Tag / Dashboard

by anthonysmoak

The Power BI Decomposition Tree Guide for Data Analysis

I was recently teaching someone how to use the decomposition tree in Power BI and it clicked that this topic would make for a great video lesson. What I love about the decomposition tree is that it enables data analysts to conduct root cause analyses, identify patterns and discover insights that are not readily apparent. For example, if we want to understand the contributing factors to our small business profits based upon the data at hand, this visual fits the need to a tee.

Specifically, the decomposition tree lets you visualize data across multiple dimensions and enables drilling down into your dimensions in any order. As a bonus, it’s also an artificial intelligence (i.e., A.I.) visualization, so you can ask it to find the next dimension to drill down into based on certain criteria.

This A.I. also had the “answers”

The picture below illustrates how our Smoaking Coffee Company Profits can be subdivided by dimensions across the top of the visual. Massachusetts apparently likes their coffee (Smoaking Coffee is hypothetically better than Dunkin’).

Absolute vs Relative AI Splits

Another benefit of the decomposition tree is the ability to choose between two types of AI splits: absolute and relative. AI splits are the automatic breakdowns that Power BI suggests based on your data.

Absolute AI splits show you the highest or lowest contributors to the measure you are analyzing. In my example, if we are looking at profit by market size, the absolute AI split for high value will show us the market size that has the highest profit, in this case the Central region with $59,337 in profit.

Relative AI splits shows us the most interesting or unusual contributors to the measure we are analyzing. For example, if we switch the Analysis type to Relative from Absolute and perform the same analysis, the relative AI split will show us the product category that has the highest profit compared to its expected value based on the other categories. In this instance it is the Colombian coffee with $44,131 in profit. This number is lower than the absolute value of $59,337, but relative to it’s other product peers, it stands out.

You can switch between absolute and relative AI splits by going to the format visual pane and selecting the analysis option. You can also choose whether you want to see the high or low values by clicking on the arrow next to the plus sign on the actual decomposition tree values.

Drill Through to Details

The decomposition tree is a great way to get a high-level overview of your data, but sometimes you may want to see the details behind the numbers. For example, if you are looking at profit by region, you may want to see the individual transactions that make up the profit for a specific region.

Power BI allows you to drill through to another page that shows the details of your data. To do this, you need to have a detail page that has the same measure as the one you are using in the decomposition tree. For example, if you are using profit as your measure, you need to have a detail page that has profit as well.

To drill through, you need to right-click on a node in the decomposition tree and select drill through to your detail page.

This will take you to the detail page and apply the filters based on the path you followed in the decomposition tree. For example, if you drilled through to the product value of Colombian, you will see the details of the profit transactions for products noted as Colombian.

This is a very useful feature that allows you to see the underlying data behind the summary. You can also use the back button to go back to the decomposition tree and explore other paths.

Use Bookmarks to Save and Share Your Analysis

Another cool feature of the decomposition tree is that it fully supports bookmarks. Bookmarks are a way to save and share your analysis with others. You can use bookmarks to capture the state of your report, including the filters, slicers, and visuals.

To create a bookmark, you need to go to the view tab and select bookmarks pane. Then, you need to click on the add button to create a new bookmark. You can give it a name and a description to make it easy to identify.

You can also link your bookmarks to buttons or images on your report. This way, you can create interactive scenarios that allow you to switch between different views of your data. For example, you can create a button that shows you the decomposition tree for the lowest state profit value and associated region.

To link a bookmark to a button or an image, you need to select the button or the image and go to the action option in the format shape pane. Then, you need to turn on the action and select bookmark as the type. You can then choose the bookmark that you want to link to the button or the image.

Using bookmarks, you can create dynamic and engaging reports that showcase your analysis and tell a story with your data.

Some Final Tips

Before I conclude, I want to share some final tips on how to use the decomposition tree in Power BI.

  1. You can rename your dimensions in the decomposition tree by selecting them in the Visualizations pane “Explain By” area. Simply right click on a value and select “Rename for this visual”. This can help you to customize the labels and make them more meaningful.
  2. You can lock the values in the decomposition tree by selecting the area to the left of the dimension name at the top of the decomposition tree visual (select the light bulb if the dimension was placed in the visual by AI). This will prevent the users from changing the nodes or the AI splits. This can be useful if you want to fix the analysis and avoid confusion.
  3. The maximum number of levels and data points that can be displayed in the decomposition tree are 50 levels and 5000 data points. I hope you never get to that point, however if you’re at that point, just start over; your visual is way too cluttered.

Conclusion

Watch the video to understand how you can use the decomposition tree in Power BI to analyze your data and conduct root cause analyses.

Yes I did get carried away with AI in the thumbnail picture for this video. I was always a fan of the John Stewart version of Green Lantern so I had to play around with AI to get a close approximation of me as a Lantern. May the decomposition tree work for you in brightest day and darkest night!!

I appreciate everyone who has supported this blog and my YouTube channel via merch. Please check out the logo shop here.

If you want to learn all the latest tips and tricks in core data analysis tools, stay in contact with me through my various social media presences.

And don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more data analyst tips and tricks.

Thank you!!

Anthony B Smoak

by anthonysmoak

Remove the Default Highlighting Effect in Tableau

Have you ever wanted to disable the default Tableau highlighting effect when you select a mark on your chart and then remove the filter? Even when the filter is removed via the “Remove All Filters” process, it can be confusing for the user experience when all values remain “greyed out”, tricking the user into thinking that their filter is still applied. This video will help you remedy this issue and improve your dashboard user experience.

Fortunately, there is a solution to this problem that is simple and easy to implement. In this video I will show you how to use a simple calculated field and highlight action to remedy the issue. This should be default behavior in Tableau, (help us out here Tableau!)

The solution approach involves creating a boolean calculated field and setting it initially to TRUE. Then, placing this calculated field on the detail of the chart that has a filter applied. Next, adding a highlight action to the same chart that you want to remove the “greyed out” effect for. In the “Add Highlight Action” pop-up box, the Source Sheet and the Target Sheet should be the same and the Selected Fields option should have the boolean calculated field checked.

By following these steps, you will be able to remove the greyed out effect on your Tableau chart when the “Remove All Filters” process is applied.

This not only improves the appearance of your dashboard but also makes it easier to understand the data.

★☆★ THESE ADDITIONAL FILTERING VIDEOS IN TABLEAU ARE WORTH YOUR TIME ★☆★

Don’t let the greyed out effect on your Tableau charts hold you back any longer. Watch the video and follow the steps outlined in this blog post to improve the appearance and functionality of your Tableau dashboards.

You can also follow my dapper data adventures on Instagram.

Stay in contact with me through my various social media presences.

All views and opinions are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer

I appreciate everyone who has supported this blog and my YouTube channel via merch. Please check out the logo shop here.

Thank you!!

Anthony B Smoak

by anthonysmoak

Build Better Sparklines in Tableau

So you want to add some spice to your bland looking Sparklines in Tableau? You have come to the right place (start by watching the video above). Let’s talk about how a Sparkline is defined per Wikipedia:

“A sparkline is a very small line chart, typically drawn without axes or coordinates. It presents the general shape of the variation (typically over time) in some measurement, such as temperature or stock market price, in a simple and highly condensed way. Sparklines are small enough to be embedded in text, or several sparklines may be grouped together as elements of a small multiple. Whereas the typical chart is designed to show as much data as possible, and is set off from the flow of text, sparklines are intended to be succinct, memorable, and located where they are discussed.”

Here are a few examples of Tableau specific sparklines in action (with latest complete month bubble indicators and reference lines): Notice how I do not include any data axes, but you can clearly recognize the data trends in the visuals.

Here is an example of how I used the sparklines demonstrated in the video to build a out a classic yet refined looking Tableau dashboard.

Interact with and download this workbook here.

For reference purposes I am going to list three formulas used in the completion of the sparklines, you’ll have to watch the video to learn how to put them together.

In this exercise I am using that standard Tableau Superstore data set which you can perform a Google search to find if you are using Tableau Public.

Calculated Fields

Calculated Field #1 (Name: SPRK_CircleMonths)

This calculated field puts a circle on the penultimate month data points. Penultimate is just a fancy SAT word way of saying “next to last”. When the month of the data point on the line chart (Order Date) equals the next to last order date month in the dataset, then return the Order Date.

//IF THE MONTH OF THE DATE ON THE LINE CHART EQUALS THE MONTH-1 OF THE MAXIMUM DATA POINT
// THEN RETURN THE DATE
If DATEPART('month',[Order Date]) = DATEPART('month',dateadd('month',-1,{MAX([Order Date])}))
Then [Order Date] END

Calculated Field #2 (Name: SPRK_CircleMonths)

This logic will be applied to the circles generated by the previous calculation SPRK_CircleMonths. Only the next to last month will meet the TRUE condition (which will be colored as red).

// IS THE MONTH OF THE CHART DATE EQUAL TO THE MOST RECENT DATE MONTH MINUS 1 MONTH
// E.G., NOV 2018 = NOV 2020 WILL RESOLVE TO TRUE DUE TO MATCHING MONTHS
DATETRUNC('month',[Order Date]) = DATEADD('month',-1,DATETRUNC('month',{max([Order Date])}))

Calculated Field #3 (Name: SPRK_RefLine Profit)

This logic will return the profit associated with the next to last month in the dataset to display on the reference line.

// RETURNS A VALUE USED FOR THE REFERENCE LINE
// IF THE MONTH OF THE DATE = THE MONTH OF THE MAXIMUM DATE MINUS 1 MONTH (GET A COMPLETE FIRST MONTH)
if DATETRUNC('month',[Order Date]) 
= DATEADD('month',-1,DATETRUNC('month',{max([Order Date])}))
THEN [Profit] END

When you put all the functions together in a manner according to the video, you end up with a more refined sparkline in my opinion. Big shoutout to the Data Duo for the inspiration on the dashboard I created and this technique. If you haven’t checked out any of their work make sure to do so.

Please like and subscribe on the Anthony B. Smoak YouTube channel.

All views and opinions are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer

I appreciate everyone who has supported this blog and my YouTube channel via merch. Please click here

Thank you!!

Anthony B Smoak

by anthonysmoak

Filter Tableau Data By Wildcard Search With Multiple Keywords

In this video I will teach you how to perform a multiple keyword search in Tableau. I’ll show you how to perform both an OR search & an AND search against keywords you type into your dashboard parameter.

In order to accomplish these tasks, we need to use regular expressions. As I mention in the video, regular expressions can be indecipherable, akin to hieroglyphics or something out of a Dan Brown novel to the average person. You can go find this information on the Tableau knowledge base, but I want you to be the person that understands WHY something works as opposed to just copying and pasting a solution that you cannot explain to yourself or others.

The use case for multiple keyword search is for those times when you need to filter your data by a comment, description or other free form blocks of text that are not necessarily subject to the most stringent data governance rules, because let’s face it, these types of fields exist in abundance. In the video I create a dashboard that illustrates the power that this type of search can bring to your dashboard.

You can interact with the dashboard from the video on my Tableau Public page.

OR SEARCH

1. CREATE PARAMETER

Create a parameter named Search Terms.

  • Data type: String
  • Current value: keep it blank.
  • Allowable values: All

2. CREATE CALCULATED FIELD 1

Create a calculated field named Regex String (OR) including the following formula:

"(" + REPLACE([Search Terms], ',' ,'|') + ")"

Let’s breakdown what is going on with the apparent gibberish seen above (there is a method to the madness here). I’ll assume you want to perform a search against a field that contains the terms “paper” OR “Paper”; the case of the spelling is a factor in the results (case sensitive). To adhere to proper regex formatting, you could write a valid expression as such:

(paper|Paper)

This pattern indicates that you want to return a match on the characters “paper” OR “Paper” literally. You can test this out at https://regex101.com/

Although for some reason the official Tableau knowledge base article says to use the REGEX_REPLACE formula in lieu of REGEX, it is not needed since we are doing a simple replace and not using a regex formula to aid our replacements.

In the Tableau calculated field above, we are using the REPLACE function against the parameter named “[Search Terms]” to replace every instance of a comma with the the ‘|’ pipe symbol.

Think about it, if you type the terms “paper, Paper” into the a dashboard’s search term parameter as seen below, the calculated field will reformat your list into the proper regex format by replacing the comma with a pipe and then enclosing the term within parenthesis; i.e., (paper|Paper).

3. CREATE CALCULATED FIELD 2

Next create a calculated field named Regex OR Filter that contains the following formula:

REGEXP_MATCH([Product Name],[Regex String (OR)])

Let’s breakdown what is going on with the formula seen above. The REGEXP_MATCH formula is evaluating a properly formatted regex expression which is contained within the [Regex String (OR)] calculated field we created in step 2. This calculated field will contain the formatted expression (paper|Paper).

REGEXP_MATCH returns TRUE if a substring of the specified string matches the regex pattern. In our case

[Regex String (OR)] = (paper|Paper)


Thus the REGEXP_MATCH function will evaluate the regex expression (paper|Paper) from the second argument against the [Product Name] field in the first argument. The function will return either TRUE or FALSE depending upon whether a match is located within this field.

3. DRAG FIELDS TO ROWS AND FILTERS SHELF

Place [Product Name] to rows and [Regex OR Filter] to filters, then select True.

AND SEARCH

In order to create the AND search for your dashboard, you will follow very similar steps to the OR search. 1. Create the same parameter named Search Terms as in the OR Search above.

2. CREATE CALCULATED FIELD 1

Next create a calculated field named Regex AND Filter including the following formula:

"(?=.*" + REPLACE([Search Terms], ',' ,")(?=.*") + ").*"

This may look like something out of a Dan Brown novel, but don’t let it intimidate you. In a similar fashion to the OR search where we replaced commas with a pipe symbol, we are simply replacing commas with the following characters between the double quotes “)(?=.*”

The proper regex pattern to indicate an AND search against the terms paper and Paper within a body of text would be as such:

(?=.paper)(?=.Paper).*

Knowing the proper regex format should make the contents of the calculated field above more clear. We are using the REPLACE function against the parameter named [Search Terms] to replace every instance of a comma with the the “)(?=.*” symbols. Thus “Paper, paper” values typed into the [Search Terms] parameter becomes reformatted into(?=.paper)(?=.Paper).*

Placing .* at the end of the string means that any combination of characters can be placed after the search terms and still yield a TRUE result.

3. CREATE CALCULATED FIELD 2

Next create a calculated field named Regex AND Filter including the following formula:

REGEXP_MATCH([Product Name],[Regex String (AND)])

4. DRAG FIELDS TO ROWS AND FILTERS SHELF

Then place [Product Name] to rows and [Regex OR Filter] to filters, then select True.

CONCLUSION

That wasn’t so horrible was it? If you’re a visual learner like me, then go ahead and watch the video to hammer home the concepts. Hopefully this post will help you understand how these regex patterns work and how they can add value to your next dashboard design! As always if you learned something drop a comment on the YouTube video and let me know.

Please like and subscribe on the Anthony B. Smoak YouTube channel.

All views and opinions are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer

I appreciate everyone who has supported this blog and my YouTube channel via merch. Please click here

Thank you!!

Anthony B Smoak

TLDR: Tableau Knowledge Base Reference: https://kb.tableau.com/articles/howto/how-to-filter-data-by-wildcard-search-with-multiple-keywords

by anthonysmoak

Stacked Bar Chart with Dynamic Totals in Tableau

Are you looking for the next viz to showcase on your Tableau Public page? In this video I will teach you a technique that spices up the humble stacked bar chart with dynamic totals (using Tableau Set Actions). We will build out the viz step by step with Superstore data.

Stacked Bar Chart with Dynamic Totals

This chart is powered by Tableau Superstore data which is a data set that is readily available on the internet and is packaged as the default data set with Tableau. As you select the three legend categories at the top of the visual, the stacked bar chart sections will appear or disappear. The totals will also automatically update based upon your selection.

How cool is that!!??

I have to give a shoutout to Dorian Banutoiu for originating this technique. A few years ago, Dorian used this technique in a Makeover Monday exercise and it recently caught my attention when I was checking out his Tableau Public page. I immediately attempted to reverse engineer the technique (which admittedly took some effort).

Because I wanted to enable everyone with Tableau and/or Tableau Public to duplicate the chart, I used Tableau Superstore data as my foundation. Make sure to give Dorian a Twitter follow at @canonicalizedco.

What’s In it for You?

By following along with the video, you will utilize multiple Tableau elements such as:

Practice makes perfect so this will be a good opportunity for you to practice multiple Tableau elements with the creation of one visualization. You can click the links on the list above to see additional videos that cover respective areas.

Give Credit

If you do reproduce this visualization step by step or leverage the technique for your Tableau Public page or Linkedin Page, please link to this post or the YouTube video and place “Inspired by Dorian Banutoiu & Anthony Smoak” somewhere on the viz and post text.

Interact with the Finished Visualization

You can interact with the finished visualization on my Tableau Public page here:

https://tabsoft.co/3oNxq5Z


Please like and subscribe on the Anthony B. Smoak YouTube channel.

All views and opinions are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer

Do Great Things with Your Data!

★☆★ Support this Channel: ★☆★

Merch ► shop.spreadshirt.com/AnthonySmoak

★☆★ FOLLOW ME BELOW: ★☆★

Twitter ► https://twitter.com/AnthonySmoak

Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/AnthonyBSmoak/

Tableau Public ►Search for “Anthony B. Smoak”

by anthonysmoak

Amazing Tableau Dashboard for Inspiration

I worked hard to create a Tableau dashboard packed with multiple features that any beginner or intermediate user should know how to complete. Use this dashboard as an inspiration regarding techniques to learn for your next Tableau dashboard.

Here are a few of the features included in this dashboard:

  • Parameters
  • Dynamic Titles
  • KPIs
  • Filters
  • Context Filters
  • Top 5 by Dimension
  • Highlight Actions
  • Filter Actions
  • Ranking
  • Show/Hide Containers
  • Image Buttons
  • Parameter Driven Chart Swap
  • Maps
  • Shape Files
  • Reset All Filters
  • Combo Chart / Dual Axis Chart (Bar in Bar)
  • Quick Table Calculations
  • Bullet Chart
  • Animations
  • Containerized Dashboard Layout

Because I love to teach in my relatively spare time, I am considering offering 1 on 1 training to learn how to put together this sample dashboard. As I mention in the video, leave a comment with your thoughts on how much of an investment you think someone would make for 3 hours of 1 on 1 training to build this together. Someone would definitely impress their manager or future hiring manager if they had the knowledge to build this type of front end reporting.

Let’s learn together, contact me here for more information: https://anthonysmoak.com/contact/

Interact with dashboard here ► https://tabsoft.co/3nU4c4Y


Please like and subscribe on the Anthony B. Smoak YouTube channel.

Definitely pick up some merch if you’ve enjoyed this blog and YouTube channel over the years:

https://shop.spreadshirt.com/AnthonySmoak/

All views and opinions are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer

Do Great Things with Your Data!

Anthony B. Smoak, CBIP

by anthonysmoak

Tableau Dashboard Project #VIZNESSFIRST

In this video I kickstart the #VizznessFirst​ initiative where I describe a Tableau Dashboard I constructed using multiple resources from the Tableau #datafam​ community. Invest your valuable time in watching the videos as it will be worth the investment if you’re looking to pick up some new skills.

I describe the dashboard, show you the resources and then you attempt to build it. This is a perfect intermediate/advanced dashboard idea starter for students looking to improve their Tableau skills.

Background

Let’s start with a little background on how this initiative came together. I am a big fan of the Real World Fake Data (i.e., RWFD) project run by Mark Bradbourne at Tableau. I wanted to finally get involved and put together a dashboard and hopefully learn something new.

Because the particular data set used (Week 5: Help Desk) had very few measures to sum or aggregate; this left counting rows as the most informative means to squeeze some meaning from the data.

I stumbled upon an excellent blog post from Tableau Zen Master Lindsay Betzendahl where she explained a technique to highlight when a “filter” has been activated with a small indicator. I reversed engineered her dashboard to try and tease out how to pull this off with the RWFD data set.

In addition to this technique, I mashed up some other techniques from various members of the Tableau community. One of the great things that I enjoy about the Tableau community is that there are many creators who put out great content for others to learn from; whether it be videos, blog posts, PowerPoint slides, etc.

Once I had a dashboard I was proud of sharing. I figured I would release it as a series to try and teach others some of these techniques. The 3 videos in this series is the culmination of that effort.

VIDEO 1: Overview of the Project and Resources Required

Here are the references I used to put together the dashboard.

VIDEO 2: STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Make sure to watch Video 2 above because this is where I explain the main technique required to complete the dashboard.

VIDEO 3: STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS (TABLE TRICKS)

Video three rounds out the series by demonstrating a cool trick that enables you to build a filter button that opens a detailed table dashboard populated with only the records of interest from the first page. Yes, it uses a filter action but there is twist. Make sure to check it out.

SHARE WHAT YOU CREATE

  • POST YOUR FINISHED DASHBOARD TO TABLEAU PUBLIC:
    • DASHBOARD BUILT USING TABLEAU DESKTOP 2020.4.1
  • SHARE YOUR LINK IN THE COMMENTS ON THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
    • 10K+ SUBSCRIBERS CAN VIEW YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT
  • YOU CAN ALSO POST TO:
    • TWITTER
    • LINKEDIN
  • MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE:


If you enjoyed this tip, please like and subscribe on the Anthony B. Smoak YouTube channel.

Definitely pick up some merch if you’ve enjoyed this blog and YouTube channel over the years:

https://shop.spreadshirt.com/AnthonySmoak/

All views and opinions are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer

Do Great Things with Your Data!

Anthony B. Smoak, CBIP

by anthonysmoak

Tableau Dynamic Maps with Parameters: A COVID Dashboard Breakdown

Operation “Reverse Engineer” a Tableau Zen Master dashboard is back in full effect. You know the drill by now, I spent weekend hours analyzing an impressive dashboard put together by Tableau Zen Masters Anya A’Hearn, Tamas Foldi, Allan Walker, and Jonathan Drummey.

In this video I will demonstrate to you how they use parameters to dynamically change the measure that is displayed on both a map and bar chart. Accurate data is made possible through the use of a context filter to equalize the data that is displayed between the United States and all other countries (U.S. data lags by one day).

I should mention that we are using the carefully curated data offered at the Tableau’s COVID-19 Data Hub.

What’s in it for You?

You will learn a neat little trick that encapsulates multiple measures into one calculated field. By using two parameters we can update our visuals to display the correct measure based upon user selected options. This even applies to the size of our marks on a map. You have to love the dynamic nature of Tableau!

In order to understand how we work with the current Tableau COVID-19 data file, you should watch the first video as a prerequisite.

Also Make Sure to Watch this Additional Video Series

Make sure to also check out this extremely useful tutorial on building a COVID-19 Dashboard from scratch. It’s perfect for your first Tableau project with step by step instruction.

All views and opinions are solely my own and do NOT necessarily reflect those of my employer.

Do Great Things With Your Data

-Anthony B. Smoak

by anthonysmoak

Build Advanced Tableau KPIs: A COVID-19 Dashboard Breakdown

You want to build an advanced Zen Master level KPI BAN using Tableau’s latest COVID-19 data? Well you’re in luck as I spent a lot of weekend hours analyzing an impressive dashboard put together by Tableau Zen Masters Anya A’Hearn, Tamas Foldi, Allan Walker, and Jonathan Drummey.

Specifically I was intrigued how they put together the KPI BAN from the dashboard below that highlights either NEW or CUMULATIVE Positive cases and the percentage difference from the previous day.

Official Tableau COVID Tracker

The official Tableau COVID-19 tracker database can be found here.

In breaking down their approach I renamed some calculations to better help me organize and understand how they come together to create the KPI.

What’s in it for You?

From a learning standpoint, there is a good mix of parameters, filters, context filters and Level of Detail (LOD) calculations that work in concert to deliver the desired outcome.

In the video you’ll learn how I simplified some of the back-end aspects to be a tad more approachable for beginner to moderate Tableau learners. Of course if you want to see the whole dashboard in context with the original back-end naming conventions and layout you can go download the official workbook and deconstruct it for yourself.

It’s all about learning! I encourage you to make use of workbooks that others have shared for bettering yourself and appreciating skills that are at the next level. Of course, always cite your sources and inspirations!!

As always, If you find this type of instruction valuable make sure to subscribe to my Youtube channel.

Make Sure to Watch this Additional Video Series

Make sure to also check out this extremely useful tutorial on building a COVID-19 Dashboard from scratch. It’s perfect for your first Tableau project with step by step instruction.

All views and opinions are solely my own and do NOT necessarily reflect those my employer.

Do Great Things With Your Data

– Anthony B. Smoak

by anthonysmoak

Learn the New Tableau Set Control (Workout Wednesday 2020 Week 20 Solution)

Tableau 2020.2 introduced a handy new feature called set control. According to Tableau:

“The set control allows users to dynamically change the members of a set using a familiar, quick filter-like interface. End users can change set membership with both a single and multi-select dropdown, and the set control automatically refreshes its domain so that the data stays fresh.”

As with all new features I had to figure out what this new capability entailed and how best to learn it. Luckily, the hardworking crew over at Workout Wednesday had the perfect challenge.

Sean Miller (@HipsterVizNinja) created a dashboard that enables the user to select a US state, which then adds that state to a set. Three proportional bar charts update at the top of the viz. A right side bar area displays all of the selected states and selecting a state will remove the state from the set, side bar and the map.

Observe the following gif from my solution:

WOW 2020 Wk 20 GIF

  1. Take a look at the challenge here.
  2. Attempt to re-create the dashboard.
  3. If you give up, (or after you complete your solution), take a look at how I approached the dashboard in this solution video, or take a look at the Tableau Public interactive version here.
  4. Don’t just recopy the steps from this solution and post a viz to LinkedIn and/or Tableau Public. You’re better than that, but if you do, make sure to definitely credit Sean Miller and optionally credit me if you used my approach.

Remember, this is just my approach, there are multiple ways to solve any problem.

This was the first Workout Wednesday challenge that I’ve ever done and I’m sure I’ll tackle a few more.

Do some great things with your data!

As always, If you find this type of instruction valuable make sure to subscribe to my Youtube channel.

All views and opinions are solely my own and do NOT necessarily reflect those of my employer.

Anthony B. Smoak