System Instructions

Introduction

Tableau allows users to navigate and edit workbooks, sheets and specific data types using a variety of different features. All users have web-edit access through the Self-Serving environment, where they can edit Tableau data and visualizations however they need and save them locally without affecting the original Tableau articles.  Tableau's Self-Service environment allows users to access, navigate, edit and create new reports and workbooks using current data sets pulled from NYSERDA's various systems and applications. This page reviews each section of the Self-Service workspace area and is intended to provide an introduction to this topic. After reviewing this material, if you feel like you would benefit from advanced training as it pertains to your role, please use the Self-Service Training Ticket tab to access instructions on how to request training.

Below is an instructional screenshot of the Tableau Self-Service window.




AWorkbook NameA workbook contains sheets. A sheet can be a worksheet, a dashboard, or a story. For more information, see Workbooks and Sheets.
BMenuUse the Menu to access advanced functions of Tableau.
CTool Bar Use the toolbar to access commands and analysis, and navigation tools. When creating or editing a report view, use the  Toolbar to perform common actions. Hide or Display the  Toolbar  from the Window menu and selecting  Show/Hide   Toolbar.
DSide BarIn a worksheet, the side bar area contains the Data pane and the Analytics pane.
ECards and ShelvesDrag fields to the cards and shelves in the workspace to add data to your view.
FView AreaThis is the canvas in the workspace where you create a visualization (also referred to as a "viz").
GSheet TabsTabs represent each sheet in your workbook. This can include worksheets, dashboards, and stories. For more information, see Workbooks and Sheets.
HStatus BarDisplays information about the current view.

This section reviews all menu tabs along the top of the application. All users have web-edit access through the Self-Service environment, where they can edit Tableau data and visualizations however they need and save them locally without affecting the original Tableau articles.

File

Provides access to Save,  Save As, Revert or Close an open worksheet. Revert is only selectable when changes are made to a worksheet.

Worksheet

Provides access to worksheet based controls both during dashboard creation and when viewing published dashboards in Tableau.

New WorksheetCreates a new worksheet.
Show TitleDisplays the name of your worksheet, story, or dashboard.
Show CaptionDisplays a caption for each view of your dashboard on the caption card when accessing Tableau reports. Captions can be generated automatically or input manually.
Show View ToolbarDisplays the toolbar at the top of the screen to more easily perform common actions.
Show Sort ControlsDisplays controls that allow more fine tuned sorting.

Dashboard

Provides access to Add new Dashboards . Additionally, you can Add existing worksheets or new worksheets to the current dashboard. 

Analysis

Provides access to add or edit Calculated Fields.

Stack MarksRelevant when your data view includes numeric axes. When marks are stacked, they are drawn cumulatively along an axis.
TotalsCalculate either grand totals and subtotals. Totals can also be customized.
FiltersDisplay formatted and interactive filters in the view.
HighlightersAllow you to call attention to marks of interest by highlighting specific information while dimming others. 

Map

Allows the ability to choose between Background Maps.

Format

Provides access to Edit a workbook, Clear worksheet formatting, or Adjust format animations.

Help

Provides access to Tableaus online help and support resources.

This section reviews the functionality available on the Tableau Side Bar. The Side Bar contains the Data pane and the Analytics pane when you are editing a worksheet. Different panes are visible depending on what you are doing in the view (Data, Analytics, Story, Dashboard, Layout, Format). The most important thing to know about the Side Bar is that you can expand and collapse this area in the workspace.

Tableau Desktop Application

Hide Side Bar

Click the collapse arrow in the side bar.

Show Side Bar

Click the expand arrow in the bottom-left of the workspace (on the status bar).

Tableau Cloud Application

Hide Side Bar

Click the collapse arrow in the side bar.

Show Side Bar

Click the expand arrow in the side bar.

This section reviews Tableau's status bar. It is located at the bottom of the Tableau workspace. It displays descriptions of menu items as well as information about the current view.

For example, the status in the example screenshot below shows that the view has 143 marks shown in 3 rows and 12 columns. It also shows that the SUM(Sales) for all the marks in the view is $2,297,201 .

This section reviews the Measures and Dimensions of Tableau. These allow users to quantitative and qualitative data variations from the source worksheet to create new dashboards.

Measures

Measures are numeric, quantifiable fields you can use in your data to get aggregated values of the data. When you drag a measure into the view, Tableau applies an aggregation to that measure (by default).  

Dimensions

Dimensions contain qualitative values (such as names, dates, or geographical data). You can use dimensions to categorize, segment, and reveal the details in your data. Dimensions affect the level of detail in the view. 

Adding a Dimension to any of the following locations in Tableau affects the level of detail:

FAQ

Measure is something you can add, like a sum of sales. Dimension defines how a measure is broken up, like a region or section. Tableau auto assigns. Right click on a dimension – Convert to Measure, or right-click on a Measure and Convert to a dimension. Dates are dimensions. You must use a "=" sign next to the measure or dimension field in a calculated field.

To create calculated field - Right click, Create, Calculated Field, the text turns orange when you have typed a field that is in your dataset. You can drag the field into the calculation window. You can do basic calculations like convert kW to MW, etc. Click the arrow on the right of the calculation window to see all the functions available.

Drag the dimensions onto the Rows shelf. Move around to reorder. You can add worksheets or dashboards. Tableau automatically creates a Measure Name as a dimension, Measure Values as a measure. To add measure to the tabular view, Drag measure names onto Filter – a filter on the side will appear. Click/select the measures of interest. Drag Measure Values onto the Text Shelf. Drag measure names onto Columns.

To reorder the way the measures appear in the table, drag and reorder in the Measure Values box. To filter, drag field to filter box. The filter shows up as a box on the right, and you can select what you want to filter in or out. Right click on measure values or on individual measures to increase the decimal places to 6. Hard to filter out Nulls. Need to create calculated field or do in desktop.

This section reviews the Data and Analytics tabs. These tabs provide access to choose fields from the source worksheet in order to create new dashboards for analysis.

Data

The Data Tab allows users to implement fields with calculations specific to the source worksheet. Any data types within the Data Tab can be dragged and dropped into the sheet to create columns or rows for analysis.

Analytics

The Analytics Tab provides tools to summarize and model visualizations of the data in the worksheet. You can create different trend-lines and plots after dragging and dropping data types into the sheet. The Analytics functions can only be used on numerical data types.

This section reviews how to request additional Tableau training.

Access the Service Desk from the NYSERDA Launch Page.

Select the Request Training option. Conversely, you can also access the Request Training button on the Knowledge Base Home Page though you will need to be in your VM for that button to work properly.

Complete the ticket documenting your Tableau training needs in the Description field and selecting System/Software/Applications from the Core Subject drop-down, then selecting Tableau from the Sub-Category field. Complete any other fields as needed.


All users have web-edit access through the Self-Service environment where they can edit Tableau data and visualizations. However, any edits you make must be saved locally to avoid impacting the original Tableau articles. 


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