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2. Split or Custom Split
Sometimes, it is easier to analyze a string fields if its values are separated into multiple fields. Use the Split and Custom Split commands to split string values from one field into multiple fields.
After you have set up the data source, you can have Tableau automatically split the field based on a common separator or do a custom split of a field by specifying the common separator and the number of fields. Or, if you have mixed separators in that field, you can use Additional function like REGEX_REPLACE, REGEX_MATCH, etc.
To use Split, click the drop-down of the column you want to split, and select Split. On the data source window, two columns display next to the split column OR in the Data pane, the split dimension displays as two fields.
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Split dimension (using Split or Custom Split) are calculated fields. They have the same characteristics and limitations of calculated fields:
➢ They are materialized in extracts.
➢ They can be used for blends, but cannot be used for joins.
➢ They are not available for Pivot / Unpivot functionally.
Use the Custom Split option when the column split you need is more complex, or when you want more control over how the column is separated. You can access Custom Split on the same menu as Split.
1. In the preview area, click the drop-down arrow next to the column name of the column you want to split. Select Custom Split.
2. In the Custom Split dialog box, specify the following:
• In the Use the separator box, enter the separator by which to separate the values in the field. The separator can be a character or a combination of characters or phrases.
• Under Split off, select whether to split the
string values for every instance (All) of the separator, the first (First) n instances of the separator, or the last n instances (Last) of the separator.
• Enter the number of fields you want to generate from the split.
Saving and Editing a Data Source
A Tableau data source is a file you can use to save any data attributes you have edited for a connected data source. For example, if you move a field from Measures to Dimensions, change a field’s alias, or
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Saved data sources also include parameters, calculated fields, groups, hierarchies, bins or sets you have created.
Why Save a Data Source ?
If you modify data attributes or add calculations to your workbook make your analysis easier, saving the data source means you don’t have to make those changes repeatedly across workbooks. You can connect to your saved data source, and you can also share it others in your organization.
Create a Tableau Data Source (.tds) File You can save the .tds file in two ways :
To Do This
Save the file locally for personal use
On the Data menu, select the connection you want to create as a data source, and choose Add to Saved Data Sources. Changes in the data source are not inherited.
Export to Tableau Server for work group sharing
On the Data menu, select the connection you want to share, and choose Publish to Server. Subsequent workbooks can inherit the data source changes.
The data source (.tds) file doesn’t contain data from your underlying source.
Sharing a Data Source
If you have Tableau Server, you can share a data source connection file (.tds file) with other users.
i. On the Data menu, select the data source you want to share, and choose Publish to Server.
ii. Name the data source → close the existing file → open a new workbook and connect to the Shared Data Connection you just created.
iii. Do one of the following :
To Do this
Save the file locally for personal use
On the Data menu, select the connection you want to create as a data source, and choose Add to Saved Data Sources. There is no inheritance for data changes.
To Do this
Create a local copy for editing from a file that is shared on Tableau Server
If you have access to a data source on Tableau Server, on the Data menu, right click on the Server connection, and choose Create Local Copy. This requires that you save a .tdsx file locally.
Publish to Tableau Server for work group sharing
1. On the Data menu, select the connection you want to share, and choose Publish to Server.
2. You may choose to overwrite the existing Data Source with the same exact name, or create a new source.
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Understanding Changes to Data
When the underlying data for your visualization changes, your visualization may be affected in different ways depending on how you connect to the data in Tableau and depending on what changes are taking place in the underlying data.
Impact of Data Connection Type
If you are using a live data connection, changes to the underlying data will be reflected when you open the visualization or refresh the data connection in a visualization that is already open. However if you are using a Tableau Extract, changes made to the underlying data are not reflected in the visualization until you refresh the extract.
To refresh a Data Connection
Right click the data connection in the Data pane and click Refresh.
Connecting Data in Tableau Online / Server
When you sign into your Tableau site and select New Workbook, the data connectors that are available to you are shown when you're in the Connect to Data window. You can upload files using the Files tab, connect to server or cloud data sources with Connectors, or use published data sources with on this Site. If you're signed into Tableau Online, Dashboard Starters are also available.
Connect Data on the web
Before you can create a new workbook and build a view on the web to analyze your data on the web, you need to connect to your data. Tableau supports connecting to data sources on the web published through Tableau Desktop, or, connecting to data directly through Tableau Online or Tableau Server.
To create a new workbook, sign into Tableau Online or Tableau Server.
In the Content tab, do either of the following:
✓ Go to the Projects section, select a project, and select New Workbook.
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A Connect to Data window opens, which contains several tabs: Files, Connectors, On this Site, and, if you’re connected to Tableau Online, Dashboard Starters.
As a Creator, you can create a new workbook or add a new data source to an existing workbook in several ways:
• Upload Excel or text-based data from the Files tab
• Connect to server or cloud data with Connectors
• Connect to published data sources with On This Site
• On Tableau Online, quickly author and analyze data from Oracle Eloqua, Salesforce, ServiceNow ITSM, and QuickBooks Online from the Dashboard Starters tab
Tableau supports uploading Excel or text-based data sources (.xlsx, .csv, .tsv) directly in your browser.
In the Files tab of the Connect to Data window, connect to an Excel or text file by dragging and dropping it into the field or clicking "Upload from computer."
Once you've connect to data in Tableau Online or Tableau Server, you can use the Data Source page to set up your data source and prepare your data for analysis. Having data that is formatted in a way Tableau likes is crucial to building a view or doing analysis in Tableau, and communicating the right information to the right people.
Note on keeping your data fresh: If you connect to a published flat file (Excel or text), that data will not be refreshed even if it’s modified. If your data is in an on-premises server and is published to the web through Tableau Desktop, it will be rendered as an extract and won’t be refreshed. If you need to keep data published through Tableau Desktop fresh on the web, you can use Tableau Bridge.
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Data Source Page
There are four parts of the data source page: