The practice of data visualization is becoming crucial to bridge the gap between the

human and a machine to mediate analytical insight in a productive way. Almost 50%
among fortune 500 companies have started using Tableau. So the demand for
skilled tableau professionals is been increasing over the years. So, if you wish to
start your career in data visualization then Tableau is the right tool to start with.   
We have compiled here Frequently asked Tableau Interview Questions and
Answers. The questions presented in this blog are collected based on the opinion of
tableau experts. To make it easy and understandable format we have divided these
questions into three categories such as Basic, Experienced and Real time. If you
have attended any interviews earlier, and haven't found the same questions you
have faced, then comment on those questions in the comment section, and we will
add them in this blog.
 Tableau Interview Questions - Basic Level
 Tableau Interview Questions - Experienced
 Tableau Interview Questions - Real Time

Tableau Interview Questions- Basic Level

 1. What is TABLEAU?
Ans: Tableau is the powerful and fastest visualizing tool which is used in the
Business Intelligence(BI) Industry. It simplifies the raw data into an understandable
format. Analysis of the data becomes faster with Tableau. The visualizations can be
created in the form of dashboards. The visualizations or diagrammatic representation
of data can easily be understood by the employees of the organizations who are at
different levels. 

2. What are the file size limitations with Tableau?

Ans: In Tableau, there are no limitations with the file sizes. And moreover, there is
no row or column limit to import the data.

3. List out Tableau File Extensions.

Ans: The below ones are few extensions in Tableau:

1. Tableau Workbook (.twb)

2. Tableau Data extract (.tde)

3. Tableau Datasource (.tds)

4. Tableau Packaged Datasource (.tdsx)

5. Tableau Bookmark (.tbm)

6. Tableau Map Source (.tms)

7. Tableau Packaged Workbook (.twbx) – zip file containing .twb and external files.

8. Tableau Preferences (.tps)

4. What is the latest version of Tableau Desktop?

Ans: Tableau Desktop latest version is 2019.1(as of Feb, 14th 2019).

5. Define LOD Expression? 
Ans: LOD Expression stands for Level of Detail Expression, and it is used to run the
complex queries involving many dimensions at data sourcing level. 

6. Define Heat Map?

Ans: Heat map is a graphical representation of data which uses the colour-coding

technique to represent different values of data. As the marks heat up due to its
higher value, dark colour will be shown on the map.

7. Define Tree Map?

Ans: Tree map is a visualization which organizes data hierarchically and shows

them as a set of nested rectangles. Size and colours of rectangles are respective to
their values of the data points they project. Parent rectangles will be tiled with their
child elements.

8. What is the difference between heat map and tree map?

Ans: 
TreeMap  Heat Map

It represents the data hierarchically and shows them It represents the data graphically which uses multip
as a set of nested rectangles. colours to represent different values.

It is used for comparing the categories with colours, It is used for comparing the categories based on
size, and it can also be used for illustrating the colour and size. And also it is great in spotting the
hierarchical data and part to whole relationships. patterns based on the density of the information.
 Colours and size of rectangles are respective to the When their values are higher or density of records,
values of the data points  the data will represent in dark colour.

9. What is a parameter Tableau? And how it works?

Ans: Parameters are dynamic values, we can replace the constant values in

calculations.
10. What are different data types in Tableau
Ans: Tableau supports below data types.
Data Type Meaning Examples

String Character Sequence. Enclosed in ''. Tableau', 'World'

Number (Whole) Integers 9

Number (decimal) Floating values. 123.45

Boolean They are logical values. TRUE, FALSE

Date Date "02/01/2015"

Date & Time Date and Time 01 January 2019 05:55:00 PM

Geographic Values Geographical Values India, Italy, Canada

 
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11. Give a brief about tableau dashboard?

Ans: Tableau dashboard is a group of various views which allows you to compare

different types of data simultaneously. Datasheets and dashboards are connected if
any modification happens to the data that directly reflects in dashboards. It is the
most efficient approach to visualize the data and analyze it.

12) Define Page Shelf in Tableau?

Ans: Page shelf breaks the views into a series of pages. It displays an alternate view
on each page. Due to this feature, you can analyze the effect of each field into the
rest of the data in the view. 
 [Related Article: The right way to build a dashboard]

13) Define story in Tableau?

Ans: Story can be defined as a sheet which is a collection of series of worksheets

and dashboards used to convey the insights of data. Story can be used to show the
connection between facts and outcomes that impacts the decision-making process.
A story can be published to the web or can be presented to the audience.

14) Give an overview for fact and dimension of the table?

Ans: Facts are numeric measures of data. They are stored in fact tables. Fact tables
store that type of data which will be analyzed by dimension tables. Fact tables have
foreign keys associating with dimension tables.
Dimensions are descriptive attributes of data. Those will be stored in dimensions
table. For example, customer’s information like name, number,  and email will be
stored in dimension table.
[Related Article: Aggregating disparate data sources at a large university in
tableau]

15) State some ways to improve performance of Tableau

Ans:
 Use an Extract to make workbooks run faster

 Reduce the scope of data to decrease the volume of data

 Reduce number of marks on the view to avoid information overload

 Try to use integers or Booleans in calculations as they are much faster than strings

 Hide unused fields 

 Use Context filters

 Reduce filter usage and use some alternative way to achieve same result

 Use indexing in tables and use same fields for filtering

 Remove unnecessary calculations and sheets

16) Explain different connection types in Tableau.

Ans: There are 2 connection types available in Tableau.

Extract: Extract is a snapshot of data which will be extracted from data source and
put into Tableau repository. This snapshot can be refreshed periodically fully or
incrementally. This can be scheduled in Tableau Server.
Live: It creates a direct connection to data source and data will be fetched directly
from tables. So, data will be up to date and consistent. But, this also affects access
speed.

17) What are different Joins in Tableau ?

Ans: Tableau works the same as SQL. So, it supports all joins possible in SQL
 Left Outer Join

 Right Outer Join

 Full Outer Join

 Inner Join

18) What is Data Modelling?

Ans: Data modelling is the analysis of data objects that are used in a business or
other context and also used as identification of the relationships among these data
objects. It is a first step of doing object-oriented programming.

19) Define dual axis?

Ans: Dual axis is used to show 2 measures in a single graph. It allows you to

compare 2 measures at once. Many websites like indeed use this dual axis to show
the comparisons and growth rate. 

20) Define blended axis?

Ans: Multiple measures can share in a single axis so that all the marks will be shown
in a single pane. We can blend measures by dragging the 1st measure on one axis
and 2nd on the existing axis.

21) Define shelves and sets?

Ans:
Shelves: Every worksheet in Tableau will have shelves such as columns, rows,
marks, filters, pages and more. By placing filters on shelves we can build our own
visualization structure. We can control the marks by including or excluding data.
Sets: The sets are used to compute a condition on which dataset will be prepared.
Data will be grouped together based on a condition. Fields which is responsible for
grouping are known as sets. For example – students having grades more than 70%.

22) Explain the limitation of context filters in Tableau?

Ans: Whenever we set a context filter, Tableau generates a temp table which needs
to refresh each and every time, whenever the view is triggered. So, if the context
filter is changed in the database, it needs to be recompute the temp table, so the
performance will be decreased.

23) What is Mark Card in Tableau?

Ans: There is a card to the left of the view where we can drag fields and control mark
properties like colour, size, type, shape, detail, label, and tooltip.

24) Define published data source?

Ans: When you are ready to make a data source available to other tableau desktop
user.  You can publish it to tableau server or online. Or else you can make it
available by saving same like embedded excel or text file.

25) Define dual axis?

Ans: Dual axis is used to show 2 measures in a single graph. It allows you to

compare 2 measures at once. Many websites like indeed use this dual axis to show
the comparisons and growth rate. 

26) Define Bullet graph?

Ans: Bullet graph is a variant of Bar graph. It is responsible for comparing

performance of one measure with other measures.

27) Define Gantt chart?

Ans: Gantt Chart displays the progress of a value over the period. It consists of bars
along with time axis. It is a project management tool. Here, each bar is  measure of a
task in the project framework.

28) Define Histogram chart? 

Ans: A histogram chart shows the distribution of continuous information over a

certain period of time. This chart helps us to find extreme points, gaps, unusual
values, and more concentrated values.
29) What is data visualization?
Ans: Data visualization means the graphical representation of data or information.
We can use visual objects like graphs, charts, bars and lot more. Data visualization
tools provides an accessible way to see and understand the data easily.
30) What is Tableau Reader?
Ans: Tableau Reader is a free desktop application, where you can read and interact
with the Tableau packaged workbooks. It can only open the files but cannot create
new connections to the workbook.
31) Mention what is the difference between published data sources and
embedded data sources in Tableau?
Ans: Published data source contains connection information which is independent
on workbooks and can be used by multiple workbooks. 
Embedded data source contains connection information but it is associative with the
workbooks. 

32) What is the Hierarchy in Tableau?

Ans:  When we are working with the large volumes of data, incredibly data may be
messed. With Tableau, you can easily create hierarchies to keep your data neat. 
Even if you don’t need, it is built into your data, which you can easily manage or
organize the data and you can track the data easily.

33) What is a Column chart?

Ans: A column chat visualize the data as set of rectangle columns, as their lengths
are proportional to values when they represent the data. The horizontal axis shows
the category to which they belong to, and the vertical axis shows the values.

34) What is Bar Chart in Tableau?

Ans: Bar chart visualize the data as set of rectangle bars, as their values are
proportional to lengths when they represent the data. The vertical axis shows the
category to which they belong to and horizontal axis shows the values. So, the bar
chart is vertical version of the Column chart.

35) What is Line Chart?

Ans: Line chart is a popular type of diagrammatic way  for visualizing the data, it
connects the individual data points to view the data. We can easily visualize the
series of values, we can see trends over time or predict future values.  Horizontal
axis holds the category to which it belongs and vertical axis hold the values.

36) What is a Stacked Bar chart?

Ans: Stacked Bar Chart, composed of multiple bars stacked horizontally, one below
the other. The length of the bar depends on the value in the data point. Stacked bar
chart make the work easier, they will help us to know the changes in all variables
presented, side by side. We can watch the changes in their total and forecast future
values. 

37) What is a Stacked Column Chart?

Ans: Stacked Column Chart, composed of multiple bars stacked vertically, one on

another. The length of the bar depends on the value in the data point. A stacked
column chart is the best one to know the changes in all variables. This type of charts
should be checked when a number of series is higher than two.

38) What is an Area Chart? 

Ans: Area chart is nothing but line chat, the area between x-axis and lines will be
color or patterns. These charts are typically used to represent accumulated totals
over time and are the conventional way to display stacked lines.

39) How to download Tableau Public?

Ans: 
Step 1: Go to public.tableau.com and enter your e-mail address and click “ Download
the App “.
Step 2: After downloading the file, run the file and follow the prompt to install the
Tableau.
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Step 3: Now, you can see Tableau shortcut on your desktop.

Step 4: Double click on the icon, to load tableau public. Now you see the screen as
below.

40) What is Context Filter and show the steps on how to create the Context
Filter Tableau?

Ans: Context Filters are applied to the data rows before any other filters. They are
limited to views, but they can be applied on selected sheets. They define
Aggregation and Disaggregation of data in Tableau
Step 1: Drag the subcategory dimensions to the row shelf and the measure sales to
the column shelf. Now choose the horizontal bar chart as chart type and again drag
the sub category dimensions to the filter shelf. Then we will get the following chart. 
Step 2: Right-click on the Sub-Category field in the filter shelf and go the Top fourth
tab. Choose the option field, from the next drop-down and choose the option Top 10
by Sales Sum as shown in the following screenshot.
Step 3: Drag the dimension Category to the filter shelf. Give right-click on general
tab to edit and under that choose Furniture from the list. As you can see the result
shows three subcategories of products.
Step 4: Right-click the Category: Furniture filter and select the option Add to
Context. This produces the final result, which shows the subcategory of products
from the category Furniture which are among the top 10 subcategories across all the
products.

Tableau Interview Questions- Experienced

41) What are the products offered by Tableau? Explain a few things about
them.

Ans: Tableau has 4 main products.

Tableau Prep: Tableau Prep is responsible for preparing data for analysis. This tool
provides 3 coordinated views which provide us with a complete picture of data.
Tableau Desktop: Tableau Desktop is the place where the analysis happens. It has
powerful drag and drop analytics which is very easy to use. Through desktop, you
get your data insights quickly.
Tableau Online: Tableau Online is a secure and scalable self-service analytics
cloud tool. You can use it anywhere, anytime and it has eliminated the complexities
of IT. 
Tableau Server: From small to large enterprises, Tableau server is used for fulfilling
their BI requirements. This is an on-premise solution. This tool can take data from
anywhere and shared across the organization through desktop or mobile browsers. 

42) Differentiate parameters and filters in Tableau

Ans: Filters are the simpler and straightforward feature in Tableau. It applies to

dimension or measures directly. For example, to only show Gujarat or Karnataka in a
State dimension, we can apply filter on that. In Tableau, there are multiple UI options
available for filters like radio buttons, drop-down lists, check boxes, sliders, and
more. Filters on sheets are also available in Tableau.
Parameters are like variables. They are complex and more powerful. Like a variable,
a parameter can be used in calculations. So, that means, it only allows single value.
Parameters have same UI options except for checkboxes because checkboxes don’t
have a single value. For example, we can create a parameter for interest rate and
period, and then we can use these parameters to calculate interest and principal
payments.

43) Explain how many types of filters are available in Tableau? 

Ans: Filters are used to provide the correct information to viewers after removing
unnecessary data. There are various types of filters available in Tableau.
Extract Filters – Extract filters are used to apply filter on extracted data from data
source. For this filter, data is extracted from data source and placed into Tableau
data repository.
Datasource Filters – Datasource filters are same as extract filters. They also work
on extracted dataset. But, the only difference is it works with both live and extract
connection.
Context Filters – Context Filters are applied on the data rows before any other
filters. They are limited to views, but they can be applied on selected sheets. They
define Aggregation and Disaggregation of data in Tableau
Dimension Filters – Dimension filters are used to apply filters on dimensions in
worksheets. Dimension filters are applied through the top or bottom conditions,
formula and wildcard match.
Measure Filters – Measure filters are applied on the values present in the
measures. 

44) Differentiate between Tiled and Floating in dashboards?

Ans: In a tiled layout, items don’t overlap. The layout will be adjusted according to
dashboard size. In Floating layout, items can be placed on some other layers.
Floating items can have fixed position and size.

45) Categorize dimensions in Tableau?

Ans: Dimensions are divided into 9 various categories

Slowly ever-changing Dimension: Value of the dimension changes over an amount
of time for slowly ever-changing dimensions.
Example – student of worker
Chop-chop ever-changing Dimension: Value in the dimension is rapidly changing
for chop-chop ever-changing dimensions.
Example – Age (It changes every second)
Unchanged Dimension: Values are constant for unchanged dimension.
Example – Traffic Signals
Shrunken Dimension: Set of 1 dimension is termed as Shrunken Dimension.
Example – A week is Shrunken dimension for the month
Junk Dimension: Junk values or unrelated dimensions are termed as Junk
Dimension.
Conformed Dimension: If any dimension is provided by various business areas,
then such a dimension is termed as Conformed Dimension.
Example – Time (9-5) for any company or hospital or college
Degenerated Dimension: Degenerated dimensions have primary keys only without
any matter info.
Role enjoying Dimension: If one dimension is employed in multiple roles, then they
are termed as Role enjoying Dimensions. 

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Example – Date for e-commerce site order (Date of Order, Date of Shipment, Date of
delivery)
Inferred Dimension: Empty dimensions are called inferred dimensions. They are
usually used in ETL.
Example – Customer email which he may not enter while submitting any form will be
filled as null.

46) What is VIZQL in Tableau?

Ans: VIZQL is Visual Inquiry Language. It is a combination of VIZ and SQL. It is

similar to SQL language. But instead of SQL commands, VIZQL language converts
data queries into visual images.

47) Explain the disaggregation and aggregation of data in Tableau?

Ans: Aggregation → The process of summarizing the data and viewing a single
numeric value is called aggregation. Example – sum/avg of salary for each employee
Disaggregation →The process of viewing each transaction for analyzing all the
measures both dependently and independently. Example – individual salary
transactions for each employee.

48) State the components of the dashboard

Ans: Dashboard consists of 5 components.

 Web: it consists of a web page embedded in the dashboard.
 Horizontal component: it is a horizontal layout container in which we can add objects.
 Vertical component: it is a vertical layout container in which we can add objects.
 Image Extract: it allows you to upload an image to dashboard from computer.
 Text: it is a small wordpad where we can format and edit the text.

49) Differentiate discrete and continuous data roles in Tableau

Ans: Discrete data roles consist of values which are separate and distinct. Discrete
data roles can take individual values within a range. For Example – cancer patients
in hospital, no. of threads in a sheet, state. Discrete values are displayed as blue
icons in data window and blue pills on shelves. Discrete fields can be sorted.
Continuous data roles consist of any value within finite or infinite interval. For
Example – age, unit price, order quantity. Continuous values displayed as green
icons in data window and green pills on shelves. Continuous fields cannot be sorted.

50) What is the difference between Traditional BI Tools and Tableau?

Ans: 
 Traditional BI Tableau

BI Architecture has hardware limitations. Tableau does not have dependencies.

It does not support in-memory, multi-thread, and It supports the memory when used the advanced
multi-core computing. technologies.

It has a predefined view of data. It uses predictive analysis for various business
operations.

We should need a good knowledge of BI and skills. It is easy working and understanding without the
knowledge of BI and the skills
 Data security is provided Data security is not provided for public, whereas in
the professional version.

51)  Define performance testing in terms of Tableau

Ans: We can check the performance of Tableau by the following 2 ways.

 We can create performance recording to keep track of performance details of main events
while interacting with workbooks. Then, these performance metrics can be viewed by user and
analyzed. Navigation to start/stop performance recording is Help→Settings and Performance>→
Start Performance Recording Help→ Setting and Performance → Stop Performance Recording

 Review the logs created by Tableau Desktop. Location for log files is C:UsersMy
DocumentsMy Tableau Repository.

 For live connection, check the log files log.txt and tabprotosrv.txt.

 For Extract connection, check the log file tdeserver.txt

52) What is the difference between .twb and .twbx extensions?

Ans: .twb:  .twb means Tableau workbook. .twb is an XML sheet, it stores the data

about your documents, stories, and dashboards. This file is the reference to the
source file such as Excel or tde. This file will be linked to your source file when you
save the TWB file. If you want to share your workbook you need to send both
workbook and data source file. 
.twbx: It is a compressed file, where you have all files. It includes data source file,
twb and other files to produce the workbook. TWBX is obsolete for sharing because
it will share the copy of the file instead of an original source file. .twbx is used for
reports and we can view using the tableau viewer.

53) Why Tableau?

Ans: 
 Tableau is very simple and user-friendly.

 Tableau helps in analyzing the data and using this one can change the raw data into an
understandable format. 

 User can blend the data with the other data to create their own views on the data and to share
it with the customers, and colleagues.

 User can manage a large amount of data.

 It can easily integrate with multiple data sources.

 Tableau can create complex graphs which simply look like pivot table graphs in Excel. 

 It gives quick calculations on datasets.

 User can create the visuals easily and switch between the types, to find the model to
represent the user messages.

 User can create the visuals easily and switch between the types, to find the model to
represent the user messages.

54) How to create a calculated field in Tableau?

Ans:
Step 1: Select Analysis -> drop down will open -> Select create calculated field
Step 2: Calculation Editor Box will open, give the name to the calculated field.
Step 3: Enter a formula in the calculation editor.
Example: Sum(Profits)/Sum(Sales). (Calculation Editor validates the formula)
Step 4: Click, Ok.
Now, the new calculated field added to the data pane.

Tableau Interview Questions- Real Time

55) Are there any limitations of parameters in Tableau? If yes, give details.

Ans: Tableau dashboard allows the representation of parameters in four ways only.

They don’t allow any multiple values like a filter can do. They only allow a single
value.

56) State some reasons for low performance of Tableau? Explain in detail.

Ans: Following are the reason for low performance

 Filters - filters need to create an extra query and if it used in large numbers and inefficiently
then they can reduce the performance. So, it is advised to use filters whenever it is mandatory
 Live connection - Tableau extract works much better in comparison with live connection.
 Data sources - a wrong query to a wrong data source can reduce performance. Also data
source’s performance can also affect Tableau’s performance.

57) State some ways to improve the performance of Tableau.

Ans: Following are the few ways to improve the performance

 Use an Extract to make workbooks run faster

 Reduce the scope of data to decrease the volume of data

 Reduce number of marks on the view to avoid information overload

 Try to use integers or Booleans in calculations as they are much faster than strings

 Hide unused fields 

 Use Context filters

 Reduce filter usage and use some alternative way to achieve same result

 Use indexing in tables and use same fields for filtering

 Remove unnecessary calculations and sheets

58) Tell me different ways to use parameters in Tableau

Ans:
 Filters

 calculated fields

 actions

 measure-swaps

 changing views 

 auto updates

59) Can we see SQL generated by Tableau Desktop?

Ans: Tableau Desktop log files are places in C:UsersMy DocumentsMy Tableau

Repository. In case of live connection to any data source, check the log file “log.txt”
and “tabprotosrv.txt” files. In case of extract connection to any data source, check
the “tdeserver.txt” file which has detailed information about queries.

60) If the owner of the published workbooks license expires, then can other
users see those workbooks?

Ans: If the owner of published workbooks license expires then his/her role will
change to “Unlicensed”. He/She cannot access those workbooks, but others can.
Only site admin can change the ownership of those workbooks.

61) Can we remove the All options from a Tableau auto filter?

Ans: Follow few steps

1. Go to the Segment filter,Click on the small drop arrow which is on the right side.

2. Select Customize.

3. Then we can visible small drop box under customize, uncheck the option for  “ All” Value.

62)  Which one is better? Extract or Live connection?

Ans: Extract connection is better than live connection because extract connection

can be used from anywhere, anytime without connecting to database. We can
construct our own visualizations on it irrespective of database connection.

63) Tell me something about workbook version controlled in Tableau.

Ans: Versioning of workbooks can be done in 2 ways in Tableau.
 At desktop level, you keep copies of your changes and files, or using 3rd party system like
Microsoft TFS.

 At server level, where you publish the data source and version will be saved in revision
history on Tableau Server or Online. Reverting to a previous version is also possible here.

64)  Where can we apply global filters?

Ans: Global filters can be applied to sheets, stories, and dashboards.

65) How to add custom colour to Tableau?

Ans: To add custom colour in Tableau, we need to follow below 3 steps

 Generate custom colour code and create it in “Preferences.tps”

 Navigate to Documents→ My Table Repository→ Preferences.tps

 Add note for custom colour code

66) Can we create cascading filters without using context filters?

Ans: Cascading filters means filter2 values are dependent on filter1 value. For
Example, filter1 is country and if we select “India” for filter1, filter2 values should
show all Indian states. This feature we can achieved by using option “Only Relevant
Values”.

67) How can we display top and bottom 5 of records in a single Tableau view?

Ans: To achieve this, we need to create 2 views

 View1 which contains top 5 records

 View2 which contains bottom 5 records

 View3 which is a join of View1 and View2

68) State few charts which we should not use with valid reasons

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Ans: Below here are few charts which we should avoid.

 3D Charts: Visual representation of numbers in 3D charts will be skewed and it makes
difficult to compare and analyze.
 Pie Charts: Pie charts are not that much accurate as bar charts. In Pie charts, we have areas
and angles to compare instead of length in a bar chart. Areas and angles cannot be analyzed with
ease.
 Donut Charts: This is same as Pie chart, but here, we have a hole in the middle to make it
look like donut. Due to that hole, we need to compare arc length with other arcs to analyze the
values. Comparing arcs length is also a difficult task for our eyes.
[Related Article: Create Pie charts, Scatter Plot, Area Fill charts & Circular
View in Tableau]

69) Do we have any way to handle null values in Tableau?

Ans: Tableau cannot plot null values on axis. So, it will display an indicator at lower
right corner of view. Once you click on that indicator, you have options to handle null
values. Below are the options available to handle null values.
 Filter Data – If you choose this option, null values will be filtered out from the view.
 Show Data at Default Position – It replaces the null value with default value and shows the
data at default position on axis. These default values depend on the data type of field. Below here
are the defaults of specific data type.

 Numbers →0 

 Dates → 12-31-1899
  Geographic Location → (0,0)

 Negative Values → 1

70) Do we have any data limitation in Tableau Public?

Ans: Yes, Tableau Public can only allow 10 million rows to users for data
visualization.

71)  Can we download views or workbooks from server? If yes, in which data
formats?

Ans: We can download views or workbooks from server. But, data formats available
to us depend on the permissions granted by site administrators or content owners.
 Image: .png format

 Data: .csv file.

We can also download selected sheets into PDF format, but while generating PDF,
web page objects won’t be included.

72) Can we use unused columns (Columns which are not used in reports but
data source has columns) in Tableau Filters?

Ans: Yes, we can use unused columns in tableau filters.

Let us consider one example. 
In data source, I have column like emp_id, emp_name, emp_sal, emp_dep,
emp_designation. But, in reports, I am using emp_name in columns and emp-sal in
rows. I can use emp_designation on filters.

73) What is the benefit of Tableau extract file over the live connection?

Ans: Extract file can be used without any connections and you can build your own
visualisation without connecting to the database.

74) How many tables joins are possible in Tableau?

Ans: We can join 32 tables in Tableau.

75) Can we place an excel file in a shared location and use it to develop a
report and refresh it in regular intervals?
Ans: Yes, we can place excel file in a shared location and we can use it to develop a
report, but for better performance, we need to extract the file.

76) How do we do testing in Tableau?

Ans: Yes, we can do testing in Tableau by using tools and the easiest way is using
the desktop application. We need to check it before we publish in the Tableau
server.

77) Can you get values from two different sources as a single input into
parameter?

Ans: Tableau, currently not supporting the multi-valued parameters. As Tableau

parameters are not dynamic, we cannot filter the list of values at runtime. 

78) Design a view in a map such that if user selects any state the cities under
that state have to show profit and sales. 

Ans: If you want to show profit and sales of each and every city under the state in
the same worksheet, then follow a few steps.
The data which you want to display under the state, it must be in the same
worksheet.
 Double click on the state filed.

 Drag the city and drop it under the state(Mark Card).

 Drag the Sales and drop into the size.

 Drag the Profit and drop into the colour.

 Click on the size legend and increase the size (75%).

 Give a right click on State filed and select show filter.

 Select the state and check whether you got the required view or not. 

In the View, Size indicates the Sales, and Color indicates the profit of the respective
state(which you have selected).

79) How can u set permissions or protect the data in tableau public? 

Ans: Tableau does not have any security permissions or to protect the data in
Tableau public. Whatever we shared in Tableau public those files, workbooks can be
view by all users. There is no security option in Tableau public. 
80) If I delete a workbook from tableau public and there are links to other blogs
and other web locations. What happens to them? 

Ans: Tableau public is like a repository, if you delete anything in the Tableau public
the data will be lost, even if links are in other locations and blogs. We cannot access
those links. 

81) Mention whether you can create relational joins in Tableau without creating
a new table?

Ans: Yes, we can create relational joins in Tableau without creating a new table 

82) When publishing workbooks on Tableau online, sometimes an error about

needing to extract appears. Why does it happen occasionally?

Ans: It happens when user is trying to publish the workbook which is connected to
the internal or local server that means company’s network.  

83) Can parameters have drop down list?

Ans: Yes, Parameters have their own drop-down list, which enables the users to
view the data entries which are available in the parameter during the creation.

84) How do you optimize the performance of dashboard?

Ans:
1. Minimize the number of fields.

2. Minimize the number of records.

3. Reduce the marks (data points) in your view( remove unneeded dimensions).

4. Reduce the number of filters.

5. Use an include filter.

6. Use a continuous data filter.

7. Use action filters and parameters.

8. Reduce the number of nested calculations.

9. Remove custom SQL.

10. Clean up your workbooks.

85) How to use group in calculations field?

Ans:
Option 1: 
We can create the group by using the calculated field.
Step 1: Select Analysis-> click calculated field
Step 2:  Enter the field name (a dialogue box will appear)
Step 3: Enter the calculation -> Click Ok.
Example: 
1
[Container]='Lunch Box' then 'Small Containers'
2 ELSEIFI [Container]='Jumbo Drum' then 'Big Containers'
3 ELSEIF [Container]=Lunch Box' then 'Small Containers'
4 ELSEIF [Container]='Small Box' then 'Midsize Containers'
5 ELSEIF [Container]='Wrap Box' then 'Big Containers'
6 ELSEIF [Container]='Small Box' then 'Little Containers'
ELSEIF [Container]='Small Pack' then 'Little Containers'
7 END
8
The above calculation creates the group with four values: Little Containers, Big
Containers, Small Containers, Midsize Containers.
Option 2: 
Create a set from the group, and use the set in the calculated field.
Step 1: Right click on the Data Pane and then select Create Set.
Step 2: Create set dialogue box will open, 
Enter the field name.
Select the group, on general tab.
Step 3: Click Ok.

86) Can Tableau be installed on MacOs?

Ans: Yes, Tableau can installed on both Windows Operating system and MacOs.

87) How to automate reports in Tableau?

Ans: When we are publishing the reports to Tableau Server, there we will find an
option to schedule report, just select the time when you want to refresh the data. 

88) Which databases gives best performance when connected live?

Native Database gives best performance when connected live.

89) What are the challenges faced when working with huge volumes of data?

Ans: 
1. View running will be slow.

2. Data Extraction.

3. Alignment issues with data.

4. Testing Data.

90) State limitation of context filters in Tableau

Ans: Whenever we set a context filter, Tableau generates a temp table which needs
refresh each and every time the view is triggered. So, if context filter will be changed,
database needs to recompute and rewrite temp table, which in turn slows down the
performance.

91) What is mark card in Tableau?

Ans: There is a card to the left of the view where we can drag fields and control
mark properties like color, size, type, shape, detail, label, and tooltip.

92) Define published data source

Ans: Published data source has connection information in it. It is independent of any

workbook and can be accessed by multiple workbooks.

93) Define blended axis

Ans: Multiple measures can share single axis so that all the marks will be shown in a
single pane. We can blend measures by dragging the 1st measure on one axis and
2nd on existing axis.

94) Can we remove “All” option from auto-filter in Tableau?

Ans: Yes, we can. Navigate to filter→ Right click on it→ select customize→ uncheck
the option “Show All”

95) Define Bullet graph

Ans: Bullet graph is a variant of Bar graph. It is responsible for comparing
performance of one measure with other measures.

96) Define Gantt chart

Ans: Gantt Chart displays the progress of a value over the period. It consists of bars
along with time axis. It is a project management tool. Here, each bar is measure of a
task in the project framework.

97) Define Histogram chart

Ans: A histogram chart shows the distribution of continuous information over a

certain period of time. This chart helps us to find extreme points, gaps, unusual
values, and more concentrated values.

98) What is Tableau Public?

Ans: Tableau Public is an open source and free service which allows anyone to
publish the data source and visualizations to web. These visualizations can then be
embedded into blogs or web pages. They can also be distributed through email or
social media. Moreover, they can be made downloadable by other end users. For
Tableau Public, no programming skills are needed. It can be accessed by anyone
free of cost.

1. Tableau knowledge Engine?

2. Mention and explain some components on the dashboard?
3. What are shelves?
4. How would you define a dashboard?
5. What is a Column Chart?
6. How does Tableau perform with huge datasets?
7. What is Page Shelf?
8. What is Tableau Server?
9. What is a bin?
10. Difference between Tiled and Floating in Tableau Dashboards
11. What are Measures and Dimensions?
12. What are the Filter Actions?
13. What are the different datatypes in Tableau?
14. What are the Aggregation and Disaggregation?
15. What is Assume referential integrity?
16. What are the different types of joins in Tableau?
17. Where can you use global filters?
 18. How many maximum tables can you join in Tableau?
19. What is the Context Filter?
20. What is a dual axis?

Tableau Interview Questions and Answers

BY VENKATESAN M
May 18, 2017
I N   INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES (IT)
No Comments
2673
1.Compare QlikView and Tableau
CRITERIA

 Data integration

 Working with multidimensional data

 Support for PowerPoint

 Visual Drilldown

 Scalability
TABLEAU

 Exceptional

 Very Good
 Available

 Good

 Good
QLIKVIEW

 Good

 Good

 Not available

 Very Good

 Limited by RAM
2.What is Data Visualization?
A much advanced, direct, precise and ordered way of viewing large volumes of data is
called data visualization. It is the visual representation of data in the form of graphs and
charts, especially when you can’t define it textually. You can show trends, patters and
correlations through various data visualization software and tools; Tableau is one such
data visualization software used by businesses and corporates.

3.What are the differences between Tableau desktop and Tableau Server?
While Tableau desktop performs data visualization and workbook creation, Tableau
server is used to distribute these interactive workbooks and/or reports to the right
audience. Users can edit and update the workbooks and dashboards online or Server
but cannot create new ones. However, there are limited editing options when compared
to desktop.
Tableau Public is again a free tool consisting of Desktop and Server components
accessible to anyone.
4.Define parameters in Tableau and their working.
Tableau parameters are dynamic variables/values that replace the constant values in
data calculations and filters. For instance, you can create a calculated field value
returning true when the score is greater than 80, and otherwise false. Using parameters,
one can replace the constant value of 80 and control it dynamically in the formula.

5.Differentiate between parameters and filters in Tableau.

The difference actually lies in the application. Parameters allow users to insert their
values, which can be integers, float, date, string that can be used in calculations.
However, filters receive only values users choose to ‘filter by’ the list, which cannot be
used to perform calculations.
Users can dynamically change measures and dimensions in parameter but filters do not
approve of this feature.Most in-depth, industry-led curriculum in Tableau.
6.What are fact table and Dimension table in Tableau?
Facts are the numeric metrics or measurable quantities of the data, which can be
analyzed by dimension table. Facts are stores in Fact table that contain foreign keys
referring uniquely to the associated dimension tables. The fact table supports data
storage at atomic level and thus, allows more number of records to be inserted at one
time. For instance, a Sales Fact table can have product key, customer key, promotion
key, items sold, referring to a specific event.
Dimensions are the descriptive attribute values for multiple dimensions of each attribute,
defining multiple characteristics. A dimension table ,having reference of a product key
form the fact table, can consist of product name, product type, size, color, description,
etc.
Wish to Learn Tableau? Click Here
7.What are Quick Filters in Tableau?
Global quick filters are a way to filter each worksheet on a dashboard until each of them
contains a dimension. They are very useful for worksheets using the same data source,
which sometimes proves to a disadvantage and generate slow results. Thus, parameters
are more useful.

8.State limitations of parameters in Tableau.

Parameters facilitate only four ways to represent data on a dashboard (which are seven
in quick filters). Further, parameters do not allow multiple selections in a filter.

9.What is aggregation and disaggregation of data in Tableau?

Aggregation and disaggregation in Tableau are the ways to develop a scatterplot to
compare and measure data values. As the name suggests, aggregation is the calculated
form of a set of values that return a single numeric value. For instance, a measure with
values 1,3,5,7 returns 1. You can also set a default aggregation for any measure, which
is not user-defined. Tableau supports various default aggregations for a measure like
Sum, average, Median, Count and others.
Disaggregating data refers to viewing each data source row, while analyzing data both
independently and dependently.
10.What is Data Blending?
Unlike Data Joining, Data Blending in tableau allows combining of data from different
sources and platforms. For instance, you can blend data present in an Excel file with that
of an Oracle DB to create a new dataset.
 11.What is Content Filter?
The concept of context filter in Tableau makes the process of filtering smooth and
straightforward. It establishes a filtering hierarchy where all other filters present refer to
the context filter for their subsequent operations. The other filters now process data that
has been passed through the context filter.
Creating one or more context filters improves performance as users do not have to
create extra filters on large data source, reducing the query-execution time.
You can create by dragging a filed into ‘Filters’ tab and then, Right-Click that field and
select ‘’Add to Context”
12.What are the limitations of context filters?
Tableau takes time to place a filter in context. When a filter is set as context one, the
software creates a temporary table for that particular context filter. This table will reload
each time and consists of all values that are not filtered by either Context or Custom
SQL filter.Interested in a Tableau Career?

13.Name the file extensions in Tableau.

There are a number of file types and extensions in Tableau :
 Tableau Workbook (.twb).

 Tableau Packaged Workbook (.twbx).

 Tableau Datasource (.tds).

 Tableau Packaged Datasource (.tdsx).

 Tableau Data extract (.tde).

 Tableau Bookmark (.tdm).

 Tableau Map Source (.tms).

 Tableau Preferences (.tps)

14.Explain the difference between .twb and .twbx
.twb is the most common file extension used in Tableau, which presents an XML format
file and comprises all the information present in each dashboard and sheet like what
fields are used in the views, styles and formatting applied to a sheet and dashboard.But
this workbook does not contain any data. The Packaged workbook merges the
information in a Tableau workbook with the local data available (which is not on
server). .twbx serves as a zip file, which will include custom images if any. Packaged
Workbook allows users to share their workbook information with other Tableau Desktop
users and let them open it in Tableau Reader.
15.What are Extracts and Schedules in Tableau server?
Data extracts are the first copies or subdivisions of the actual data from original data
sources. The workbooks using data extracts instead of those using live DB connections
are faster since the extracted data is imported in Tableau Engine.After this extraction of
data, users can publish the workbook, which also publishes the extracts in Tableau
Server. However, the workbook and extracts won’t refresh unless users apply a
scheduled refresh on the extract. Scheduled Refreshes are the scheduling tasks set for
data extract refresh so that they get refreshed automatically while publishing a workbook
with data extract. This also removes the burden of republishing the workbook every time
the concerned data gets updated.

16.Name the components of a Dashboard

 Horizontal –Horizontal layout containers allow the designer to group worksheets and dashboard
components left to right across your page and edit the height of all elements at once.
 Vertical –Vertical containers allow the user to group worksheets and dashboard components top
to bottom down your page and edit the width of all elements at once.
 Text
 Image Extract : –A Tableau workbook is in XML format. In order to extracts images, Tableau
applies some codes to extract an image which can be stored in XML.
 Web [URL ACTION] :-A URL action is a hyperlink that points to a Web page, file, or other
web-based resource outside of Tableau. You can use URL actions to link to more information about your
data that may be hosted outside of your data source. To make the link relevant to your data, you can
substitute field values of a selection into the URL as parameters.
17.How to view underlying SQL Queries in Tableau? 
Viewing underlying SQL Queries in Tableau provides two options :
 Create a Performance Recordingto record performance information about the main events you
interact with workbook. Users can view the performance metrics in a workbook created by Tableau.
Help> Settings and Performance> Start Performance Recording
Help> Setting and Performance > Stop Performance Recording.
 Reviewing the Tableau Desktop Logslocated at C:\Users\\My Documents\My Tableau
Repository. For live connection to data source, you can check log.txt and tabprotosrv.txt files. For an
extract, check tdeserver.txt file.
18.What is Page shelf?
Tableau provides a distinct and powerful tool to control the output display known as Page
shelf. As the name suggests, the page shelf fragments the view into a series of pages,
presenting a different view on each page, making it more user-friendly and minimizing
scrolling to analyze and view data and information. You can flip through the pages using
the specified controls and compare them at a common axle.
19.How to do Performance Testing in Tableau?
Performance testing is again an important part of implementing tableau. This can be
done by loading Testing Tableau Server with TabJolt, which is a “Point and Run” load
generator created to perform QA. While TabJolt is not supported by tableau directly, it
has to be installed using other open source products.

20.Explain the concept of Dual Axis.

Dual Axis is an excellent phenomenon supported by Tableau that helps users view two
scales of two measures in the same graph. Many websites like Indeed.com and other
make use of dual axis to show the comparison between two measures and their growth
rate in a septic set of years. Dual axes let you compare multiple measures at once,
having two independent axes layered on top of one another.

21.How many maximum tables can you join in Tableau?

The maximum number of 32 tables can be joined in Tableau. A table size must also be
limited to 255 columns (fields).

22.How to remove ‘All’ options from a Tableau auto-filter?

The auto-filter provides a feature of removing ‘All’ options by simply clicking the down
arrow in the auto-filter heading. You can scroll down to ‘Customize’ in the dropdown and
then uncheck the ‘Show “All” Value’ attribute. It can be activated by checking the field
again.

23.How to add Custom Color to Tableau?

Adding a Custom Color refers to a power tool in Tableau. Restart you Tableau desktop
once you save .tps file. From the Measures pane, drag the one you want to add color
to Color. From the color legend menu arrow, select Edit Colors. When a dialog box
opens, select the palette drop-down list and customize as per requirement.
24.What different products Tableau provide?
 Tableau Server :on-premise or cloud-hosted software to access the workbooks built.
 Tableau desktop :desktop environment to create and publish standard and packaged workbooks.
 Tableau Public :workbooks available publicly online for users to download and access the
included data.
 Tableau Reader :get a local access to open Tableau Packaged workbook
25.How can you display top five and last five sales in the same view?
Create two sets, one for top 5 another for bottom 5 and the join these two sets displaying
a unique set of total 10 rows.

26.What is TDE file?

TDE is a Tableau desktop file that contains a .tde extension. It refers to the file that
contains data extracted from external sources like MS Excel, MS Access or CSV file.
There are two aspects of TDE design that make them ideal for supporting analytics and
data discovery.
 Firstly, TDE is a columnar store.

 The second is how they are structured which impacts how they are loaded into memory and used
by Tableau. This is an important aspect of how TDEs are “architecture aware”. Architecture-awareness
means that TDEs use all parts of your computer memory, from RAM to hard disk, and put each part to
work what best fits its characteristics.
27.How to use group in calculated field?
By adding the same calculation to ‘Group By’ clause in SQL query or creating a
Calculated Field in the Data Window and using that field whenever you want to group
the fields.

 Using groups in a calculation.You cannot reference ad-hoc groups in a calculation.

 Blend data using groups created in the secondary data source:Only calculated groups can be
used in data blending if the group was created in the secondary data source.
 Use a group in another workbook.You can easily replicate a group in another workbook by copy
and pasting a calculation.
28.Can parameters have dropdown list?
Yes, parameters do have their independent dropdown lists enabling users to view the
data entries available in the parameter during its creation.

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Training Course.
29.What is the difference between joining and blending in Tableau?
 Joining term is used when you are combining data from the same source, for example, worksheet
in an Excel file or tables in Oracle database

 While blending requires two completely defined data sources in your report.
30.What are Extracts and Schedules in Tableau server?
Data extracts are the first copies or subdivisions of the actual data from original data
sources. The workbooks using data extracts instead of those using live DB connections
are faster since the extracted data is imported in Tableau Engine.After this extraction of
data, users can publish the workbook, which also publishes the extracts in Tableau
Server. However, the workbook and extracts won’t refresh unless users apply a
 scheduled refresh on the extract. Scheduled Refreshes are the scheduling tasks set for
data extract refresh so that they get refreshed automatically while publishing a workbook
with data extract. This also removes the burden of republishing the workbook every time
the concerned data gets updated.

31.How to view underlying SQL Queries in Tableau?

Viewing underlying SQL Queries in Tableau provides two options:

 Create a Performance Recording to record performance information about the main events you
interact with workbook. Users can view the performance metrics in a workbook created by Tableau.
Help -> Settings and Performance -> Start Performance Recording
Help -> Setting and Performance -> Stop Performance Recording.
 Reviewing the Tableau Desktop Logs located at C:\Users\\My Documents\My Tableau
Repository. For live connection to data source, you can check log.txt and tabprotosrv.txt files. For an
extract, check tdeserver.txt file.
32.How to do Performance Testing in Tableau?
Performance testing is again an important part of implementing tableau. This can be
done by loading Testing Tableau Server with TabJolt, which is a “Point and Run” load
generator created to perform QA. While TabJolt is not supported by tableau directly, it
has to be installed using other open source products.

33.Name the components of a Dashboard.

 Horizontal – Horizontal layout containers allow the designer to group worksheets and dashboard
components left to right across your page and edit the height of all elements at once.
 Vertical – Vertical containers allow the user to group worksheets and dashboard components top
to bottom down your page and edit the width of all elements at once.
 Text – All textual fields.
 Image Extract  – A Tableau workbook is in XML format. In order to extracts images, Tableau
applies some codes to extract an image which can be stored in XML.
 Web [URL ACTION] – A URL action is a hyperlink that points to a Web page, file, or other
web-based resource outside of Tableau. You can use URL actions to link to more information about your
data that may be hosted outside of your data source. To make the link relevant to your data, you can
substitute field values of a selection into the URL as parameters.
34.How to remove ‘All’ options from a Tableau auto-filter?
The auto-filter provides a feature of removing ‘All’ options by simply clicking the down
arrow in the auto-filter heading. You can scroll down to ‘Customize’ in the dropdown and
then uncheck the ‘Show “All” Value’ attribute. It can be activated by checking the field
again.

35.How to add Custom Color to Tableau?

Adding a Custom Color refers to a power tool in Tableau. Restart you Tableau desktop
once you save .tps file. From the Measures pane, drag the one you want to add color
to Color. From the color legend menu arrow, select Edit Colors. When a dialog box
opens, select the palette drop-down list and customize as per requirement.
36.What is TDE file?
TDE is a Tableau desktop file that contains a .tde extension. It refers to the file that
contains data extracted from external sources like MS Excel, MS Access or CSV file.
There are two aspects of TDE design that make them ideal for supporting analytics and
data discovery.
 Firstly, TDE is a columnar store.

 The second is how they are structured which impacts how they are loaded into memory and used
by Tableau. This is an important aspect of how TDEs are “architecture aware”. Architecture-awareness
means that TDEs use all parts of your computer memory, from RAM to hard disk, and put each part to
work what best fits its characteristics.
37.Mention whether you can create relational joins in Tableau without creating a new
table?
Yes, one can create relational joins in tableau without creating a new table.

38.How to automate reports?

You need to publish report to tableau server, while publishing you will find one option to
schedule reports.You just need to select the time when you want to refresh data.

39.What is Assume referential integrity?

In some cases, you can improve query performance by selecting the option to Assume
Referential Integrityfrom the Data menu. When you use this option, Tableau will include
the joined table in the query only if it is specifically referenced by fields in the view.

40.Explain when would you use Joins vs. Blending in Tableau?

If data resides in a single source, it is always desirable to use Joins.  When your data is
not in one place blending is the most viable way to create a left join like the connection
between your primary and secondary data sources.
 41.What is default Data Blending Join?
Data blending is the ability to bring data from multiple data sources into one Tableau
view, without the need for any special coding. A default blend is equivalent to a left outer
join. However, by switching which data source is primary, or by filtering nulls, it is
possible to emulate left, right and inner joins.

42.What do you understand by blended axis?

In Tableau, measures can share a single axis so that all the marks are shown in a single
pane. Instead of adding rows and columns to the view, when you blend measures there
is a single row or column and all of the values for each measure is shown along one
continuous axis. We can blend multiple measures by simply dragging one measure or
axis and dropping it onto an existing axis.

43.What is story in Tableau?

A story is a sheet that contains a sequence of worksheets or dashboards that work
together to convey information. You can create stories to show how facts are connected,
provide context, demonstrate how decisions relate to outcomes, or simply make a
compelling case. Each individual sheet in a story is called a story point.

44.What is the difference between discrete and continuous in Tableau?

There are two types of data roles in Tableau – discrete and continuous dimension.

 Discrete data roles are values that are counted as distinct and separate and can only take individual
values within a range. Examples: number of threads in a sheet, customer name or row ID or State. Discrete
values are shown as blue pills on the shelves and blue icons in the data window.

 Continuous data roles are used to measure continuous data and can take on any value within a
finite or infinite interval. Examples: unit price, time and profit or order quantity. Continuous variables
behave in a similar way in that they can take on any value. Continuous values are shown as green pills.
45.How to create stories in Tableau?
There are many ways to create story in Tableau. Each story point can be based on a
different view or dashboard, or the entire story can be based on the same visualization,
just seen at different stages, with different marks filtered and annotations added. You
can use stories to make a business case or to simply narrate a sequence of events.

 Click the New Story tab.

 In the lower-left corner of the screen, choose a size for your story. Choose from one of the
predefined sizes, or set a custom size, in pixels.
 By default, your story gets its title from its sheet name. To edit it, double-click the title. You can
also change your title’s font, color, and alignment. Click Apply to view your changes.
 To start building your story, drag a sheet from the Story tab on the left and drop it into the center
of the view
 Click Add a caption to summarize the story point.
 To highlight a key takeaway for your viewers, drag a text object over to the story worksheet and
type your comment.
 To further highlight the main idea of this story point, you can change a filter or sort on a field in
the view, then save your changes by clicking Update above the navigator box.
46.What is the DRIVE Program Methodology?
Tableau Drive is a methodology  for scaling out self-service analytics. Drive is based on
best practices from successful enterprise deployments. The methodology relies on
iterative, agile methods that are faster and more effective than traditional long-cycle
deployment.

A cornerstone of this approach is a new model of partnership between business and IT.

47.How to use group in calculated field?

By adding the same calculation to ‘Group By’ clause in SQL query or creating a
Calculated Field in the Data Window and using that field whenever you want to group
the fields.

 Using groups in a calculation. You cannot reference ad-hoc groups in a calculation.

 Blend data using groups created in the secondary data source: Only calculated groups can be
used in data blending if the group was created in the secondary data source.
 Use a group in another workbook. You can easily replicate a group in another workbook by
copy and pasting a calculation.
48.Mention what is the difference between published data sources and embedded data
sources in Tableau?
The difference between published data source and embedded data source is that,

 Published data source: It contains connection information that is independent of any workbook
and can be used by multiple workbooks.
 Embedded data source: It contains connection information and is associated with a workbook.
49.Mention what are different Tableau files?
Different Tableau files include:

 Workbooks: Workbooks hold one or more worksheets and dashboards

 Bookmarks: It contains a single worksheet and its an easy way to quickly share your work
 Packaged Workbooks: It contains a workbook along with any supporting local file data and
background images
 Data Extraction Files: Extract files are a local copy of a subset or entire data source
 Data Connection Files: It’s a small XML file with various connection information
 50.How to embed views onto Webpages?
You can embed interactive Tableau views and dashboards into web pages, blogs, wiki
pages, web applications, and intranet portals. Embedded views update as the underlying
data changes, or as their workbooks are updated on Tableau Server. Embedded views
follow the same licensing and permission restrictions used onTableau Server. That is, to
see a Tableau view that’s embedded in a web page, the person accessing the view must
also have an account on Tableau Server.

Alternatively, if your organization uses a core-based license on Tableau Server, a Guest

account is available. This allows people in your organization to view and interact with
Tableau views embedded in web pages without having to sign in to the server. Contact
your server or site administrator to find out if the Guest user is enabled for the site you
publish to.

You can do the following to embed views and adjust their default appearance:

 Get the embed code provided with a view: The Share button at the top of each view includes
embed code that you can copy and paste into your webpage. (The Share button doesn’t appear in
embedded views if you change the showShareOptions parameter to false in the code.)
 Customize the embed code: You can customize the embed code using parameters that control the
toolbar, tabs, and more. For more information, see Parameters for Embed Code.
 Use the Tableau JavaScript API: Web developers can use Tableau JavaScript objects in web
applications. To get access to the API, documentation, code examples, and the Tableau developer
community, see the Tableau Developer Portal.

51.Design a view in a map such that if user selects any state, the cities under that state has
to show profit and sales.
According to your question you must have state, city, profit and sales fields in your
dataset.

Step 1: Double click on the state field

Step 2: Drag the city and drop it into Marks card.
Step 3: Drag the sales and drop it into size.
Step 4: Drag profit and drop it into color.
Step 5: Click on size legend and increase the size.
Step 6: Right click on state field and select show quick filter.
Step 7:  Select any state now and check the view.
52.Think that I am using Tableau Desktop & have a live connection to Cloudera Hadoop
data. I need to press F5 to refresh the visualization. Is there anyway to automatically
refresh visualization every ‘x’ seconds instead of pressing F5?
Here is an example of refreshing the dashboard for every  5 seconds.

All you need to do is replace the api src and server url with yours.

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html lang=”en”>

<head>

<title>Tableau JavaScript API </title>

<script type=”text/javascript”
src=”http://servername/javascripts/api/tableau_v8.js”></script>

</head>

<div id=”tableau Viz”></div>

<script type=’text/javascript’>

var placeholderDiv = document.getElementById(“tableau Viz”);

var url = “http://servername/t/311/views/Mayorscreenv5/Mayorscreenv2″;

var options={

hideTabs:True,

width:”100%”,

height:”1000px”

};

var viz= new tableauSoftware.Viz(placeholderDiv,url,options);

setInterval (function() {viz.refreshDataAsync()},5000);

</script>

</body>

</html>
53.Suppose my license expires today, will users be able to view dashboards or workbooks
which I published in the server earlier?
If your server license expires today, your username on the server will have the role
‘unlicensed’ which means you cannot access but others can. The site admin can change
the ownership to another person so that the extracts do not fail.

54.Is Tableau software good for strategic acquisition?

Yes! For sure. It gives you data insight to the extent that other tools can’t. Moreover, it
also helps you to plan and point the anomalies and improvise your process for
betterment of your company.

55.Can we place an excel file in a shared location and and use it to develop a report and
refresh it in regular intervals?
Yes, we can do it. But for better performance we should use Extract.

56.Can Tableau be installed on MacOS?

Yes, Tableau Desktop can be installed on both on Mac and Windows Operating System.

57.What is the maximum no. of rows Tableau can utilize at one time?
Tableau is not restricted by the no. of rows in the table. Customers use Tableau to
access petabytes of data because it only retrieves the rows and columns needed to
answer your questions.

58.What are sets?

Sets are custom fields that define a subset of data based on some conditions. A set can
be based on a computed condition, for example, a set may contain customers with sales
over a certain threshold. Computed sets update as your data changes. Alternatively,
a set can be based on specific data point in your view.
59. What are groups?
A group is a combination of dimension members that make higher level categories. For
example, if you are working with a view that shows average test scores by major, you
may want to group certain majors together to create major categories.

60. What is a hierarchical field?

A hierarchical field in tableau is used for drilling down data. It means viewing your data in
a more granular level.