The Three Views

When you open a workbook in Tableau, you work across three main views, accessible via tabs at the bottom:

The Worksheet Layout

Key Interface Areas Explained

Data Connection Types

Connecting to Excel / CSV (Most Common)

1. Open Tableau → On the Start Page, under Connect, click Microsoft Excel
2. Navigate to your file and click Open. The Data Source tab opens.
3. Drag your sheet/table from the left panel onto the canvas. You'll see a preview of your data.
4. Check column names and data types. Fix any incorrect types (e.g., dates recognised as text).
5. Click Sheet 1 tab at the bottom to start building visualisations.

The Data Source Screen

Live vs Extract Connections

Joining Multiple Tables

When your data is split across multiple tables, Tableau can join them — just like SQL JOINs.

-- What Tableau does visually when you join Orders + Products:
SELECT o.order_id, o.customer, o.quantity,
       p.product_name, p.category, p.price
FROM Orders o
INNER JOIN Products p ON o.product_id = p.product_id;

In Tableau: drag both tables to the canvas → a Join dialog appears → choose the join type (Inner, Left, Right, Full) and the matching fields.

The Fundamental Split

Every field in Tableau's Data Pane is classified as either a Dimension or a Measure. Tableau uses colour to distinguish them: blue = Dimension, green = Measure.

Discrete vs Continuous

Both Dimensions and Measures can be Discrete (blue pill) or Continuous (green pill). This affects how Tableau builds axes and headers.

Aggregations on Measures

When a Measure is placed on a shelf, Tableau automatically aggregates it. The default is SUM, but you can change it.

-- Right-click any Measure pill to change aggregation:
SUM(Sales)    → Total sales
AVG(Sales)    → Average sale value
COUNT(Sales)  → Number of sale records
MIN(Sales)    → Smallest sale
MAX(Sales)    → Largest sale
MEDIAN(Sales) → Middle value
ATTR(Region)  → If all values are same, show it; else asterisk

Bar Chart — Sales by Category

Bar charts are the workhorse of data visualisation. Perfect for comparing values across categories.

1. Drag Category (Dimension) to the Columns shelf
2. Drag Sales (Measure) to the Rows shelf → Tableau auto-builds a vertical bar chart
3. Drag Category to Color on the Marks card to color each bar differently
4. Click Label on the Marks card → tick "Show mark labels" to display values on bars
5. Sort bars: Click the sort icon on the axis (or right-click axis → Sort → Descending by SUM(Sales))

Line Chart — Sales Over Time

Line charts are ideal for showing trends over time. Date on x-axis, measure on y-axis.

1. Drag Order Date to the Columns shelf → Tableau defaults to Year granularity
2. Right-click the date pill on Columns → choose Month (or Quarter/Week)
3. Drag Sales to the Rows shelf → a line chart appears
4. Drag Region to Color → now you have multiple lines, one per region
5. Right-click an axis → Add Reference Line to add a target or average line

Scatter Plot — Sales vs Profit

Scatter plots reveal correlations and outliers between two numeric measures.

1. Drag Sales to Columns (x-axis)
2. Drag Profit to Rows (y-axis)
3. Drag Customer Name to Detail on the Marks card → one dot per customer
4. Drag Segment to Color to color dots by customer segment
5. Right-click the canvas → Trend Lines → Show Trend Lines to add a regression line

Chart Type Quick Reference

What are Calculated Fields?

Calculated fields let you create new fields from existing data using Tableau's formula language. They appear in the Data Pane alongside your original fields and can be used anywhere.

To create one: Right-click in the Data Pane → Create Calculated Field. Name it and write your formula.

Basic Calculations

// Profit Margin %
SUM([Profit]) / SUM([Sales])

// Profit Ratio as percentage
SUM([Profit]) / SUM([Sales]) * 100

// Revenue per Unit
SUM([Sales]) / SUM([Quantity])

// Days Since Order
DATEDIFF('day', [Order Date], TODAY())

// Classify profit as High/Medium/Low
IF [Profit] > 500 THEN "High"
ELSEIF [Profit] > 100 THEN "Medium"
ELSE "Low"
END

String, Date & Logical Functions

Level of Detail (LOD) Expressions

LOD expressions are Tableau's most powerful feature. They let you compute aggregations at a different granularity than the current view — something impossible with regular calculated fields.

// FIXED — compute at specified level, ignore view filters
{ FIXED [Customer Name] : SUM([Sales]) }
// → Total sales PER CUSTOMER, regardless of what's in the view

// INCLUDE — add more detail than the view has
{ INCLUDE [Order ID] : AVG([Sales]) }
// → Average sales per order (even if orders aren't in the view)

// EXCLUDE — remove a dimension from the calculation
{ EXCLUDE [Region] : SUM([Sales]) }
// → Total sales ignoring regional breakdown (useful for % of total)

The Filter Order of Operations

Tableau applies filters in a specific order. Understanding this order is critical for correct results:

Types of Filters

Quick Filters — Adding Interactivity

1. Drag a field to the Filters shelf → configure what values to include/exclude
2. Right-click the filter pill → choose "Show Filter" → a filter widget appears on the sheet
3. Right-click the filter widget → choose display type: Single Value (dropdown), Multiple Values (list), Slider, etc.
4. To apply a filter to ALL sheets: right-click the filter → Apply to Worksheets → All Using This Data Source

Parameters — Dynamic User Input

Parameters are dynamic placeholder values that users can change. Unlike filters (which show/hide data), Parameters pass a value into a calculation or axis.

Dual-Axis Charts

Dual-axis charts combine two different measures on the same chart, each with its own axis. Great for overlaying a line (trend) on top of bars.

1. Build a bar chart: Month(Order Date) on Columns, SUM(Sales) on Rows
2. Drag SUM(Profit) to the right side of the Rows shelf — a second chart appears below
3. Right-click the second measure pill in Rows → Dual Axis → both charts merge into one
4. Right-click the right axis → Synchronise Axis (if both measures are similar scales)
5. Click on the second Marks card → change mark type to Line while keeping first as Bar

Bullet Graph

A bullet graph is a compact chart that shows a measure against a target — like actual sales vs quota. It's a space-efficient alternative to gauges.

1. Place a measure (e.g., SUM(Sales)) on Columns, a dimension on Rows
2. Drag a second measure (target/quota) to the Columns shelf → set it as Dual Axis
3. Change the second Marks card type to Circle or Line
4. On the first Marks card, add reference bands (Analytics pane → Reference Band) for goal zones

Waterfall Chart

A waterfall chart shows how an initial value changes through a series of positive and negative contributions — great for showing profit breakdown or budget variance.

// Create a Running Sum calculation:
RUNNING_SUM(SUM([Profit]))

// Steps:
// 1. Dimension on Rows (e.g. Sub-Category)
// 2. Running Sum on Columns
// 3. Change mark type to Gantt Bar
// 4. Use SUM(Profit) as the Size (negative values extend down)
// 5. Colour by positive/negative:
IF SUM([Profit]) >= 0 THEN "Positive" ELSE "Negative" END

Box and Whisker Plot

Shows the statistical distribution of a measure across a dimension — min, Q1, median, Q3, max, and outliers.

1. Drag a Dimension to Columns, a Measure to Rows
2. In Show Me panel, select Box-and-Whisker Plot
3. Drag a secondary dimension to the Detail Marks card to get one dot per item
4. Outliers automatically appear as individual points beyond the whiskers

Creating a Dashboard

1. Click the New Dashboard icon at the bottom (next to sheet tabs)
2. Set the dashboard size: Fixed (specific dimensions), Automatic (fits screen), or Range
3. Drag sheets from the left Sheets panel onto the canvas
4. Use Tiled layout (structured grid) or Floating (free-position) objects
5. Add Text, Images, Web Page, or Blank containers via the Objects panel

Dashboard Actions — Making It Interactive

Actions make your dashboard come alive — clicking or hovering on one chart filters or highlights others.

Dashboard Design Best Practices

What are Table Calculations?

Table calculations are secondary computations applied to the data already in your view. They run AFTER all other calculations and aggregations. Unlike LOD expressions, they operate on the values currently shown in the viz — not the underlying data.

Quick Table Calculations

Right-click any Measure pill on a shelf → Quick Table Calculation → choose from:

Custom Table Calculations

// Running Total
RUNNING_SUM(SUM([Sales]))

// Year-over-Year Growth %
(ZN(SUM([Sales])) - LOOKUP(ZN(SUM([Sales])), -1))
/ ABS(LOOKUP(ZN(SUM([Sales])), -1))

// Rank (1 = highest Sales)
RANK(SUM([Sales]))

// % of total per row
SUM([Sales]) / TOTAL(SUM([Sales]))

// 3-period moving average
WINDOW_AVG(SUM([Sales]), -2, 0)

Tableau's Built-in Geo Intelligence

Tableau automatically recognises geographic fields like Country, State, City, Zip Code, and Airport codes. When you double-click a geographic field, Tableau instantly builds a map.

Types of Maps in Tableau

Building a Filled Map

1. Double-click State (geographic dimension) → Tableau builds a symbol map automatically
2. In the Marks card, change the mark type from Circle to Map (or Filled Map)
3. Drag SUM(Sales) to the Color Marks card → states fill with color intensity based on sales
4. Drag SUM(Profit) to Tooltip so hovering shows both metrics
5. Format colors: click the color legend → Edit Colors → choose a diverging palette (e.g., red-white-green for profit)

Custom Territories

Group multiple states/countries into custom sales territories using Tableau's Groups feature:

1. On the map, hold Ctrl and click multiple states to select them
2. Right-click the selection → Group → name the group (e.g., "Northeast Territory")
3. Tableau creates a new grouped dimension automatically
4. Use this group to color the map by territory

What is a Story?

A Tableau Story is a sequence of visualisations (sheets or dashboards) arranged as story points — like slides in a presentation. Each story point can have its own caption, annotation, and filter state. Stories are perfect for executive presentations, portfolio showcases, and guided analysis.

Creating a Story

1. Click New Story (the book icon at the bottom tabs)
2. Set the Story size: same as dashboard or custom dimensions
3. Drag a Sheet or Dashboard from the left panel onto the canvas → this becomes Story Point 1
4. Add a caption: click the caption area above the view and type your insight (e.g., "West Region Underperforms Q3")
5. Click "Blank" in the Story panel to add a new story point → drag another sheet
6. Continue until your narrative is complete → publish or present

Publishing to Tableau Public

Tableau Public is a free hosting platform where you can publish interactive dashboards visible to anyone. It's the best way to build a portfolio.

1. Create a free account at public.tableau.com
2. In Tableau Desktop/Public: Server → Tableau Public → Save to Tableau Public
3. Sign in → choose a workbook name → click Save
4. Your dashboard is now live at public.tableau.com/profile/yourname
5. Embed it anywhere with the Embed Code (Share → Embed Code → paste in HTML)

Saving Options

Tableau Server & Cloud

For enterprise use, Tableau Server (on-premise) or Tableau Cloud (hosted) allows:

• Role-based access: who can view/edit which workbooks
• Automatic scheduled data refreshes
• Row-level security: each user sees only their own data
• Subscriptions: email a snapshot of a dashboard on a schedule

Project: Sales Performance Dashboard

Using the Superstore sample dataset (included with Tableau), you'll build a 4-sheet executive dashboard that a real company could use to monitor business performance.

Challenge 1 — KPI Sheet

Challenge 2 — Sales Trend

Challenge 3 — Geographic Map

Challenge 4 — Assemble the Dashboard