Dynamic parameter selection in Tableau

Sasmita Sahu
Nov 1 · 3 min read

Have you faced a scenario in a parameter where by selecting a particular value you get a second pop up parameter?

Let’s get into the detail with an example.

Suppose I have a dashboard having a parameter named Period Selection which has values YTD and Custom range. When Custom range will be selected, two additional pop up date filters(From date, To Date) should pop up. However these additional filters should not be available for YTD value.

How to achieve this ?

Let’s take a look at the steps:

  1. Create a calculative field Selected Period to get the value of selected parameter.

2. Create a new worksheet(named Show/hide page), use the above cal field as a filter for the value Custom range.

3. In the Show/hide page worksheet create a dummy field having any string value(example A) and place it in rows shelf.

4. Make the font white so that it will be not be visible to the users and disable the tooltip for the same.

5. Format the sheet in such a way there should not be any borders/lines.

6. Create two data parameters as From Date and To Date.

Getting the Dynamic behaviour

  1. In the dashboard parameter section, take a big horizontal floating container.
  2. To the container, add a tiled version of the Show/hide page worksheet and place the two date parameters adjacent to each other.
  3. For the show/hide page sheet, make it to fit to entire view and hide the title.
  4. Set the date parameters to fixed width.
  5. Now if you select the values in Period Selection, you can see the expected result.
  6. If your dashboard size is big, adjust the horizontal container so that most of the content is off the dashboard page like below:

7. Take the floating Period Selection parameter and place on top of the worksheet and change the floating order to bring to front.

Conclusion:

When the show/hide page shrinks for YTD option ,it pushes the date parameters to left (out of the dashboard) and when Custom range is selected, the show/hide page expands pushing the date parameters to the dashboard.

I hope this article was helpful to you. Thanks for reading!!!

See you in the next article.

For more information on dynamic behaviour, please check out Joe Oppelt’s contents from the this link.

If you liked the article then don’t forget to leave a clap.

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