftheRay

🤔 Did you ever want to group nulls and zeros as a separate color in a Tableau table?   Yep, you can do that.   You can't currently do it for just nulls, but it looks like an easy enhancement if Tableau wants to prioritize it.   Anyhow…   If you want a sequential palette for your meaningful numbers, and a different color that applies to both nulls and zeroes (which was an actual use case for me), the keys are the following: ✔️ Select a Diverging palette ✔️ Select an even number of Steps (for an odd number, zero will be mid-step and thus some low positive values would get colored with the zeros and nulls) ✔️ Select a negative start such that the first step ends at zero-ish ✔️ Make your center very slightly above zero ✔️ Set a specific upper limit, or Tableau will recalculate color ranges upon filtering, which you probably don't want.   In my case, anything below .001 is tantamount to zero and can be treated similarly.   I hope that helps!   🏗→🧠 Build to Learn!   💭🚶♀️🚶♂️ Follow for more.   #tableau #data #analytics #VizoftheRay

If you haven’t checked out Ray’s Benchmarker tool in Tableau don’t miss it! It’ll teach you a lot about Sets and how to use them in the real world 😍 such a cool tool! #tableau #datafam

🔎 With the help of some others, I may have finally cracked the algorithm for where and how Tableau stores worksheet cards on a dashboard.   🙏 First, thanks to Sam Batchelor for the baseline trashcan approach which got me well on my way.   🔬 So, this is a multi-staged algorithm, based on externally observable behaviors.   ✔️ Tableau adds cards (filters, legends) associated with a sheet when you drag it onto the dashboard. I used Tableau for years before I realized this. If you hide all cards before you drag, you can then place the cards manually via the dropdown menu on the frame of each worksheet.   But… *where* does tableau place them (or any automatically placed cards when they are left open in the sheet before dragging)?   ✔️ Tableau will use the front-most, *empty* layered container if no other container houses *cards*. Do not label this container with a textbox that says, "Trash" or some other title. It will then *not* receive the cards. ✔️ Otherwise, if another container already has cards, Tableau will place new cards in the front-most container that has at least 1 card. ✔️ It doesn’t matter if the container is on- or off-dashboard; Tableau will add to it. Off-dashboard helps for new dashboards because… ✔️If there are no containers matching the above criteria, Tableau will create a Tiled container and put your cards in it; this container will be placed in the back-most layer and will end up completely hidden if you follow the common approach of starting your dashboard with a baseline vertical container that encompasses its entire size.   I hope that helps!   🏗→🧠 Build to Learn!   💭🚶♀️🚶♂️ Follow for more.   #tableau #data #analytics #VizoftheRay

🤔 Did you know that you can name containers and objects in the Layout tab in Tableau?   🐻 Containers are a bear.   Tableau has some very interesting behavior when you use them.   Be that as it may, you can track your containers better by naming them, as in the image on this post.   🖱️It's just a right-click, and then select "Rename Dashboard Item…".   📝 This can help you better understand what-is-what when you return to the dashboard for maintenance.   If you haven't even looked in the Layout tab before, you may be shocked by what you find.   I've seen over 10 unintentional layers of Tiled container types.   You would be surprised how often you can simply right-click them and select "Remove Container" and have absolutely no effect on the layout.   ✍️ But anyway, name your containers so you can more easily tell what-is-what on the layout tab.   🏗→🧠 Build to Learn!   💭🚶♀️🚶♂️ Follow for more.   #tableau #data #analytics #VizoftheRay

❓ Did you know you can put comments on variables in Tableau?   ❓ What do you put in these comments?   I'm not talking about // comments   Or even /* comments */ in calculated fields.   I'm talking about right-click > Default Properties > Comments.   That opens a form for formattable text.   And in those, you can put emojis if you like.   One good use for a comment is to put the original variable name if you happen to rename one - that way, you can see the name on over without having to click and revert (there is a way to see through the data source too but I can't remember it).   I definitely underutilize this feature.   How do you leverage it?   🏗→🧠 Build to Learn!   💭🚶♀️🚶♂️ Follow for more.   #tableau #data #analytics #VizoftheRay

🤔 Should you use Boolean expressions as formulas in Tableau calculated fields rather than IF/THENs producing 'Y' and 'N'?   ☝️ Answer: Usually, yes.   ✔️ And yes, I was going for irony in a Y/N Boolean question…   There is always a use case for anything you can do in Tableau, but you can make your calculations a little more compact by making them Boolean and using a simple conditional statement rather than assigning a text value based on that condition.   Go one step further and name that Boolean as the question that it answers and end the name with a ?   You can put that Boolean on Filters, Color, Shape, wherever, and be just as effective as a Y/N column.   Yes, you may want to display a Y/N - if so, you can alias the True and False values to Y and N!   🏗→🧠 Build to Learn!   💭🚶♀️🚶♂️ Follow for more.   #tableau #data #analytics #VizoftheRay

Ever found yourself staring at Tableau wishing it would all make more sense? Well, Jeremy Paytas has come to the rescue if you want to create aggregate rows. In this great post, Jeremy unveils the secrets and provides a step by step video, making your data presentation ready in no time! So, grab a brew, kick back, and get ready to turn your data woes into "wow"s with Jeremy's expert guidance! https://lnkd.in/eMtfadTZ #TableauTraining #AggregateRows #Tableau

🤔 Have you ever seen an "*" in a Tableau Quick Filter?   🛸 I've only seen this on rare occasions in my years of using Tableau.   Last time, I forgot what the solution was.   Luckily, re-discovered it fairly quickly.   Somehow, I had placed ATTR(Dimension) in the Filters shelf rather than the Dimension itself.   That's all it was.   I probably Ctrl-dragged it there from a Mark label.   Regardless, it's a easy to miss and overlook the cause.   🔧 If you have this somewhere, go fix it!   🏗→🧠 Build to Learn!   💭🚶♀️🚶♂️ Follow for more.   #tableau #data #analytics #VizoftheRay

🤔  How do you work in parallel in Tableau?   Answer: I don't really know.   I've had to do it in the past, and to be honest, I don't like it.   Here are some factors that made it easier: ✔ The work was on separate dashboards in the same workbook. ✔ There was only 1 shared worksheet between those dashboards.   When the changes to my partner's workbook were done, I just opened it, copied the dashboard, and pasted it into my workbook. (Thank you for the Copy function, @Tableau!)   One factor that made it more difficult was that we used the same data source.   Tableau will make a second copy of that data source upon the dashboard paste.   Sometimes Tableau automagically detects that that data source is the same upon copy, sometimes it doesn't, and I don't know the factors causing the difference.   If it doesn't, then you will have to replace data sources. (A second thank you for Replace Data Source, Tableau!)   So, here is where some upfront work could help.   The person whose work is being merged can either: ✔ Track every new calculation. ✔ Track every calculation that changes.   Or you can see where things break after the paste, by comparing the pasted workbook to the original and/or looking for red/error pills.   If you're really in a pickle, you can always look at the XML in the .twb's of both files in a code editor that has a comparison function - but "edit at your own risk" if changing XML. I'd advise just trying to *find* differences and then make the changes in the UI.   I realize this is not a comprehensive guide, but I hope it helps.   🏗→🧠 Build to Learn!   💭🚶♀️🚶♂️ Follow for more.   #tableau #data #analytics #VizoftheRay