Data Visualization Using Tableau
Unlocking Data Potential with
Tableau Filters
Quick Recap
• Each chart type serves a specific purpose.
Understanding when to use a bar chart, pie chart,
line chart, tree map, heatmap, bubble chart, or
table is crucial for effectively communicating your
data.
• Color and formatting can enhance the readability
and visual appeal of your charts.
• Always label your axes and data points clearly to
provide context and aid interpretation.
Engage and Think
Imagine you are in charge of organizing a training
session at your workplace. You have a list of employees
from various departments, each with their schedules,
skill levels, and training needs. Your task is to select
employees who are available during a specific time slot,
require the training, and belong to departments that
are prioritizing this upgrade.
How might you efficiently sort out this employee list to
find the perfect candidates for the session? What
method would you use to simplify this selection process
while ensuring that all criteria are met effectively?
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Demonstrate how filters in Tableau enhance data analysis, ensuring
targeted and effective use of information
Classify types of Tableau filters to select optimal methods for diverse
data needs
Utilize advanced filter options to refine analysis and clarify
visualizations
Develop proficiency in data manipulation and filtering in Tableau to
improve visualization outcomes
Introduction to Filters
Filters
Filters in Tableau are powerful tools for refining and controlling the data displayed
in your visualizations.
They play a crucial role in focusing on specific aspects of your dataset and enhancing
the clarity of your analysis.
Filters
The process of filtering is an essential part of data analysis.
• Filters can be created quickly on a data source.
• The execution of a query with less amount of data is faster.
• Dimensions, measurements, and dates can be filtered.
They help to reduce the amount of data, which makes analysis easy and fast.
Filters: Advantages
Data exploration
Customization Visual clarity
Interactivity
Filters: Use Cases
Segmentation Temporal
analysis analysis
Top N Comparative
analysis analysis
Quick Check
What is the primary purpose of using filters in
Tableau?
A. To change the color scheme of visualizations
B. To refine and subset data for analysis
C. To add additional data sources to a workbook
D. To create animations in dashboards
Types of Filters
Types of Filters
Extract filter Data source filter
Table filter Context filter
Measure filter Dimension filter
Extract Filter
It allows you to reduce the size of your data and improve performance by only including the
data you need for analysis.
Extracting data involves generating a local copy of a subset of your data from the source,
stored in a Tableau Data Extract (.hyper) file.
Demo: Extract Filter
Duration: 05 minutes
Demonstrate how to use the Extract filter to extract Central region data from the given
superstore dataset.
Data Source Filter
It is applied at the data source level, which limits the data retrieved from the source before
it is imported into Tableau.
These filters are typically used to restrict the amount of data Tableau pulls from the source,
optimizing performance and ensuring that only relevant data is included in the analysis.
Demo: Data Source Filter
Duration: 05 minutes
Demonstrate how to use Data Source filter.
Quick Check
Which type of Tableau filter is applied when creating
data extracts?
A. Quick filters
B. Data source filters
C. Context filters
D. Extract filters
Context Filter
It is a filter that sets a specific subset of data as the primary filter for other
filters in the workbook.
When you apply a filter to your data and set it as a Context filter, Tableau first applies it to the
entire dataset, creating a temporary subset of data known as the Context.
Dimension Filter
They filter the data in a worksheet using a dimension.
Dimension filters are applied via:
Formula
Top or bottom conditions Wildcard match
Demo: Dimension Filter
Duration: 15 minutes
Demonstrate how to use Dimension filter.
Measure Filter
It allows you to filter data based on quantitative values, such as numerical
data or aggregated measures.
By using it effectively in Tableau, you can focus on specific subsets of your data, analyze trends, and
gain insights into your business metrics or key performance indicators.
Demo: Measure Filter
Duration: 15 minutes
Demonstrate how to use the measure filter.
Table Filter
It allows users to selectively display data based on specified criteria without altering
the underlying dataset.
• The Table filter works when a filter is added to the view
and not the underlying data.
• The table calculation in view is first evaluated, and the
Table filter is applied to the results.
Image source: Tableau
Quick Check
What is the primary purpose of applying a dimension
filter in Tableau?
A. To filter numerical values within a specified range
B. To filter data based on discrete categories or labels
C. To filter data based on aggregate calculations
D. To filter data based on relative date ranges
Advanced Filter Options
Group
In Tableau, the Group combines related dimension members into higher-level categories for analysis
and visualization.
Groups in Tableau can be formed based on various criteria, such as similarities in attributes,
shared characteristics, or specific business requirements.
Image source: Tableau
Set
It is defined by a logical expression that evaluates to either true or false for
each data point in the dataset.
Demo: Group and Set
Duration: 15 minutes
Demonstrate how to use Group and Set in Tableau.
Measure Names
It is a field that contains the names of all the measures in a dataset.
When you add Measure Names to a view, all the Measure Names appear as row or
column headers in the view.
Image source: Tableau
Measure Values
It is a field that contains the numerical values of all the measures in a dataset.
When Measure Values are in the view, Tableau creates a Measure Values that lists the
measures in the data source with their default aggregations.
Image source: Tableau
Demo: Measure Names and Measure Values
Duration: 15 minutes
Demonstrate how to use Measure Names and Measure Values.
Quick Check
Which of the following statements accurately
describes the Measure Values field in Tableau?
A. It stores categorical data from the dataset.
B. It contains the textual descriptions of measures.
C. It represents the numerical values of all measures
in the dataset.
D. It is used for filtering data based on measure
values.
Guided Practice
Overview Duration: 25 minutes
In this exercise, you will explore Tableau's filter capabilities and examine various types and
functionalities of filters. By engaging in practical exercises with the provided superstore.xls dataset, you
will deepen your understanding of the importance of filters in data visualization. You will also learn how
to apply different filter types effectively to refine your visualizations.
Key Takeaways
In Tableau, filters control which data is displayed in your
visualizations.
Tableau provides a variety of filters including Extract, Data Source,
Table, Context, Measure, and Dimension filters.
Groups categorize data, Sets define subsets, and Measure Names and
Measure Values represent numerical data in Tableau.
Practice Project
Data Preparation and Analysis with Tableau
In this exercise, you will learn to prepare and analyze sales data using
Tableau. This exercise focuses on connecting data, cleaning it, applying filters,
and utilizing advanced analysis techniques. By completing these steps, you
will demonstrate your proficiency in preparing, filtering, and analyzing data in
Tableau. This will enable you to extract actionable insights from the dataset
provided.
Additional Resources
• Context filter
• Date filter
Q&A
