Learning Tableau? Here are 3 Concepts You Need to Know

These foundational concepts will help you master Tableau

Tableau Desktop is an analytics and visualization package that empowers many to explore, understand and present their data. It is easy to get started with Tableau, but you could also start on the wrong foot.

While it seems easy to use, with easy dragging and dropping that easily create charts almost magically, it can get confusing right away. The dragging and dropping can turn into many, many un-dragging and un-dropping, a string of clicks on the undo button (or Ctrl+Z if you’re into keyboard shortcuts), and possibly many headaches and frustration.

Here are 3 foundational concepts that I think you should master first to ensure your next steps are smoother

#1 Rows vs Columns

We also call these Rows shelf and Columns shelf. When you place a pill (or data field) to either of these, something will be drawn.

Here’s the thing — pay attention to the icons in the shelf. Look at the orientation of the little squares — these will help you determine how what you place there will be drawn.

Columns = Horizontal : Whatever you place in the Columns shelf will be drawn horizontally, or placed side by side.