Introduction to Tableau

Tableau

• Data visualization tool used for Business Analytics (especially Descriptive

Analytics)

• Helps in simplifying raw data in a very easily understandable format

• Doesn't require any technical / programming skills to operate

• Allows non-technical users to create customized visualizations and

dashboards
Tableau Versions

Tableau Desktop Tableau Public

Usage Details Professional and Enterprise level Personal level

Personal Edition - $35 per month

Pricing Professional Edition - $70 per month Free and Open Source
14-day free trial is available
Connect to any data source files such as Excel,
Data Source
CSV, Text files, databases, web applications Connect to Excel and text files
Connection
etc.
Can be saved as a local file and can be Can be published only in Tableau Public
Publish/Save
published in Tableau Server and Tableau Online profile

Data and visualizations are not secured as it

Security Data and Visualizations are secured
is available in public

OS Windows and Mac Windows and Mac

Tableau Installation
Installing Tableau Public

• Go to https://www.tableau.com/
• Select ‘Tableau Public’ from ‘Products’ Tab
• Click the button

• Create your account

• Download the exe file for Tableau Public from here

https://www.tableau.com/products/public/download
Connect to Data File

• To connect to an Excel file, click ‘Microsoft Excel’

in the Connect Panel
• Browse the file “Superstore.xlsx”
• The file will be visible in the Connections and the
sheets in the file will be visible in the Sheets
section in Tableau
• More files can be added by using the Add link.
• The file can be renamed or removed also.
View Data Source in Tableau Workbook

• The data can be viewed using the View data

option corresponding to a particular sheet

• Drag the required sheet (Orders)

• A preview of the data is visible in the lower

half pane (data grid). The headings of the Numeric Character Date
columns/variables are also visible.
• Variables with different datatypes have
different icons. The variable type can be
viewed by clicking on the icon. What are the
different data types?
Variable Options

• To rename/hide a variable in the data grid, expand the

arrow towards the right of the variable name and click
Rename or Hide.
• The Rename option doesn’t change the name in the
original data file. Similarly Hide option hides the variable
in Tableau data grid only.

• The variable/field name in the Tableau data source and

original data file can be viewed in the Metadata.
• Fields can be sorted in ascending/descending order by
using the Sort Fields option
Tableau Navigation
 Tableau Worksheet Menu Bar

Tool Bar

• Tableau
automatically The visualizations can be enabled
separates the Tables using the Show Me button
(variables in data)
into Dimensions and
Measures. These are
visible in the Side
Bar
• Dimensions are the Marks card can be used to design the visualization. The data components of the
categorical (string) visualization such as color, size, shape, path, label, and tooltip used in the
fields. visualizations can be modified in the marks card.
• Measures are the
quantitative
(numeric) fields.
These are the
numbers we want to
analyze.
Navigation
Status Bar
Creating and Saving Visualizations
Creating simple visualizations
1. Connect the file “Superstore.xlsx”
2. Create a vertical bar chart showing Category-wise Total Sales in Sheet 1 (Drag
Category into Columns and Sales into Rows). Rename Sheet 1 as “BarChart-Vertical”
(Right-click on the sheet and select Rename)
3. Create a duplicate copy of Sheet 1. Rename the sheet as “BarChart-Horizontal”.
Create a horizontal bar chart showing Category-wise Total Sales in this sheet
(Interchange the values in rows and Columns). Rename Sheet 2 as “Horizontal”
4. Create a tabular representation of Category and Sales in a third sheet. Rename the
sheet as “Table”
5. Check the status bar and interpret the values
• 3 marks: 3 pieces of information
• 3 rows by 1 column: 3 categories in 3 rows and sales in the corresponding column
• Sum(Sales): Total sales of all the three categories
Saving the file

1. Save the file

• Go to the File Tab and click Save to Tableau Public
• Save using your login credentials
2. Go to your profile on https://public.tableau.com/ and check the
visualization. Download it as a pdf/image.
3. Share the link of your visualization with one of your friends.

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