Tableau Definitions & Questions

"In the Southern Region Superstore data, the Product Category, Product Subcategory, and Product Name might be combined using which of the following: a. Set b. Group c. Hierarchy d. Parameter"

Correct Answer: C - Hierarchy. Hierarchies allow you combine similar fields while Groups and Sets combine values within a field. Parameters allow the user to change a value, which can then be used in calculations, filters, and reference lines.

"A histogram shows the distribution of ________ data by creating bins that are _________. a. numeric, continuous b. discrete, continuous c. continuous, discrete d. date, discrete"

Correct answer is C. A histogram uses bins to subdivide a continuous measure into a discrete bins.

If a field has a blue background, that means the field is: a. continuous b. discrete c. dimension d. measure

b. discrete

"If you have bar chart with a single bar, but you want to subdivide that bar into multiple categories, what should you add to your view? a. A measure b. A dimension c. A discrete field d. A continuous field"

The answer is B - you need to add a dimension to your view to subdivide the bar.

"Dates are typically treated as a. Dimensions b. Measures "

a. Dimensions

"The meaning of this symbol (GLOBE) indicates that the field is a. Numerical b. Qualitative c. Geographic d. Date or Time"

a. Geographic

Which of the following charts types always includes bars sorted in descending order? a. Gantt Chart b. Pareto Chart c. Combo Chart d. Bar in Bar

b. Pareto Chart

"To update a field that is invalid (highlighted RED) you should? a. Delete the field from the Data Pane b. Right Click the invalid field and choose Replace References c. Right Click the invalid field and choose Default Properties d. Remove and Re-add the field from the visualization"

b. Right Click the invalid field and choose Replace References

Which of the following charts uses binned data? a. Pie Chart b. Box Plot c. Histogram d. Bullet Graphs

c. Histogram

"What is the Color of Discrete Measures in TABLEAU? a. Orange b. Green c. Red d. Blue"

d. Blue

multidimensional data source

see cube

Cube

A data source that is connected to a multidimensional database. Also known as multidimensional data source. For example, data sources that connect to Microsoft Analysis Services or Oracle Essbase are called cubes.

Tooltip

Data details that appear when you hover over one or more marks in the view.

blending data

The process of combining data from different data source types in a view. The first data source that you use in the view becomes the primary data source. The remaining data sources become the secondary.

"1. What is Treemap? a. Display data in nested rectangles. We use dimensions to define structure of the tree maps and measures to design the size or color of the individual rectangle. b. Provides an easy way to visualize relationships between numerical variables. We can add trend lines."

" a. Display data in nested rectangles. We use dimensions to define structure of the tree maps and measures to design the size or color of the individual rectangle. "

"A sheet cannot be used within a story directly. Either sheets should be used within a dashboard, or a dashboard should be used within a story. a. False b. True"

" a. False "

"The icon associated with the field that has been grouped is a ______________. a. Paper Clip b. Set c. Hash d. Equal To"

" a. Paper Clip "

"What is Data blending? a. SQL term that refers to combining two data sources into a single data source. b. Tableau term that refers to combining two data sources into a single chart. "

" a. SQL term that refers to combining two data sources into a single data source. "

"When might you want to use a context filter? a. When you want to FIRST apply a filter and THEN show the Top N or Bottom N elements b. When you want to filter on a range of values rather than a single value c. When you want to FIRST show the Top N and Bottom N and THEN apply a filter d. When you want to filter on you data based on a secondary data source"

" a. When you want to FIRST apply a filter and THEN show the Top N or Bottom N elements "

"A Reference Band cannot be based on two fixed points. a. False b. True "

" a. False "

"A Reference Distribution plot cannot be along a continuous axis. a. False b. True "

" a. False "

"How you cannot optimize the performance of a dashboard? a. Remove unneeded dimension from the detail shelf b. By increase number of filters c. Use context filter d. Use Boolean calculations"

" b. By increase number of filters "

"Which of the following functions can be used on string to create a measure? a. SUM b. COUNTD c. + d. DATEDIFF"

Answer B. Of these functions, only COUNTD will take a string and return a measure.

"Can parameters have a dropdown list? a. Yes b. No"

" a. Yes "

"Can we display top five and last five sales in the same view? a. Yes b. No"

" a. Yes "

"Can we perform all kinds of joins using Data blending? a. Yes b. No "

" a. Yes "

"Is performance testing available in tableau? a. Yes b. No"

" a. Yes "

"Which graph is the best to show comparison between actual and target measures? a. Bar b. Bullet graph c. Line d. Heat Map"

" b. Bullet graph "

"Can we remove the All options from a Tableau auto-filter? a. Yes b. No"

" a. Yes "

"The meaning of this symbol (Pyramid) indicates that the field is a. Set b. Group c. Hierarchy d. Parameter e. Measure"

" c. Hierarchy "

"Which is not an LOD function out of the below list? a. INCLUDE b. EXCLUDE c. INDEX d. FIXED"

" c. INDEX "

"How do you identify a continuous field in Tableau? a. It is identified by a blue pill in the visualization. b. It is identified by a green pill in a visualization. c. It is preceded by a # symbol in the data window. d. When added to the visualization, it produces distinct values."

" b. It is identified by a green pill in a visualization. "

"By definition, Tableau displays measures over time as a ____________. a. Bar b. Line c. Histogram d. Scatter Plots"

" b. Line "

"What is a scatter plot? a. Display data in nested rectangles. We use dimensions to define structure of the tree maps and measures to design the size or color of the individual rectangle. b. Provides an easy way to visualize relationships between numerical variables. We can add trend lines."

" b. Provides an easy way to visualize relationships between numerical variables. We can add trend lines. "

"What is Data joining? a. SQL term that refers to combining two data sources into a single data source. b. Tableau term that refers to combining two data sources into a single chart."

" b. Tableau term that refers to combining two data sources into a single chart. "

"A dimension is a field that typically holds a. numerical data b. discrete qualitative data"

" b. discrete qualitative data "

"This type level of detail expression computes total sales for the region, regardless of what dimensions are shown in the view. a. {SUM([Sales])} b. { FIXED [Region] : SUM([Sales]) } c. { ONLY [Region] : SUM([Sales]) } d. { EXACT [Region] : SUM([Sales]) }"

" b. { FIXED [Region] : SUM([Sales]) } "

"An aggregated calculation can be multiplied by a non-aggregated constant. a. True b. False"

""Constant terms in an expression act as aggregated or disaggregated values as appropriate. For example: SUM(Price*7) and SUM(Price)*7 are both valid expressions." https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/calculations_calculatedfields_aggregate_create.html"

"Gantt charts are useful for: a. Showing changes to a continue variable over time b. Displaying duration of events or activities over time c. Showing how a measure varies with respect to one or more dimensions d. Display the distribution of a continuous variable"

""Use Gantt charts to show the duration of events or activities." https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_gantt.html"

"Definition of a fact table? a. Tableau term that refers to combining two data sources into a single chart. b. The measurements, metrics or facts of a business process. It is located at the center of a star schema or a snowflake schema surrounded by dimension tables. c. SQL term that refers to combining two data sources into a single data source."

" b. The measurements, metrics or facts of a business process. It is located at the center of a star schema or a snowflake schema surrounded by dimension tables. "

"We can combine database and flat file data in Tableau desktop? a. False b. True"

" b. True "

"You have SUM([Minutes of Delay]) in your view. If aggregate measures is unchecked, what will the view show instead of SUM([Minutes of Delay])? a. Minutes of Delay b. ATTR([Minutes of Delay]) c. AGG([Minutes of Delay]) d. Minutes of Delay (bin)"

"Answer A - disaggregating will show the underlying values. The aggregation will be removed, so we will see just "Minutes of Delay" https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/help.html#calculations_aggregation.html#DisAggData"

"You have a scatter plot showing sales on the x-axis and profit on the y-axis, with each dot representing a different product subcategory. You want to show how the points on the scatter plot vary based on Net Profit, a third continuous variable. Which would be most appropriate? (Select all that apply) a. Tooltip b. Label c. Size d. Color"

"Answer C & D: Size would be most appropriate, because with size it is clear that larger values are respresened by larger points on the plot. This is easier for the eye to process than understanding which color or size is associated with the larger values than it is to read a label or tooltip value on each point in the scatter plot. The Visual Analysis Best Practices Guidebook explains, "a rule of thumb is to put the most important data on the X- or Y- axis and less important data on color, size, or shape." https://www.tableau.com/learn/whitepapers/tableau-visual-guidebook"

"Positive skewness means the extreme values are to the right, while negative skewness means the extreme values are to the left. a. True b. False"

"Answer is A. True https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/inspectdata_summary.html"

"You can combine multiple worksheets in a single dashboard. a. True b. False"

"Answer is A. True "A dashboard is a collection of several worksheets and supporting information shown in a single place so you can compare and monitor a variety of data simultaneously." http://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/help.htm#dashboards.html"

"The benefits of creating a Tableau data extract include improving performance and allowing offline access to the data. a. True b. False"

"Answer is A. True These benefits are described here: http://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/extracting_data.html"

"Context Filters are executed after data source filters. a. True b. False"

"Answer is A. True. Context filters are executed after data source filters but before dimension source filters. https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/order_of_operations.html"

"Bins can be created for which type of field? a. Dimension b. Discrete c. Continuous measure d. Date"

"Answer is C. A bin can be created on a continuous measure or numeric dimension https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/calculations_bins.html"

"If you would like your Top N or Bottom N set to change depending on what filter choices are changed, what type of filter should use use? a. Context b. Dimension Filters c. Measure Filters d. None of the above"

"Answer is a. Context Context filters are applied before the Top N filters are applied. For example, you have a context filter on Region = West and set showing the top 5 customers with the highest sales, the filter on region will first limit your data to show only rows with the West region, and then the set will determine the top 5 customers for those rows. https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/order_of_operations.html"

"Tableau displays an axis when you drop this onto the Rows or Column shelf. a. Continuous field b. Discrete field c. Measure names d.Measure values"

"Answer is a. Continuous field and d.Measure values Tableau displays and axis when you drop a continuous field onto the row or columns shelf. The automatically generated Measures Values field is always a continuous field. Continuous and Discrete: http://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/datafields_typesandroles_dataroles_continuousdiscrete.html Measure Names and Measure Values: https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/datafields_understanddatawindow_meavalues.html"

"Bullet graphs combine bar charts and reference lines a. True b. False"

"Answer is a. True Learn more about bullet charts here: https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/qs_bullet_graphs.html"

"A ___ action allows Tableau to open a page on an external website. a. URL b. Filter c.Highlight d.Web"

"Answer is a. URL "A URL action is a hyperlink that points to a Web page, file, or other web-based resource outside of Tableau." https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/actions_url.html"

"If a dashboard is difficult to view on a smartphone, you can use the _____ designer to create a phone-specific view of your dashboard: a. Custom layout b. Device Designer c. Floating layout d. Narrower width"

"Answer is a.Device Designer http://www.tableau.com/about/blog/2016/8/tips-designing-device-specific-dashboards-make-everyone-happy-57548"

"_______ is a technique in Tableau which will identify marks with similar characteristics. a. Trendline b. Clustering c. Box Plots d. Distribution Bands"

"Answer is b. Clustering Clustering identifies groups of observations with similar characteristics: https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/clustering.html"

"When you sort data in a hierarchy, Tableau rearranges headers that appear before the sorted field. a. True b. False"

"Answer is b. False "Tableau does not rearrange [hierarchy] headers that appear before the sorted field." https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/sortgroup_sorting_computed_ex2hierarchy.html"

"Sorts can break the dimension hierarchy. In other words, Tableau will rearrange any the headers of the fields that appear to the left of the sorted field. a. True b. False"

"Answer is b. False "

"A trendline using an exponential model type will be fit using exponential regression. a. True b. False"

"Answer is b. False "Although trend lines may be of type linear, logarithmic, exponential, or polynomial, this does not indicate that any of these models is not a linear regression." http://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/trendlines_model.html"

"The metadata grid displays the fields in your data source in columns. a. True b. False"

"Answer is b. False "The metadata grid displays the fields in your data source as rows so that you can quickly examine the structure of your Tableau data source and perform routine management tasks, such as renaming fields or hiding multiple fields at once." https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/environment_datasource_page.html"

"Bins acts as containers that summarize data for a specific range of values. Without using a calculated field, Tableau's bin feature allows you to create variable sized bins. a. True b. False"

"Answer is b. False If you want to create variable sized bins, you'll need to create a calculated field with IF THEN ELSE statements. An example is shown here: http://kb.tableau.com/articles/knowledgebase/creating-variable-sized-bins"

"Which of the following is an alternative to a Tile dashboard layout? a. Grid b. Floating c. Flowing d. Custom e. Default"

"Answer is b. Floating More detail on layouts here: https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/help.html#dashboards_dsd_create.html"

"Which of the following are generated fields in Tableau (select all that apply) a. City b. Number of Records c. State d. Measure Names e. Distinct Values"

"Answer is b. Number of Records and d. Measure Names Generated fields include: Measure Values, Measure Names, Number of Records, Latitude and Longitude http://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/help.html#datafields_understanddatawindow.html"

"Which of the following is used to assess trendline significance: a. SSE b. R-Squared c. p-value d. slope e. None of the above"

"Answer is c. p-value "The smaller the p-value, the more significant the model is. A p-value of 0.05 or less is often considered sufficient." http://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/trendlines_significance.html"

"You want to email a packaged workbook containing a Tableau Dashboard to a coworker who does not have a license for Tableau Desktop. Which application will allow her to view the dashboard you send via email? a. Tableau Public b. Tableau Server c. Tableau Viewer d. Tableau Reader"

"Answer is d. Tableau Reader Tableau Reader is a free application that can be used to open and see workbooks that have been built in Tableau Desktop. http://kb.tableau.com/articles/howto/sharing-workbooks-without-tableau-desktop"

"Pareto charts combine the following elements: a. Tree maps & heat maps b. Bar & trend lines c. Pie charts & packed bubbles d. Left and right axis line graphs e. None of the Above "

"Answer is e. None of the Above A Pareto chart is a type of chart that contains both bars and a line graph. More on Pareto charts here: https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/pareto.html"

"You start with a blank worksheet and add a continuous field to the row shelf. How will this new field change your view? a. It will add a horizontal axis b. It will add a horizontal header c. It will add a vertical axis d. It will add a vertical header"

"Answer: C - vertical axis https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/help.html#datafields_typesandroles.html?Highlight=discrete"

"Which of the following is a table calculation? a. SUM b. TOTAL c. AVG d. STDEV"

"B - Of these, only TOTAL is a table calculation: Create a calculated field and set the type to Table Calculation to discern which is and which is not."

"Which chart type will best visualize the relationship between two continuous measures? a. Bar chart b. Scatter Plot c. Line Chart d. Stacked Bar"

"B - Scatter Plot. Scatter plots to visualize relationships between numerical variables. Bar charts to compare data across categories. Line charts compare numeric data over time. Stacked bar charts compare numeric data over two dimensions. https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/help.html#buildexamples_scatter.html?Highlight=scatter"

"The most important items on a dashboard should be positioned where? a. Center b. Upper Left c. Upper Right d. Bottom"

"B - Upper Left. Place the most important view at the top of your dashboard, or in the upper left corner. When looking at a dashboard, your eye is usually drawn to that corner first."

"After setting up two data source connections, how can you create a blend? a. Add at least one field from the primary data source to your view. Then, in the Data pane, click the data source that you want to designate as the secondary data source and click the broken link icon. b. On the data sources pane, drag tables from both connections onto the canvas. Then click the venn diagram and select the blending fields. c. On the data source page, double-click New Blend to set up the blend. Drag a table from the left pane to the blend dialog box. d. Select Data, then Edit Relationships, tthen Select the secondary data source in the Secondary data source pane, select Custom in the relationships list, and then click the Add button."

"Correct answer is A. Editing the relationships will not by itself establish a blend. https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/multiple_connections.html"

"Which of the following is the best reason to create a saved data source as a .TDS file a. Those who wish to use the data do not have access to the underlying data. b. You want to save the default field properties such as number formats and sort order. c. You want to save a snapshot of the data that will not update even when the underlying data changes. d. You need to apply an aggregation that takes too long when using a live connection."

"Correct answer is B. TDS files save the data source metadata, such as the connection information, default field formatting, and sort order. They do not save the data source itself, and hence you should use this format if everyone who will use the data source has access to the underlying file or database defined in the connection information. Documentation here: https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/export_connection.html"

"When creating a union between tables, what will happen if the field names do not match? a. Tableau will return an error message, explaining that you must modify the tables so that all tables used in the union have the same field names. b. Tableau will automatically merge the fields, combining fields with similar field names. c. Fields in the union that do not have matching field names will contain null values. d. Fields with non-matching field names will be dropped, so that the union will contain only those fields with matching field names"

"Correct answer is C - if the field names do not match, the fields will be included in the UNION but will contain null values for the rows from the table that is missing the field. https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/union.html"

"Which of the following uses a primary and secondary data source? a. Cross-database joins b. Unions c. Aggregation d. Blending"

"Correct answer is D. Data blending involves a primary and secondary data source. https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/multiple_connections.html"

"You would like to a view that displays a filter allowing you to select the state, and use a Set to displaying the top 5 products with the greatest total sales within the selected state. What type of filter should you use to filter on the state? a. Multiselect Filter b. Dimension Filter c. Context Filter d. Wildcard Filter"

"You would like to filter on the state, and then select the top 5 products with the greatest sales from within the selected state. Therefore, you need a filter which will execute before the Set. Dimension filters execute after sets, so they are the wrong choice. If you make the filter on the state a context filter, Tableau will filter on the state, and then the set will determine the top 5 products by sales within the selected state. More detail here: https://onlinehelp.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/order_of_operations.html#DimtoCtxt"

Query

A set of formalized instructions that Tableau uses to communicate with databases. Common query languages include SQL and MDX. Every time you build a view of your data, Tableau translates your actions into queries and retrieves the requested information from the data source. If you are building a dense data view, you can turn queries off until all the fields you want are placed on shelves.

Story

A sheet that contains a sequence of views or dashboards that work together to convey information.

Worksheet

A sheet where you build views of your data by dragging fields onto shelves.

unioning

A way to combine data from multiple tables by appending values (rows).

"The AVG function does not treat null values as zeros. Rather, the AVG function ignores null values. a. True b. False"

Answer TRUE

"Which of the following graph types provide information on the distribution of a continuous measure? A. Pie Chart B. Heat Map C. Box Plot D. Packed Bubbles"

Answer is C. Box Plot

"_______ is a tendency to increase or decrease over time A. Seasonality B. Slope C. Trend D. Gradient"

Answer is C. Trend

"You have a dashboard and you want to add a feature so that selecting an element on one of the worksheets on the dashboard causes a change on another worksheet in the same dashboard. What features will do this? (select all that apply) a. Filter Action b. Url Action c. Highlight Action d. Drilldown Action"

Answer: A & C. A filter action can filter items on another worksheet, and a highlight action can highlight items on another worksheet.

"Which of the following fields will have AGG in front of it when you add it to the view? a. A calculated field with the formula SUM([Profit]) b. A measure called Profit c. A date field d. A calculated field with the formula 5 * [Profit]"

Answer: A, since this is a measure that has an aggregation already built in, when you add it to the view you will see AGG in front of the field name

Analytics pane

A pane on the left side of your workbook that provides quick and easy access to common analytic features in Tableau. From the Analytics pane, you can drag reference lines, box plots, trend lines forecasts, and other items into your view. Toggle between the Data pane and the Analytics pane by clicking one of the tabs at the top of the side bar.

Format pane

A pane that contains formatting settings that control the entire worksheet, as well as individual fields in the view. When open, the Format pane appears on the left side of the workbook.

marks

A part of the view that visually represents one or more rows in a data source. A mark can be, for example, a bar, line, or square. You can control the type, color, and size of marks.

custom geocoding

A process of adding your own location data to extend the built-in geocoding.

Rows shelf

A shelf at the top of the workbook that you can use to create the rows of a data table. The shelf accepts any number of dimensions and measures. When you place a dimension on the Rows shelf, Tableaus creates headers for the members of that dimension. When you place a measure on the Rows shelf, Tableau creates quantitative axes for that measure.

Columns shelf

A shelf at the top of the workbook that you use to create the columns of a data table. The shelf accepts any number of dimensions and measures. When you place a dimension on the Columns shelf, Tableau creates headers for the members of that dimension. When you place a measure on the Columns shelf, Tableau creates quantitative axes for that measure. See also Rows shelf.

Filters shelf

A shelf on the left of the workbook that you can use to exclude data from a view by filtering it using measures and dimensions.

Size shelf

A shelf to the left of the view that allows you can use to encode data by assigning different sizes to the marks in the view. The Size shelf accepts measures and dimensions. When you place a dimension on the shelf, Tableau separates the marks according to the members in the dimension, and assigns a unique size to each member. When you place a measure on the shelf, Tableau assigns a different size to each mark using a continuous range.

Shape shelf

A shelf to the left of the view that you can use to encode data by assigning different shapes to the marks in the view. The Shape shelf accepts dimensions only. When you place a dimension on the shelf, Tableau separates the marks according to the members of the dimension, and a legend describes the encoding. You cannot place a measure on the shelf because measures do not contain members.

"Sets can be created on Measures. a. False b. True"

" a. False "

"A good reason to use a bullet graph. a. Analyzing the trend for a time period b. Comparing the actual against the target sales c. Adding data to bins and calculating count measure d. Displaying the sales growth for a particular year"

" b. Comparing the actual against the target sales "

"Which is not an action out of the below list? a. URL b. Tooltip c. Running d. Filter"

" b. Tooltip "

"1. The Highlighting action can be disabled for the entire workbook. a. False b. True"

" b. True "

"Disaggregation returns all records in the underlying data source. a. False b. True"

" b. True "

"Is it possible to use measures in the same view multiple times (e.g. SUM of the measure and AVG of the measure)? a. False b. True"

" b. True "

"Is it possible to deploy a URL action on a dashboard object to open a Web Page within a dashboard rather than opening the system's web browser? a. True, with the use of Tableau Server b. True, with the use of a Web Page object c. False, not possible d. True, requires a plug-in"

" b. True, with the use of a Web Page object "

"For Bullet Graphs we need at-least ____ measures? a. 4 b. 3 c. 2 d. 1"

" c. 2 "

"Which of the following is not a Trend Line model a. Linear Trend Line b. Exponential Trend Line c. Binomial Trend Line d. Logarithmic Trend Line "

" c. Binomial Trend Line "

"Which Aggregate Function is used to calculate Distinct Count? a. AVG() b. COUNT() c. COUNTD() d. SUM()"

" c. COUNTD() "

"For creating variable size bins we use _____________. a. Sets b. Groups c. Calculated fields d. Table Calculations"

" c. Calculated fields "

"To connect to multiple tables in a single data source at one time, what must be specified? a. A Heirarchy b. A Blend c. A Calculation d. A Join"

" d. A Join "

"What can be followed to integrate data from different data-sources? a. Quick Filter b. A Join c. A Parameter d. Cross Database Join"

" d. Cross Database Join "

ad-hoc calculation

A calculation that you can create and update as you work with a field on a shelf in the view. Also known as type-in calculation or in-line calculation.

Marks card

A card to the left of the view where you can drag fields to control mark properties such as type, color, size, shape, label, tooltip, and detail.

Repository

A collection of workbooks, bookmarks, data sources, and logs. By default, the Tableau Repository is located on the drive where Tableau is installed, in the My Documents\My Tableau Repository folder.

Dashboard

A combination of several views arranged on a single page. Use dashboards to compare and monitor a variety of data simultaneously.

table calculation

A computation that uses data from multiple rows in the database and that is applied to the values in the table.

extract mode

A connection state. In extract mode, a snapshot of your data is taken, which then becomes the Tableau data source. See also live mode

live mode

A connection state. In live mode, the Tableau data source fetches your data and saves the metadata associated with your data to the Tableau data source. See also extract mode

Set

A custom field that defines a subset of data based on some conditions. A set can be based on a computed condition or on a specific data point in the view. Sets appear at the bottom of the Data pane in the Sets area.

relational database

A database that presents information in tables with rows and columns. Examples of relational databases that Tableau supports are Excel workbooks, Access databases, comma-delimited text files, MySQL database, and Tableau Data Extract files.

Caption

A description of the current view on the active worksheet. For example, "Sum of Sales for each Market". You can automatically generate captions or create your own custom captions. Show and hide the caption by selecting Worksheet > Show Caption.

field

A dimension or a measure in a database. For relational data sources, fields are the columns of a table. For cube (multidimensional) data sources, fields are the dimensions of a cube. Each dimension or column contains a unique attribute of the data, such as customer name, sales, or product type.

Parameter

A dynamic value that can replace a constant value in calculations, filters, and reference lines.

Pill

A field in the view.

Dimension

A field of categorical data. Dimensions typically hold discrete data such as hierarchies and members that cannot be aggregated. Examples of dimensions include dates, customer names, and customer segments. See also - measure.

Measure

A field of quantitative data. Measures are fields that are dependent variables. They are typically quantitative fields or calculated fields like sales, temperature, or frequency. You can also create discrete measures in Tableau. See also dimension.

Group

A field you can use to combine dimension members into higher level categories. For example, you could group a dimension that contains states into regions. Groups are marked with a paper clip icon in the Data pane.

workbook

A file with a .twb extension that contains one or more worksheets (and possibly also dashboards and stories).

pass-through function

A function that sends SQL expressions directly to the database to access custom database functions.

cross-database join

A join that contains tables from two or more connections to different databases.

Header

A label for member names for each field that you place on Rows or Columns.

Shape legend

A legend that displays the shapes associated with dimension members. The legend appears on worksheets that have a dimension placed on the Shape shelf.

calculated field

A new field that you create by using a formula to modify the existing fields in your data source.

Data Source page

A page where you can set up your data source. The Data Source page generally consists of four main areas - left pane, canvas, data grid, and metadata grid.

Data pane

A pane on the left side of the workbook that displays the fields of the data sources to which Tableau is connected. The fields are divided into dimensions and measures. The Data pane also displays custom fields such as calculations, binned fields, and groups. You build views of your data by dragging fields from the Data pane onto the various shelves that are a part of every worksheet.

Pages shelf

A shelf to the left of the view that you can use to split a view into a sequence of pages based on the members and values in a discrete or continuous field. Adding a field to the Pages shelf is like adding a field to the Rows shelf, except that a new page is created for each new row.

Text shelf

A shelf to the left of the view that you can use to view the numbers associated with a view, and to encode data by assigning text labels to the marks. The shelf accepts measures and dimensions. The most common view using the Text shelf is a text table.

packaged workbook

A single zip file with a .twbx extension that contains a workbook along with any supporting local file data sources and background images. Use this format to package your work for sharing with others who don't have access to the data.

level of detail (LOD) expression

A syntax that supports aggregation at dimensionalities other than the view level. With level of detail expressions, you can attach one or more dimensions to any aggregate expression.

hexagonal binning

A technique for clustering data in a two-dimensional plane.

Crosstab

A text table view. Use text tables to display the numbers associated with dimension members.

Data Interpreter

A tool that parses your Excel or Google Sheets data source to help prepare your data for analysis.

Bin

A user-defined grouping of measures in the data source.

Sheet

A view (also known as worksheet), dashboard, or story. Sheets appear as tabs at the bottom of the workbook.

small multiples

A view that contains small multiple charts of the same type.

table

A visual presentation of a data view. Tables consist of panes, headers, and cells.

Encoding

A visual representation of your data. You can encode your data by color, shape, size, and path using the associated worksheet shelves.

Joining

A way to combine data from multiple tables.

Pivot

A way to convert data from crosstab format into columnar format.

integrated data source

see multi-connection data source

Forecast

A calculation that predicts future trends based on current trends and data.

Bookmark

A .tbm file in the Bookmarks folder in the Tableau repository that contains a single worksheet. Much like web browser bookmarks, .tbm files are a convenient way to quickly display different analyses.

multi-connection data source

A Tableau data source that contains two or more connections to tables from different databases.

Cell

A basic element of any table that you create in Tableau. You can control cells to enhance your data view, which is useful for text tables and heat maps.

Color property

A property on the Marks card that enables you to encode data by assigning different colors to the marks in a view. The property accepts measures and dimensions. When you place a dimension on the Color property, Tableau separates the marks according to the members in the dimension, and assigns a unique color to each member. When you place a measure on the Color property, Tableau draws each mark with a different color using a continuous range. In both cases, a legend describes the color encoding.

Path property

A property on the Marks card that you can use to encode data by connecting marks using a particular drawing order. The property accepts measures and dimensions. Dimensions connect the marks according to the members in the dimension. If the dimension is a date, the drawing order is given by the date order. If the dimension contains words, the line is drawn based on the order of the words in the data source. Measures connect the marks according to the values of the measure. The measure can be aggregated or disaggregated. See also path.

Detail property

A property on the Marks card that you can use to separate the marks in a view according to the level of detail (that is, members) of a dimension. The Detail property works only on aggregated data.

join condition

A relationship between fields in a join. You can define the relationship on the canvas of the data source. See also joining.

view

A representation of your data in a Tableau worksheet or dashboard. You can create data views by placing fields on shelves.

Aggregation

A result of a mathematical operation applied to a measure. Predefined aggregations include summation and average. You can convert dimensions to measures by aggregating them as a count. For relational data sources, all measures must be either aggregated or disaggregated (unless they appear on the Filters shelf). Tableau aggregates measures, usually as a summation, when you place them on a shelf. For multidimensional (OLAP) data sources, aggregations are defined when the cube is created and cannot be modified in Tableau.

field label

A row or column heading that indicates the data field used to create the view. For example, a view that has rows for East, Central, and West might have a Region field label at the top of the column indicating that each row is a member of the Region field.

Extract

A saved subset of a data source that you can use to improve performance and analyze offline. You can create an extract by defining filters and limits that include the data you want in the extract.

secondary data source

A second or subsequent data source that you use in a blended view. See also blending data, primary data source.

Alias

An alternative name that you can assign to a field or to a dimension member.

data grid

An area at the bottom of the Data Source page where you can review the fields and the first 1,000 rows of the data in the data source. You can also use the data grid to make general modifications to your data source, such as adding a calculation, hiding or renaming a field, or changing its data type. See also - Data Source page

Canvas

An area at the top of the Data Source page where you can drag tables or select queries or cubes to set up your data source.

Pane

An area in the table that is created by the intersection of rows and columns. Tables consist of one or more panes. The number of panes in a view depends on the number and type of fields placed on the Rows and Columns shelves.

color legend

An area of the view that displays the colors associated with a measure or dimension member. The default legend is modified when you place a dimension or a measure on the Color property.

metadata grid

An area that can be accessed from the Data Source page by clicking the metadata button and that displays the fields in your data source as rows so that you can quickly examine the structure of your data source and perform routine management tasks, such as renaming fields or hiding multiple fields at once. When connected to cube data, the metadata displays by default. See also Data Source page.

story point

An individual view in a story.

Action

An interaction that you can add to your views. There are three types of action- Filter, Highlight, and URL.

Shelves

Named areas to the left and top of the view. You build views by placing fields onto the shelves. Some shelves are available only when you select certain mark types. For example, the Shape shelf is available only when you select the Shape mark type.

primary data source

The first data source that you use in a blended view. See also

data source

The link between your data and Tableau. A Tableau data source contains information about how to connect to your data, table names, the relationships the tables have with each other, and any customizations that you make on top.