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Tableau Desktop Foundations

Tableau Desktop Foundations

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Tableau Desktop Foundations

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What happens to a Tableau view when the underlying data source is updated and a live connection is used
How to connect Tableau Desktop to a relational database using a live connection
Which connector types in Tableau Desktop support live connections
How to connect Tableau Desktop to a file-based data source such as Microsoft Excel or a CSV text file
The primary difference between a live connection and an extract in Tableau Desktop
When an extract is preferable over a live connection (e.g., slow database, offline use, performance)
How data freshness differs between a live connection and a Tableau extract
Which file format Tableau uses when saving an extract locally
How extracts improve query performance compared to live connections
How pre-aggregating data during extract creation improves query performance
How compressing data during extract creation improves query performance
Why an extract enables offline access to data when no live database connection is available
How to create a Tableau extract from an existing data source in Tableau Desktop
How to apply filters when creating a Tableau extract
How to configure aggregation when creating a Tableau extract
How to limit the number of rows when creating a Tableau extract
The file extension used by a Tableau extract file
How to refresh an existing Tableau extract from within Tableau Desktop (right-click the data source, Extract > Refresh)
The difference between a full extract refresh and an incremental extract refresh in Tableau Desktop
What a .TDS file contains
What a .TDS file does NOT contain
The purpose of saving a Tableau Data Source (.TDS) file
What types of metadata are saved in a .TDS file (e.g., field aliases, default formats, calculated fields)
The difference between a .TDS and a .TDSX file
How to add a second connection to an existing data source in Tableau Desktop
What is required to combine data from two different connections in a single Tableau data source
What a relationship is in the Tableau logical data model
How a relationship differs from a join at the logical layer in Tableau
How to create a relationship between two tables in the Tableau data source canvas
How Tableau handles null values when using relationships versus joins
How row duplication differs when using relationships versus joins in Tableau
Where relationships are defined in the Tableau data source editor (logical vs physical layer)
How to add a join between two tables in Tableau Desktop
The join types available in Tableau Desktop (inner, left, right, full outer)
How to create a union between two tables with identical structure in Tableau Desktop
What happens to non-matching rows in a left join in Tableau
What happens to non-matching rows in an inner join in Tableau
How a union stacks rows compared to how a join merges columns
When a join is more appropriate than a relationship in Tableau Desktop
The main advantage of using a relationship over a join when tables have different levels of detail
How relationships avoid the row duplication problem that can occur with joins in Tableau
How to rename a field in the Tableau data pane
Whether renaming a field in Tableau affects the underlying data source
How to assign an alias to a specific member of a dimension in Tableau Desktop
What an alias does to a data value in Tableau
How aliases are displayed in a Tableau view
Whether aliases in Tableau affect the underlying data or only the display label
How to assign a geographic role to a field in Tableau Desktop
What geographic roles are available in Tableau (e.g., City, State, Country, ZIP Code, Latitude, Longitude)
What Tableau generates automatically when a geographic role is assigned to a field
What Tableau displays on a map when a geographic field contains unrecognized values
How to resolve unrecognized geographic values using Edit Locations in Tableau
How to change the data type of a field in Tableau Desktop
Which data types are available for fields in Tableau Desktop
Whether changing a field's data type in Tableau modifies the underlying database
How to change the default aggregation for a measure in Tableau Desktop
How to change the default number format for a field in Tableau Desktop
How to change the default color for a field in Tableau Desktop
How to change the default sort order for a field in Tableau Desktop
Where in Tableau Desktop you access the default properties for a data field

What shelf configuration in Tableau produces a basic horizontal bar chart
How to create a bar chart in Tableau using Show Me or manual shelf placement
How the Show Me panel recommends chart types based on selected fields in Tableau Desktop
How the Show Me panel limits available chart types based on the number and type of fields selected in Tableau Desktop
What shelf configuration in Tableau produces a line chart over time
How to create a line chart showing a measure's trend across a date dimension in Tableau
What fields are required on the Rows and Columns shelves to create a scatterplot in Tableau
How to disaggregate measures to display individual data points in a scatterplot
What field types Tableau requires to automatically generate a map view
How to create a filled map (choropleth) in Tableau
How to create a symbol map in Tableau
How a combined axis chart differs from a dual axis chart in Tableau
How to place two measures on the same axis to create a combined axis chart in Tableau
How to create a dual axis chart in Tableau by using two separate axes
What 'Synchronize Axis' does in a dual axis chart in Tableau
When to use a dual axis chart instead of a combined axis chart in Tableau
How to create a stacked bar chart in Tableau using a dimension on the Color mark
What mark type must be selected to produce a stacked bar in Tableau
What mark type is used to create a density map in Tableau
What data is required to create a density map in Tableau Desktop
How to create a crosstab (text table) in Tableau Desktop
How a highlight table differs from a crosstab in Tableau
What mark type is used for a highlight table in Tableau
How to create a group from selected marks in a Tableau view
How to create a group from dimension members in the data pane
What happens to ungrouped members when a group is created in Tableau (the 'Other' bucket)
What a set is in Tableau
How a set differs from a group in Tableau
How to create a set from selected marks in a Tableau view
The difference between a static (fixed) set and a computed (dynamic) set in Tableau
How In/Out set membership is represented in a Tableau view
How to create a hierarchy from two or more dimensions in Tableau Desktop
How drill-down works in a Tableau hierarchy using the expand/collapse controls
Where hierarchies appear in the Tableau data pane after they are created
How to add a dimension filter to a Tableau worksheet
The order in which Tableau applies filters (extract, data source, context, dimension, measure, table calc)
How to show a filter control card on a Tableau worksheet for consumer interaction
The difference between filtering to 'Keep Only' and filtering to 'Exclude' in Tableau
What a context filter is in Tableau
When to use a context filter in Tableau (e.g., ensuring a Top N filter applies only to a pre-filtered subset of data)
How to create a Top N filter for a dimension in Tableau Desktop using the Top tab in the filter dialog
How to add a measure filter in Tableau Desktop by filtering on an aggregated measure value (e.g., keep only categories where SUM(Sales) > 50,000)
How to add a relative date filter in Tableau Desktop
What filter options are available when filtering by a date field in Tableau (relative, range, specific dates)
How a date range filter differs from a relative date filter in Tableau
How to apply a manual sort to dimension members in a Tableau view
How to sort a dimension by a measure value in Tableau Desktop
Where the sort icon appears on a Tableau worksheet
How to access the full sort dialog in Tableau Desktop
How to add a reference line to a Tableau view
What values a reference line can reference in Tableau (constant, average, median, sum, etc.)
What types of reference lines are available in Tableau (constant, average, median, sum, etc.)
How a reference band differs from a reference line in Tableau
What quick table calculations are available in Tableau Desktop (e.g., Running Total, Percent of Total, Difference, Rank, Moving Average)
How to apply a quick table calculation to a measure in Tableau Desktop
How the 'Compute Using' option changes the direction of a table calculation in Tableau
What the Rank quick table calculation does in a Tableau view
How the Rank quick table calculation orders values in a Tableau view
What the Moving Average quick table calculation computes in Tableau
What the Moving Average quick table calculation is useful for (smoothing data over a sliding window)
How to create a bin from a numeric measure in Tableau Desktop
What chart type requires a bin field to create a histogram in Tableau
What the bin size controls in a Tableau histogram
How to open the calculated field editor in Tableau Desktop
How to write a simple arithmetic calculation (e.g., Profit / Sales) as a calculated field in Tableau
How to concatenate two string fields using a calculated field in Tableau
How to use the DATEPART function in a Tableau calculated field
How to use the DATEDIFF function in a Tableau calculated field
Where a newly created calculated field appears in the Tableau data pane (dimension vs measure)
How to write a logical calculation using IF/THEN/ELSE or CASE/WHEN in a Tableau calculated field
How to use the CONTAINS function in a Tableau calculated field
How to use the LEFT function in a Tableau calculated field
How to use the MID function in a Tableau calculated field
How to use TODAY() in a Tableau calculated field to compute values relative to the current date
How to use ISNULL in a Tableau calculated field to test for null values
How to use IFNULL in a Tableau calculated field to replace null values
How to use the ZN function in a Tableau calculated field to convert nulls to zero
How to use the STR function to convert a value to a string in a Tableau calculated field
How to use INT, FLOAT, or DATE functions to convert data types in a Tableau calculated field
What a parameter is in Tableau
How a parameter differs from a filter in Tableau
When to use a parameter in Tableau instead of a filter (e.g., to dynamically control a calculated field or reference line value)
How a parameter control is displayed to end users in a Tableau view
How to create a parameter in Tableau Desktop
What data types are available for a Tableau parameter
What allowable value options exist for a Tableau parameter (list, range, or all)
How to reference a parameter by name inside a Tableau calculated field to make a calculation dynamic
How to show column or row grand totals on a Tableau worksheet
Where to find the option to add subtotals in Tableau Desktop
What menu in Tableau Desktop contains the 'Totals' options for a worksheet

How to assign a dimension to the Color mark in Tableau to encode categorical data
How color encoding differs when a measure versus a dimension is placed on the Color mark in Tableau
How to edit the color palette applied to a field on the Color mark in Tableau
How to change the font for worksheet titles, labels, or tooltips in Tableau Desktop
Where to access font formatting options for a Tableau worksheet
How to change the mark type to Shape in Tableau
How to assign a dimension to the Shape mark in Tableau
How to assign custom shapes to dimension members using the Shape mark in Tableau
What viz animations do in Tableau Desktop
How to enable viz animations in Tableau Desktop
What animation settings are available in Tableau Desktop (duration, style)
How to use the Size mark to encode a measure as the size of marks in Tableau
How to manually adjust the default size of all marks using the Size slider in Tableau
How to show or hide a color, shape, or size legend on a Tableau worksheet
Where in Tableau Desktop you access the option to show a legend card
How to add a worksheet to a Tableau dashboard
The difference between a tiled and a floating layout object on a Tableau dashboard
How to set the size of a Tableau dashboard (fixed, automatic, range)
What non-worksheet objects can be added to a Tableau dashboard (text box, image, web page, blank, horizontal and vertical layout containers)
How to expose a filter control from a worksheet on a Tableau dashboard
What the data highlighter tool does in a Tableau dashboard
How to customize the tooltip displayed when a viewer hovers over marks in a Tableau view
What a Viz in Tooltip is in Tableau
How a Viz in Tooltip enhances interactivity on a Tableau dashboard
How to create a filter action between two worksheets on a Tableau dashboard
What a highlight action does in a Tableau dashboard
How a URL action is used on a Tableau dashboard (opening an external link from a mark click)
How to configure when a dashboard action runs (hover, select, menu)
What happens to a filter action's target sheet when no marks are selected (show all, exclude all, keep current)
How a parameter action works in Tableau — passing a field value from a selected mark into a parameter to drive a calculation or view change
The key difference between a filter action (removes unselected marks) and a highlight action (dims but retains unselected marks) in a Tableau dashboard
What device-specific layouts allow in Tableau dashboards (phone, tablet, desktop)
How to add a new device layout to an existing Tableau dashboard
How container objects (horizontal and vertical) help organize layout on a Tableau dashboard
What a Tableau story is
How a Tableau story differs from a dashboard
How to add a new story point to a Tableau story
What content can be added as a story point in Tableau (worksheets, dashboards, blank)
What a .TWBX packaged workbook file is in Tableau
What data a .TWBX packaged workbook file contains (workbook plus embedded data sources and extracts)
How to publish a workbook to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud from Tableau Desktop
How to save a Tableau view as a PDF from Tableau Desktop
The difference between a .TWB and a .TWBX file
How to export a Tableau worksheet or dashboard as an image file (PNG, BMP, JPEG) from the File menu
How to view the underlying data behind marks in a Tableau worksheet
How to export the underlying data from a Tableau view to a CSV file
The difference between 'Summary Data' and 'Full Data' in the Tableau View Data dialog
How to export a Tableau workbook or dashboard to Microsoft PowerPoint
What each slide in a Tableau PowerPoint export corresponds to

4.1.1 Explain what kind of information dimensions usually contain

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What type of data dimensions typically contain in Tableau (categorical, qualitative, labels)
Examples of fields that Tableau would classify as dimensions by default

4.1.2 Explain what kind of information measures usually contain

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What type of data measures typically contain in Tableau (numeric, quantitative, aggregatable)
Examples of fields that Tableau would classify as measures by default

4.1.3 Explain the difference between dimensions and measures

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The functional difference between dimensions and measures in Tableau (slicing vs aggregating)

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How Tableau treats a field placed on Rows or Columns differently depending on whether it is a dimension or a measure

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How to convert a measure to a dimension (or vice versa) in the Tableau data pane

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4.2.1 Explain how discrete fields are displayed

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How discrete fields are visually represented in a Tableau view (headers, color bands)
The visual indicator in Tableau's pill color that shows a field is discrete (blue)

4.2.2 Explain how continuous fields are displayed

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How continuous fields are visually represented in a Tableau view (axes)
The visual indicator in Tableau's pill color that shows a field is continuous (green)

4.2.3 Explain the difference between discrete date parts and continuous date values

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The difference between using a discrete date part (e.g., Month) versus a continuous date value in Tableau
What a continuous date field displays on the axis versus what a discrete date part displays as a header
How truncated date values (e.g., MONTH(Order Date)) and date parts (e.g., MONTH(Order Date) discrete) differ in behavior

4.3.1 Explain the default aggregation for measures

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What the default aggregation is for most numeric measures in Tableau (SUM)
What aggregation types are available for measures in Tableau (SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX, COUNT, COUNTD, etc.)
How to change the aggregation applied to a measure in a Tableau view
What disaggregating measures means in Tableau
How unchecking Aggregate Measures in Tableau shows individual row-level values in a view

4.3.2 Describe how an aggregated measure changes when dimensions are added to a view

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How adding a dimension to a Tableau view partitions the aggregation of a measure
What level of detail means in Tableau
How adding dimensions to a view increases the granularity of a measure in Tableau
Why a SUM(Sales) value changes when a Category dimension is added to a Tableau view
What the Measure Names and Measure Values fields represent in Tableau
When Measure Names and Measure Values appear automatically in a Tableau view (e.g., when multiple measures are placed on the same shelf)

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How to convert a measure to a dimension (or vice versa) in the Tableau data pane

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Next conceptHow discrete fields are visually represented in a Tableau view (headers, color bands)

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Explainer

Tableau automatically assigns numeric fields as measures and text or date fields as dimensions when you connect to data. You can convert a measure to a dimension in the Data pane to stop Tableau from aggregating the values and treat them as categorical headers instead. This adjustment ensures your visualizations reflect the true nature of your data rather than its raw numerical format.

Core information

Tableau separates fields in the Data pane with a horizontal gray line, placing dimensions above it and measures below it.

More details and nuances

Numeric fields like postal codes, employee IDs, or ages are often misclassified as measures by default, but converting them prevents inappropriate mathematical operations like averaging.