Top 50 Tableau Software Interview Questions You Must Prepare 19.Mar.2024

More Extracts, filters and depends on data sources.

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”

A page where you can set up your data source. The Data Source page generally consists of four main areas: left pane, join area, preview area, and metadata area.

Tableau Reader is a free viewing application that lets anyone read and interact with packaged workbooks created by Tableau Desktop.

Show Me is used to apply a required view to the existing data in the worksheet. Those views can be a pie chart, scatter plot or a line chart.

A story is a sheet that contains a sequence of worksheets and dashboards that work together to convey information

A saved subset of a data source that you can use to improve performance and analyze offline.

Normal Filter is used to restrict the data from database based on selected dimension or measure. But Quick Filters are used to give a chance to user for dynamically changing data members at run time.

Tableau Desktop is a data analysis visualization tool, 10-100 times faster than other analytic tools. Built on groundbreaking technology, Tableau desktop converts imaged data into optimized data queries and users can create interactive dashboards.

A pane on the left side of the workbook that displays the fields of the data sources to which Tableau is connected.

It is a file with a .twb extension that contains one or more worksheets (and possibly also dashboards and stories).

These are inbuilt calculations in tableau which we normally use to calculate Percentange chages.

It is a text table view. Use text tables to display the numbers associated with dimension members.

It Imports the entire data source into Tableau fast data engine as an extract and saves it in the workbook.

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.

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 @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.

A sheet where you build views of your data by dragging fields onto shelves.

They are Named areas to the left and top of the view. You build views by placing fields onto the shelves. Some shelves are available only when you select certain mark types.

In a context filter the filter condition is applied first to the data source and then some other filters are applied only to the resulting records.

A pane that contains formatting settings that control the entire worksheet, as well as individual fields in the view.

  • 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

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.

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.

Parameters are dynamic values that can replace constant values in calculations.

A syntax that supports aggregation at dimensionalities other than the view level. With level of detail expressions, you can attach one or more dimensions to any aggregate expression.

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.

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.

It contains connection information that is independent of any workbook and can be used by multiple workbooks.

With instantaneous and powerful data visualization techniques, Tableau Software easily connects to any data source (Corporate Data Warehouse, Microsoft Excel or other). It supports quicker drop-and-down interface processes for creating visual reports of massive amounts of data. The best part is that all data in Tableau from various sources is created equally irrespective of the data type.

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.

An alternative name that you can assign to a field or to a dimension member.

  • Horizontal
  • Vertical
  • Text
  • Image Extract
  • Blank page
  • Web [URL ACTION]

.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.

Custom Filters ,Context Filters, Normal Filters.

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:UsersMy DocumentsMy Tableau Repository. For live connection to data source, you can check log.txt and tabprotosrv.txt files. For an extract, check tdeserver.txt file.

A card to the left of the view where you can drag fields to control mark properties such as type, color, size, shape, label, tooltip, and detail.

It Creates a direct connect to the data source and speed up access.

TDE is a Tableau desktop file that contains with a .tde extension referring to the file containing data extracted from external sources like MS Excel, MS Access or CSV file.

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.

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.

It refers to the file that contains data extracted from external sources like MS Excel, MS Access or CSV file.

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.

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.

You can compare multiple measures using dual axes, which are two independent axes that are layered on top of each other.

A new field that you create by using a formula to modify the existing fields in your data source.

Yes, parameters do have their independent dropdown lists enabling users to view the data entries available in the parameter during its creation.

Data Modeling in Tableau allows rapid analysis of operational data that produce visual prints of data to help users identify consumer trends, sales targets and operational improvement. Data modeling processes minimize the use of manual changes in the data structure but promote automatic adaption to the changing environment.

It also allows real-time modeling by letting users share their analysis in the collaborative working environment.

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.

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.

The Pages shelf is used to control the display of output by choosing the sequence of display.