How to remove NULL from tableau dashboard?

Hello Friends, I am getting lots of request on how to remove null from our view. So, today's blog is about that.

We are getting three types of null into data.

1) Null as measures.
2) Null in Dimension as String 'NULL'.
3 Null in dimension as Blank ''.

Below image is for the reference. If you see in other three sheets, we have remove all type of nulls one by one. If you get all three null in your data then apply all three steps.

Let's start, how we can get this done in our data.

1) Null as measures.

• Drag My Ranking measure to filter shelf.
• Select Non-null values from Special Tab from popup filter window.
• Hit Ok.

2) Null in Dimension as String 'NULL'.

• Drag Superhero Name dimension to filter shelf.
• Select Exculde and then the NULL values from popup filter window.
• Hit Ok.

3) Null in Dimension as Blank ''

• Drag Superhero Name dimension to filter shelf.
• Select Exculde and then the Null values from popup filter window.
• Hit Ok.

I hope this blog will be beneficial for you. If you have any question, please comment below.

Tableau New Features in 10.3

Hello All,

In this blog we will learn some of important new and very helpful updates, for that we were waiting since long. :)

Let's start and learn one by one all of them.

1) Data Driven Alerts : Now, we can create alert on the basis of Thresholds. Earlier, it was only on Period basis. Refer the link. Data Driven Alert

2) PDF Data Connection : Tableau 10.3 is capable to connect with PDF files having structured data.

3) More Database Union : Tableau now supporting Union for Aster Database, Cloudera Hadoop, Greenplum, IBM DB2, IBM Netezza, SybaseASE and SybaseIQ.


4) Tooltip Selection : You can select the data as per tooltip selection refer the link to see how this will be done. Tool Tip Selection

5) Selection of Latest Date : Version 10.3 has feature that you can select the latest date as default.

6) Apply table Calculation filters to totals : Now, 10.3v has capability to apply the table calculation on totals.

 

7) Subscription : Now, we have more flexibility to set the parameters for subscription.

For more available updates, you can refer the official website of tableau. To go there click here

In case of any question, please comment below.

Tableau redirect to webpage

Hello All,

Welcome to my new blog. Here we will learn how to redirect to a webpage while clicking of a link. But, here is a hiccup.

As today, i want to create a hyperlink to redirect my workbook to an URL. But, If we use Action Filter, You have to click on Data view. What if, we require only a text as "Click Here". To achieve this, please go-through the below steps and you will have your view.

1) First, create an image having text Click Here. Like below image

2) Now, drag an image container on dashboard sheet from bottom left Object shelf.

3) Select the image file and make it as floating. So that, you can put it on sheet anywhere.

4) Now, Click on drop down arrow of image and select Set URL...

5) Enter the URL and hit OK.

Now, you are ready to redirect the link to webpage. Below is the final snapshot of the view.

I hope this blog useful to you. If you have any question, please comment below.

What is filter?

In this blog, we will learn about the  the filters and different types of filters available in Tableau.

So, let's start...

Filters are used to send information to tableau that user wants to get the result one some custom parameters. This can be based on dimensions or measures.

There are 7 types of filters as mentioned below:

1) Extract Filters
2) Data Source Filters
3) Context Filters
4) Dimension Filters
5) Measure Filters
6) Action Filters
7) Table Calculation Filters.

Now, We will get familiar with all one by one.

1) Extract Filters : While using this filter you can filter out the data at the time of extraction. Below is the snapshot for the same to get this done as highlighted. In this, We have use Sample - Superstore data.

We have filter out the Furniture from Category dimension. Click on Edit  right side of Extract and you will have the window to create a extract filter. There are more options to filter out on the basis of Top rows and aggregation.

2) Data Source Filters : This filter works on Live Data Connection. When you select Add, extreme right of window. Below window will appear.

You can see there are already 3 dimensions. But, when you try to edit them you will see that all the values of the dimensions are used into dataset.

Now, we will try to enter new one for Order Date Year  = 2014. Refer the below snapshot for this.

3) Context Filters : This filter always applied before any other filter. To apply this refer the below snapshot. You just need to right click on  filter and select Add to Context. This filter can be use as URL parameter also as &state='Alabama'.

4) Dimension Filters : As name, this can be applied on dimensions. Just right click on it and select Show Filter and this will come in filter shelf. You can simply just drag and drop to filter shelf. Below snapshot you will get after this.

There are other tabs also you can filter out on other conditions also like dimension contains or begins with some specific string. Based on greater or less then measures and Top or Bottom. Below snapshot for the reference.

5) Measure Filters : This is an aggregated filter. While using this, it will ask you on what aggregation you want to filter out the data. Refer the snapshot. As you can see there are other range of filter. You can filter out the data on At least, At most or Null or Non-Null values.

6) Action Filters : Using this filter, you can pass information on Click or Mouse Over event from one sheet to other sheet. For example, You have two sheets one is showing Sales and other is showing Profit. So, you can easily filter out the data while selection of sheet one dimension.

7) Table Calculation Filters : Unlike Context filter, this will applied at last of all the filters applied. To get this done we have many functions like LOOKUP, WINDOW_FUNCTIONS etc.

There is one more filter Keep Only and Exclude. You can filter out the data as per your requirement.

Refer the link to download the sample workbook. What is Filter? In case of any question, please comment below.

Difference between IF and IIF?

Hello All,

This blog is related to most common question, what is the difference between IF and IIF? Read the below comments and you will have the exact information about this.


1) IF can't return Boolean whereas IIF can return Boolean also.

               IF 1=1 THEN TRUE ELSE FALSE END // This will give you error, cannot use Boolean type with IF expression.

IIF(1=1,TRUE,FALSE) // This will execute perfect.

2) IF is like a statement in syntax (IF test THEN '' ELSE '' END) where as IIF is like a function

 IIF(test,then,else,[unkown])

3) IF takes 3 values whereas IIF takes 4 parameters.

4) ELSEIF can be use with IF but there is no way to use ELSEIF with IIF.

Tableau Desktop References:

IF <expr> THEN <then> [ELSEIF <expr2> THEN <then2>...]

[ELSE <else>] END

Tests a series of expressions returning the <then> value for the first true <expr>.

Example: IF [Profit]>0 THEN 'Profitable' ELSEIF [Profit] = 0 THEN 'Breakeven' ELSE 'Loss' END

IIF(test, then, else, [unknown])

Checks whether a condition is met and returns one value if TRUE, another value if FALSE, and an optional third value or NULL if unknown.

Example: IIF([Profit]>0,'Profit','Loss').

If you have any question, please comment below.

Introduction - 2

Hello Friend,

Continued to my previous blog, here we are going to know more about some sub menu and create our first dashboard. I am going to tell you about most important menu i.e. Analysis & Server.  But, first let's start with our first dashboard.

1) Open workbook by clicking on tableau launcher.

2) Select Sample - Superstore from Saved Data Source below of below bar.

3) Drag all the fields use in snapshot into the view.

Note: There are some of are blue and some of are in green color. The blue color shows that it's a dimension and green color shows it's a measure. In some situation, if any of measure you want to as dimension, you just need to change it as discrete.

3) To show sum of sales on each bar, you just need to drag Sales measure over Label in Mark shelf. I have used the T icon on Tool Bar. This is the other way to get this done.

We can change this bar chart in any other view also, Like in my case, i have created two more duplicate sheet and changed the chart type as Pie and Bubble Chart from Show Me tab.

You will have a minimum requirement of  type of data shown below all the charts.

I have create one more sheet for line chart. I can't have this by just copy the Bar Chart. Because, minimum required data is one Date (Continuous) and one measure and date we don't have with bar chart.

Now, go to dashboard menu and click on new dashboard. You will have all the created sheet list on your left side sheets shelf. Just drag all the sheet over the dashboard.

Next Step is to have filters on dashboard. Go to Analysis then sub menu Filters and just click on filter which you want. The number of filters are same as you have opted on sheet. If you want more and drag and drop in to filter shelf.

After all this you will have the dashboard like below. Just you need to work on formats. This will be in my next blog. How to format the dashboard?

Analysis - Indeed all menus are important, but Totals is use most frequently. Using this sub menu, we will have all type of total. Total by columns, total by rows and sub totals.

Rest menus, you can use into your scenarios and comment below if you have any query. Like for filters, Marks etc.

Server - When we finish our workings and the workbook is ready to go live for user, We will publish the workbook on tableau server by clicking on Publish Workbook...

Enter server name and hit Connect.

Enter username and password.

Select Project name, enter workbook name, select the sheets which ever you want to publish on server and hit publish and you will have you dashboard on your server.

You can have the workbook by clicking on the link. Sample - Superstore

I hope this was exciting for you. We will be back with some other interesting blog. If you have any query, please comment below.

How to use parameter with filter?

Scenario

I am using Superstore data. I have a dimension named Product Name. I want to filter out the data which contains some of given string by user.

To achieve this, We need to play with Parameter and Calculated field. Now, why we are using these things.

Parameter - When ever there is any need to get input from user, we need to use Parameter. You can create parameter by two ways:

1)  Right click on any dimension and select Create -  Parameter....

2) Click drop down arrow on right side of Dimension shelf header.

Using any of those two method you will have parameter. Now will have a window with some of option to create it.

Name: Any name you can put here as per your requirement.

Data Type: The data property, Float, String, Date, Boolean, etc. Option below depends on the data type selected.

Current Value: First selected value.

Display Format: This will format the displayed data.

Allowable values: 

• All - Selecting this, user can any input depends on data type selected. User will get a text box to type in.

• List - Using list, you will have a list of the data as drop down. You need to enter Value and Display As. You can have different text in both the options. But, keep in mind that, you will play on Value for any calculation.
•  You can manually enter the values or paste from other source using "Paste from Clipboard".
•  If you want to have the actual values coming into a dimension, then you can use "Add from field".

• Range - Range will give you a slider to choose any value from data. 
•  Minimum: If you want to have a minimum value for this parameter, you can put that value in this field.
•  Maximum: If you want to have a max value for this parameter, you can put that value in this field.
•  Step Size: This field indicate the different between on every slide. Like, your current value is 5 and step size is 2. Then, when you slide up the parameter this will add 2 to current value and on slide down it will show 3 on each slide.

Calculated Fields - Calculated fields are like a result of any formula using different kind of statements and functions. Like parameter, you can create this also by two same ways. Just need to click on Create Calculated Field... option.

Now let's start with the actual scenario. How we will use both parameter and calculated fields.

Below are the steps to get this done,

1) As we want to filter out Product Name ans it's data type is  String. So we need to create a parameter as data type string.

After creating this, it will show under Parameter shelf. Just just need to right click and select show parameter.

2) Now, we need to create a calculated field as below. I have created two  types of parameter, which returns Boolean and String with two different formulas. You can achieve this task by both ways.

If you are going with Boolean, you just need to put this in filter shelf selected as True.

If you are using String, then you just need to use this in Row shelf.

You will have the below view after going all this.

You can have the workbook by clicking on the link. Workbook - How to use parameter with filter?

If you have any question, please comment below.