Chapter 9
Analytic Practices in Action
IN THIS CHAPTER
Defining the three basic calculation types
Applying the principles and components for creating calculated fields
Enhancing visualizations to identify patterns, trends, and behaviors in data
When data is ingested into Tableau, you may, as many users do, find it to represent just the tip of the iceberg. That’s because calculations allow you to transform a simplistic data point into a complex equation. You can potentially combine multiple fields while also leveraging functions and formulaic expressions available in Tableau. To create calculations, you need to understand the principles of creating calculated fields in Tableau. In this chapter, you find out how to create complex calculated fields as well as see how to identify patterns, trends, and behaviors using Tableau’s built-in Analytics feature.
Understanding Calculations
On the surface, Tableau has three main calculation types: basic expressions, level of detail (LOD) expressions, and table expressions. Each type has variants. Table 9-1 summarizes the difference between the three types.
TABLE 9-1 Calculation Types
Type of Expression |
What It Does |
|---|---|
Basic |
Allows for ... |
Get Tableau For Dummies, 2nd Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
