What is Tableau? Visualizing Data Using Tableau
Tableau is a trending and market-leading BI tool used to visualize and analyze your data in an easily digestible format. It allows you to work on live data-set and spend more time on data analysis rather than data wrangling. Well this was just an overview of Tableau, let’s proceed and understand what is Tableau.
Data Visualization with Tableau
In this article, I will explain to you what exactly is tableau and how to work on it, thereby showcasing you the real power of data visualization using Tableau.
1. Power of Data Visualization: Anscombe’s Quartet
2. But Why Tableau?
3. Establishing Connection with Tableau
4. Tableau Desktop UI
5. Understanding Tableau’s UI and its Terminologies
6. Creating Visualization in Tableau
Power Of Data Visualization: Anscombe’s Quartet
This example of Anscombe’s Quartet will show you the Power of Data Visualization.
Now you would ask “ what is Anscombe’s quartet? ”
Well, Anscombe’s quartet comprises four datasets that have nearly identical simple descriptive statistics, yet appear very different when graphed. Each dataset consists of eleven (x,y) points.
In the below image, you will notice that the data points in each dataset is very similar, but when you create a graph for the same, each dataset comes up with its own visualization.
But Why Tableau?
Access to Multiple Data Connection
Tableau easily connects to nearly any data source, be it corporate Data Warehouse, Microsoft Excel or web-based data.
Live Analysis
Tableau allows you to connect and perform analysis on your live data.
ShowMe
Tableau is awesome at recommending which visualization to use. Show Me smartly highlights view types (graphs) that work best with the field types (Attributes) in your data.
Maps
Unlike other BI Tools using Map in Tableau is very simple.You can easily select it from the ShowMe list.
Establishing Connection
Use Tableau and get connected to different data sources from files and servers. You can work on various file formats like CSV, JSON, TXT or even get your data imported from servers like Tableau Server, MySQL, Amazon Redshift & many more.
Tableau Desktop UI
Since we have established connection with Tableau, now its turn to understand Tableau’s UI and see how fields from the Measures and Dimension (under the Data Pane) play an important role in creating visualization. You will also learn about Page Shelf, Filter Shelf and Marks Card.
Understanding Tableau’s UI and its Terminologies
Measure
Measures are the fields which can be measured, aggregated or used for different calculation purpose. It helps you to answer your business-related questions. Generally, a field containing a numeric value is placed under the measure.
Ex: Discount, Profit, Sales, etc
Dimension
The dimension consists of those values which cannot be aggregated. It is used for categorizing facts.
Ex: Category, Country, City, etc
Page Shelf
Page Shelf allows you to analyze your data based on the individual values contained within a field. It creates a set of pages, with a different view on each page.
Filter Shelf
Filter Shelf allows you to add or remove data from your view. You can add Dimensions and Measures from the data pane to filter shelf to filter your data. Once filtered the fields will be displayed on the Filter Shelf.
Row/Column Shelf
Use Row and Column Shelf to add dimension and measure to complete the visualization. Row is treated as the X-Axis and Column as Y-Axis.
Marks Card Shelf
Mark Shelf is a region in Tableau where you can drag your fields to set mark properties.It helps you in enhancing visualization by setting colour, size, label, detail, path or shapes.
Creating Visualization with Tableau
I guess by now you are well versed with Tableau’s Terminologies. Lets move ahead and explore some of the visualization which you can easily create in Tableau. Now, let me show you some charts that are very popular in Tableau.
Bar Chart
Heat Map
Scatter Plot
Packed Bubble
Cohorot Analysis
Tree Map
This brings us to the end of our article on “What is Tableau?”. I hope you found this article informative and added value to your knowledge.
If you wish to check out more articles on the market’s most trending technologies like Artificial Intelligence, DevOps, Ethical Hacking, then you can refer to Edureka’s official site.
Do look out for other articles in this series which will explain the various other aspects of Tableau.
7.Step By Step Guide To Learn Tableau Public
8. Tableau Desktop vs Tableau Public vs Tableau Reader
9. How to Create and Use Parameters in Tableau?
10. What are Sets in Tableau And How To Create Them
11. Data-blending
13.Top 50 Tableau Interview Questions You Must Prepare In 2020
Originally published at www.edureka.co on May 19, 2017.
