Here are the steps to create the view shown above: Drag Sales to Rows and Discount to Columns. to Dimension. Tableau continues to aggregate values for the field, because even though the field is now discrete, it is still a measure, and Tableau aggregates measures by default. The exception is for fields where the name suggests the data type, such as Year or Month (which Tableau would identify as Date dimensions) or fields containing words like “ID” and “Key,” which Tableau would categorize as dimensions, even when they are numeric. The green background and the axis help you to see that it's a continuous field. Tableau shows you a scatter plot—this is the default chart type when you put one measure on Rows and another on Columns. that some of these fields that Tableau has categorized as measures should actually be dimensions. Right-click (control-click on a Mac) the measure in the Data pane and select Convert In many cases, fields from the Dimension area will initially be discrete when you add them to a view, with a blue background. Click and drag the field from a measures area in the Data pane and drop it into a dimensions area. For example, in the following image, the blue bar actually extends to a value of 6.940 on the horizontal axis, not 7.0 exactly. To learn more about aggregation, see List of Predefined Aggregations in Tableau and Aggregate Functions in Tableau. For more on filtering various types of fields, see Drag dimensions, measures, and date fields to the Filters shelf (Link opens in a new window). When you drag a discrete dimension field to Rows or Columns, Tableau creates column or row headers. However, you might decide Continuous means "forming an unbroken whole, without interruption"; discrete means "individually separate and distinct.". You can see that it takes 48 teaspoons to make a cup, 2.4 cups to make an English pint, and so on. For details, see How to Disaggregate Data. You can use Excel’s CONVERT function to produce a conversion table containing every possible type of conversion that you need for a set of measures. For example, the row headers no longer include the sort and filter arrows, and structured references (references that use table names) that were used in formulas turn into regular cell references. For more information about how to show missing values, see Show or Hide Missing Values or Empty Rows and Columns. List of Predefined Aggregations in Tableau, Organize and Customize Fields in the Data Pane, Convert Fields between Discrete and Continuous, Show or Hide Missing Values or Empty Rows and Columns, Drag dimensions, measures, and date fields to the Filters shelf. If you place a field that you converted If the entire view is disaggregated, then by definition no field in the view is aggregated. For the codes located in the matrix column, lock the row reference. The process of adding dimensions to the view to increase the number of marks is known as setting the level of detail. All rights reserved. In cases where Tableau has misclassified a field as a dimension or a measure, possibly because of the data type, you can convert … You can use dimensions to categorize, segment, and reveal the details in your data. When you drop a Date field on Filters, the result can be a discrete filter or a continuous filter. The fields are both continuous, so along the bottom and left side of the view Tableau displays axes (and not column or row headers). There are multiple reasons why the number of marks could be lower. Dragging a dimension to a location on the Marks card such as Color or Size will also increase the number of marks, though it will not increase the number of headings in the view. The individual values for a discrete field become the row or column headings. The number of potential values for continuous fields is impossible to anticipate. When you drop a continuous field on Color, Tableau displays a quantitative legend with a continuous range of colors. Tableau displays an axis when you drag a continuous field to Rows or Columns. To treat Discount as a dimension, click the drop-down arrow on the field (on the Columns shelf) and select Dimension from the context menu. the field to a dimension. If a measure contains numbers that don't need to be aggregated (such as a field that contains date values), you may want to convert it to be a dimension. Postal codes are a classic example—they often consist entirely of numbers, but the information is categorical and not continuous—you would never want to aggregate postal codes by adding or averaging them. If you click the field and change it to Discrete, the values become column headers. For example, if you have a field named Ratings and the initial values are 1, 3, 3.5, 3.6, and 4, that's five distinct values. The view can now be considered complete: In some cases, adding a measure to the view can increase the number of marks in the view. The green background and aggregation function (in this case, SUM) help to indicate that it's a measure. Entering a CONVERT formula using “gallon” or “GAL” instead of the expected “gal” returns an error. Similarly, a If this is how you want to use age in your view, you can convert Dimensions affect the level of detail in the view. While there are value labels on a continuous axis (0, 0.5, ... 3.0 in the following image), actual marks don't have to align with these labels as they would with column headers. numerical information (that is, fields where the values are numbers) as measure fields in the Data pane. Tableau continues to aggregate values for the field, because even though the field is now discrete, it is still a measure, and Tableau aggregates measures by default. You can use Excel’s CONVERT function to produce a conversion table containing every possible type of conversion that you need for a set of measures. In the example on the right, the Quantity field has been set to Discrete. To increase the number of marks in this view from 57 to 60 in the view above, right-click (Control-click on a Mac) on one of the Date headers in the view and the date or bin The fact that a field contains numbers does not automatically indicate that those values are continuous. When you drag a measure into the view, Tableau applies an aggregation to that measure (by default). You can refer to Excel’s Help files on the CONVERT function to get a list of valid unit-of-measure conversion codes. To understand why adding dimensions increases the number of marks in the view, do the following: The status bar at the bottom of the Tableau window shows you that there are now three marks in the view: Those marks just contain placeholder text, Abc, because you are only building the view's structure at this point. Tableau treats the values as discrete. Depending on perspectives and roles, measures appear in the Field List with their associated table, and are available t… Green measures and dimensions are continuous. Continuous field values are treated as an infinite range. in Tableau because it contains numeric data. As you add dimensions to Rows or Columns, the number of marks in the view increases. For more details about aggregation, see Data Aggregation in Tableau. Now the view will contain a continuous axis instead of column or row headers, and the field's background will become green: Date dimensions can be discrete or continuous. For this Tableau If statement demonstration, we are going to use the data present in the Global Super Store Excel Worksheet so, Please refer Connecting to Excel Files in Tableau article to understand the connection settings. In Tableau, fields can be either continuous or discrete. area in the Data pane and drop it into a dimensions area. And if you then applied a filter that eliminated two of the initial values, the average would change as well, so that would be yet another value. When you drop a continuous measure on Filters, Tableau first prompts you to choose an aggregation for the filter, and then prompts you to specify how to filter the continuous range of values. When you have the codes you are interested in, you can enter them in a matrix-style table like the one you see in Figure 12-14. A visual cue that helps you know when a field is a measure is that the field is aggregated with a function, which is indicated with an abbreviation for the aggregation in the field name, such as: . In Tableau queries, dimensions in the view are expressed in SQL as "Group By" clauses. field containing individuals' ages may be categorized as a measure by default If Tableau assigns such a field as a measure to the Data pane, you should drag it to a dimensions area to change it to a dimension field. But if you drop Ratings on Rows, Tableau automatically aggregates that value as SUM (which you would then immediately change to AVG, because it's more logical to average grades than to add them), and that would then create a sixth value (3.02) that didn't exist until you added the field to the view. The transformation of Discount is now complete. Data fields But if you then also dropped Profit on Rows, the number of marks would increase to 114. In Tableau Desktop, cubes are supported only on Windows.) In the top-leftmost cell in your matrix, enter a formula that points to the appropriate conversion code for the matrix row and matrix column. Use your tableau.com(Link opens in a new window) account to sign in. When you drop a discrete field on Color in the Marks card, Tableau displays a categorical palette and assigns a color to each value of the field. Had there been a unique value for each row, which would not have been unusual for a numeric field, the number of individual bars in the resulting view would have been equal to the number of rows in the data source, which would probably not result in a useful visualization. For details on the many ways you can customize the fields in the Data pane, see Organize and Customize Fields in the Data Pane, Edit Default Settings for Fields, and Work with Data Fields in the Data Pane. For more information on dimensions and measures, see Dimensions and Measures, Blue and Green(Link opens in a new window). But this is not the same as changing the view's level of detail. You can change some measures from assigned a data type (such as integer, string, date), and a role: Discrete Dimension or Continuous Measure (more common), or Continuous Dimension or Discrete Measure (less common). These codes are very specific and must be entered in exactly the way Excel expects to see them. Right-click (control-click on a Mac) the measure in the Data pane and select Convert to Dimension . An axis is a measuring line that shows values between a minimum and a maximum. Please try again. Now there are 12 marks. The only thing left to do is to drag Sales to Label and then format the labels for readability. You should always check the aggregation and change it if necessary. Measures can be aggregated. At this point, you can simply copy your formula across the entire matrix. I’ve previously covered how to dynamically change the prefix and suffix of selected measures, how to automatically change number units (i.e. For instance, to convert 100 miles into kilometers, you can enter this formula to get the answer 160.93: You can use the following formula to convert 100 gallons into liters. Rulers and analog thermometers are examples of physical objects that display axes. In both examples, the Sales field is set to Continuous. instead of an axis. The number of potential values is, if not infinite, then certainly immense. Measures contain numeric, quantitative values that you can measure. Across the bottom, you now see column headers (0%, 10%, 20%, etc.) are made from the columns in your data source. headers and choose Show Missing Values. Continuous means "forming an unbroken whole, without interruption"; discrete means "individually separate and distinct.". There was an error submitting your feedback. And then if you changed the aggregation, ... You get the idea. Note: Table features are no longer available after you convert the table back to a range. For details on converting fields between continuous and discrete, see Convert Fields between Discrete and Continuous. The number of marks in the view is not guaranteed to correspond to the number you would get by multiplying the number of dimension values in each of the dimensions that make up the level of detail. The figure illustrates a conversion table created using nothing but Excel’s CONVERT function. How to Create a Conversion Table in Excel, Highlight Excel Cells Based on the Value of Another Cell, How to Switch Colors with Replace Color in Photoshop CS6, How to Soften Edges with Feathering in Adobe Photoshop CS6. But the values for Discount are still continuous, so Tableau still shows continuous axes for both fields: To complete the process, click the drop-down arrow on the Discount again and select Discrete from the context menu. Rectify this by dragging Sales to Text. The type of aggregation will vary depending on the type of view. This gives you the result 378.54: Notice the conversion codes for each unit of measure. When you drag a field from the Data pane to Columns or Rows, the values are continuous by default and Tableau creates an axis. © 2003-2020 Tableau Software LLC. In some cases you may want to add or average ages, but you might also want Some formats require additional settings.For example, if you select Scientific, you must also specifythe number of decimal places. With this table, you can get a quick view of the conversions from one unit of measure to another. Postal codes are the classic example: though they are often composed entirely of numbers, they are actually string values which shouldn't be added or averaged. Tableau must be able to show a range of actual and potential values, because in addition to the initial values in the data source, it is always possible that new values will emerge as you work with a continuous field in the view. Tableau represents data differently in the view depending on whether the field is discrete (blue), or continuous (green). After you drag a dimension to Rows or Columns, you can change the field to a measure just by clicking the field and choosing Measure. K, M, B), and how to display varying decimal places dependent on value size.. When you drag a continuous field from the Data pane to Rows or Columns, Tableau creates a continuous axis for that field. The absence of an aggregation function in the Quantity field name help to indicate that it's a dimension. Tableau shows headers at the bottom of the view, instead of a continuous axis. Select a number format. The level of detail in a view refers to how granular the data is given the dimension and measure data in the view. For more information about color palettes, see Color Palettes and Effects. To convert a measure to a dimension in the Data pane, do either of the following. For details, see "Change the default aggregation" in Edit Default Settings for Fields. All rights reserved. Sales values are no longer aggregated according to discount rate, resulting in a line chart instead of a scatter plot. The blue background and the horizontal headers help you to see that it's discrete. If a field contains values that are names, dates, or geographical locations—anything other than numbers—it is added as a dimension field in the Data pane when you first connect to a data source. The resulting chart is somewhat useful because there are only 12 unique values for Discount in the data source. To convert a measure to a dimension in the Data pane, do either of the following. Generally, discrete fields add headers to the view. It creates a vertical axis because it continuous and it's been added to the Rows shelf. For a discussion of the different types of aggregation Tableau can perform, see List of Predefined Aggregations in Tableau. You can see that it takes 48 teaspoons to make a cup, 2.4 cups to … Luckily, Excel provides a tooltip as you start entering your CONVERT function, letting you pick the correct unit codes from a list. When you drag a field from the Data pane to Columns or Rows, the values are discrete by default and Tableau creates column or row headers. The view you are aiming for looks like this: The Discount field contains numeric data, so when you connect to the data source, Tableau assigns it to the Measures area in the Data pane. When you connect to a new data source, Tableau assigns each field in the data source as dimension or measure in the Data pane, depending on the type of data the field contains. There was an error submitting your feedback. When you drag a measure to the view, it is aggregated by default. Watch a Video: To see related concepts demonstrated in Tableau, watch Understanding Pill Types(Link opens in a new window), a 5-minute free training video. Dimensions containing strings or Boolean values cannot be continuous. You use these fields to build views of your data. You can drag a measure field from the Data pane but then use it as a dimension in the view. It creates horizontal headers instead of an axis. You may work at a company where you need to know how many cubic yards can be covered by a gallon of material, or how many cups are needed to fill an Imperial Gallon. Adding a dimension to any of the following locations in Tableau affects the level of detail: The view now contains 57 separate instances of Abc—the view is all structure and no content. When you drop a discrete dimension field on the Filters shelf, Tableau prompts you to choose which "members" of the discrete field to include in the view. Note: With a cube (multidimensional) data source, Tableau aggregates Discount as AVG, and Sales as SUM. Blue measures and dimensions are discrete. People sometimes call these fields "pills", but we refer to them as "fields" in Tableau help documentation. Click and drag the field from a measures In addition to the formula, each measure has properties defined by the measure data type, such as Name, Table Detail, Format, and Decimal Places. For the codes located in the matrix row, lock the column reference. Dimensions contain qualitative values (such as names, dates, or geographical data). Three values in Segment multiplied by four values in Region is 12. In cases where Tableau has misclassified a field as a dimension or a measure, possibly because of the data type, you can convert it and change its role. The CONVERT function requires three arguments: a number value, the unit you’re converting from, and the unit you’re converting to. For related details, see Convert a Measure to a Dimension. If a field has values that are numbers that can be added, averaged, or otherwise aggregated, it is added as a measure field in the Data pane when you first connect to a data source. When you drop a continuous dimension on Filters (other than a Date), Tableau prompts you to specify how to filter the continuous range of values. When you first connect to a data source, Tableau assigns most fields that contain quantitative, The figure illustrates a conversion table created using nothing but Excel’s CONVERT function. You now see the bar chart as in the initial image at the beginning of this topic. You can convert a field from a measure to a dimension in the current view. the options for changing data roles are limited. Right-click the table, then in the shortcut menu, click Table > Convert to Range. Date dimensions and numeric dimensions can be discrete or continuous, and all measures can be discrete or continuous. to look at each individual age as a bin or category, in which case you want Tableau to create headers for this field rather than an axis. Because these types of values are never aggregated, no new field values are created as you work with your view, so there is no need for an axis. If you are using a multidimensional data source, fields are aggregated in the data source and measures fields in the view do not show that aggregation. When measures have been defined in a model, users can then add them to a report or PivotTable. Note: You can set the default aggregation and other properties and settings for fields. Discrete values are treated as finite. Be sure to include the absolute references necessary to lock the references to the conversion codes. Tableau no longer aggregates the values for Discount, so what you see now is a line. Tableau does not aggregate dimensions. © 2003-2020 Tableau Software LLC. In the example on the left (below), because the Quantity field is set to Continuous, it creates a horizontal axis along the bottom of the view. Measures can be based on standard aggregation functions, such as AVERAGE, COUNT, or SUM, or you can define your own formula by using DAX. from a measure to a dimension on a shelf, it now produces headers instead of an axis. continuous to discrete, but in general, you cannot change data roles for fields in cube data sources. Continuous and discrete are mathematical terms. Generally, continuous fields add axes to the view. If it was on the Columns shelf, it would create a horizontal axis. For example, suppose you want to know the aggregated sales totals for each possible discount rate. Tableau creates headers when you drag a discrete field to Columns or Rows. Tableau If Statement Example Tableau is assuming that the values are continuous. The total is now 57 marks (three segments by four regions by five years is 60, but there are three combinations of the dimensions in the view for which there is no data in the data source). For more information, see Filter dates (Link opens in a new window). With this table, you can get a quick view of the conversions from one unit of measure to another. For related details, see Cube Data Sources. Or, if you want the change to affect all future uses of the field in the workbook, you can convert a field in the Data pane from a measure to a dimension. There are many needs for conditionally formatting numbers in Tableau. Please try again. For example, if you dropped Sales on Rows in the view above, the number of marks would be 57. We could continue adding dimensions to Rows and Columns and observe as the number of total marks continues to increase. In the Sample - Superstore data source, which is included with Tableau Desktop, the values for Discount range from 0% to 80%. This table shows examples of what the different fields look like in the view. Continuous and discrete are mathematical terms. Each field is automatically