Tableau 10: Mastering Calculations

Course details

Tableau 10—the popular analytics and visualization tool—provides you with the ability to create powerful calculations. In this course, learn how to leverage this aspect of the platform, and start creating useful and powerful formulas in Tableau Desktop. Instructor Curt Frye begins by going into data types, conversions, and function syntax, and shares how to create a calculated field and an ad hoc calculation. He then covers how to summarize data using aggregate functions, explaining how to calculate the sum of a collection of values, as well as the average, minimum, and maximum of a set. He also discusses working with times and dates, creating conditional calculations, implementing level of detail expressions, and more.

Learning objectives
Defining data types and conversions
Defining function syntax in Tableau 10
Creating a calculated field
Creating an ad hoc calculation
Summarizing data using aggregate functions
Calculating values using number functions
Finding the absolute value or sign of a number
Working with times and dates
Creating IF THEN expressions
Managing null values using IFNULL and ISNULL
Creating level of detail expressions
Creating a quick table calculation
Converting and measuring strings

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome
02 - What you need to know
03 - Using the exercise files

1. Introducing Calculations in Tableau 10

04 - Define data types and conversions
05 - Define function syntax in Tableau 10
06 - Create calculations using arithmetic operators
07 - Use logical and comparison operators in calculations
08 - Create a calculated field
09 - Create an ad hoc calculation

2. Summarizing Data Using Aggregate Functions

10 - Calculate the sum of a collection of values
11 - Calculate the average, median, minimum, and maximum of a set of values
12 - Identify the percentile of a given value
13 - Find the variance and standard deviation of populations and samples
14 - Count all values or distinct values in a data set
15 - Find the value of an attribute

3. Calculating Values Using Number Functions

16 - Find the absolute value or sign of a number
17 - Round numbers up or down
18 - Find the integer and decimal components of a division operation
19 - Calculate the square or square root of a value
20 - Identify the larger or smaller of two values
21 - Return zero if a calculation includes a null value

4. Working with Times and Dates

22 - Return the current date or date and time
23 - Return the day, month, or year component of a date
24 - Identify part of a date using DATEPART
25 - Add or subtract intervals from dates
26 - Truncate a date
27 - Identify the earlier or later of two dates

5. Creating Conditional Calculations Using Logical Functions

28 - Create IF THEN expressions
29 - Create IF THEN ELSE and ELSE IF expressions
30 - Return true or false values using IIF
31 - Define multilevel conditions using CASE expressions
32 - Manage null values using IFNULL and ISNULL

6. Creating Level of Detail (LOD) Expressions

33 - Create a level of detail (LOD) expression
34 - Create level of detail expressions using FIXED
35 - Create level of detail expressions using INCLUDE
36 - Create level of detail expressions using EXCLUDE

7. Summarizing Data Using Table Calculations

37 - Create a quick table calculation
38 - Calculate a running total or moving average
39 - Add a secondary table calculation
40 - Rank table data
41 - Identify a table row using INDEX
42 - Count table rows from first or last row
43 - Look up values using PREVIOUS VALUE and LOOKUP
44 - Return the number of rows in the partition
45 - Summarize data within a defined window of rows

8. Managing Text Strings

46 - Convert and measure strings
47 - Find and replace text in a string
48 - Trim and pad strings
49 - Determine if a sequence occurs within a string
50 - Return characters from part of a string

Conclusion

51 - Next steps