Antichaos
Tableau, Data Analyse & Visualisatie
When you start tuning a Tableau dashboard or SQL query for performance, one thing jumps out quickly: COUNTD can slow things down.
The count-distinct is an extremely useful function which looks simple on the surface, but under the hood it forces the engine to do extra work that adds up fast. Understanding why this happens – and what alternatives you can use – makes a big difference in keeping your dashboards responsive.
[Read more…] about Why is COUNTD so slow – and how can I fix this?A couple of years ago, Tableau introduced one of its most highly requested features ever: Dynamic Parameters. This feature made it possible to populate a parameter with values directly from a data source, rather than being limited to static, manually entered values.
This works great, but as soon as this was available a new request came up: adding manual values to the list – especially the ‘All’ value.
[Read more…] about Add ‘All’ and more options to a Dynamic ParameterA powerful way of creating flexible, user-friendly dashboards is by letting your users decide how they want to view the data. Instead of forcing them to view at a certain chart type, you can give them the option to chose between different visualizations- bar charts, line charts, etc, or variations on a chart, based on their need, or preference.
Data Visualization is about visualizing data the right way.
Interactive business dashboards tend to have a special challenge: the must display data with accurate labels, regardless of how the data changes from day to day. Many infographics visualizations are using static data – and therefor the labels can be put on the most convenient location. But what happens when the data changes – either due to new data, or filtering? Labels will overlap, disappear, and/or get mixed up.
The funnel chart is one type of visualization that’s especially prone to this, even with just a few data marks. While working on one, I came up with a solution to keep all the labels nice and clear, no matter what the data throws at it. Bonus: it’s flexible enough for easy customization!
[Read more…] about Responsive Labels – Smarter, Cleaner DashboardsSometime you want to make a dramatic statement – and sometimes you just need a little nudge to help users understand a dashboard.
Tableau makes it really easy to create a minimalist dashboard – and tooltips are a great way to unlock the data behind a mark. Emphasizing the datapoint of the tooltip will make the visualization just a little better. And this is even more important on charts with multiple lines.
[Read more…] about Change marks on Hover