Tableau User Group: One Unique Network and a Force Multiplier

One of the highlights of Alteryx is Data Connections. It can be relied upon to generate and handle your data connections from a central location. The user can access it using their username and password.

The main advantages of Alteryx that set it apart :

• • data connectivity is high
• • direct access to the data sources/ bases

With the help of the Manage Data Connections window, it is possible to:

• • view connections you have already created
• • view connections shared with you
• • add new connections.

3 Steps to Create and Manage Your Data Connections with Alteryx

1. Adding
2. Testing
3. Sharing

Let’s get to know the steps in detail:

1. To Add a Data Connection

If the user wants to add a data connection, select Add New Data Connection on the Data Connections page. Then from the Connection drop-down select the connection type.

2. Testing Data Connections

The second step is to test the data connections. A controller and two or more worker machines make up a multi-node setup of the Server. With this arrangement, the test functionality examines the connection on the controller machine rather than the individual worker computers. One should verify the identical database drivers and driver versions are installed on every system to make sure the connection will function on any of them. Connection Test Failures

The connection tests can fail due to multiple reasons. The user can save data connections even though they have failed the connection test.

These are the most typical causes of connection tests failing:

• • The server and database can be inaccessible to you in some circumstances. For instance, only the connection end user can access the server or database in certain cases.
• • Your ability to connect to the server or database may also be blocked by network security.
• • Sometimes the server is unable to connect to the host of the database server. At that time ping the database server host while logged into the server where Server is installed to check for network connectivity. The credentials for the database are incorrect or do not have the necessary access permissions. Get in touch with the database manager.
• • The database is unavailable. To ensure that the database is operational and performing as expected, get in touch with the database administrator.
• • The Server configuration you are using has several nodes.

3. To Share a Data Connection

After creating a Data Connection, go back to the Data Connections page to share it with users or custom groups for use in Designer.

Note: Keep in mind that you must connect with a Curator or the gallery administrator to make sure that they have access to the necessary data connections if you want to allow the workflow to be used by particular users or groups.

Follow the steps mentioned below to share a Data Connection:

• • Choose the shareable data connection by clicking the pencil icon on the Data Connections screen.
• • Select Users or Custom Groups on the Modify Data Connections screen.
• • Enter a user's or a group's name here.
• • Choose the user or the group.

The appropriate tab lists the individual, group, or studio that you are connected to. For more information on how users can access and manage shared connections in Designer, go to Input Data Tool and Manage Data Connections in the help section of Designer.

Note: Verify that the user's machine is installed with the same or a more recent version of the Microsoft SQL Server Native Client before initiating a Microsoft SQL Server connection. Go over to Troubleshooting.

a. Cancelling Access to a Data Connection
Choose the "x" icon next to a user's name to remove their access to a connection.

b. Modify a Data Connection

• 1. Choose the pencil icon on the Data Connections page.
• 2. Alter the Name or Connection String fields on the Modify Data Connections screen.
• 3. You can share the connection with people and groups using the Users or Custom Groups pages.
• 4. Choose Save.

4. Delete a Data Connection
1. Choose the trash can icon next to the connection name to remove the connection.

Tools in Alteryx Designer

Let’s have a look at the input tools available in Alteryx Designer:

1. Input Data Tool

By connecting the Input Data tool to a file or database, you can utilise it to add data to your workflow. This tool has a wide range of configuration possibilities.

2. Directory Tool

The Directory tool can be used to return a list of all the files present in the given directory. The tool returns file names along with additional details about each file, including file size, creation, and modification dates, and more.

3. Dynamic Input Tool

Using the Dynamic Input tool, it is possible to change file names, amend database queries, or alter input pathways that were created using data from your workflow are all possible If you're reading from a database, Alteryx will do it at runtime and will dynamically select which entries are read.

4. Connect In-DB Tool

When compared to conventional analysis techniques, the Connect In-Database tool can significantly enhance performance by allowing blending and analysis on large data sets without removing the data from the database.

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The Primary Means to Narrate Stories in Tableau

We can represent the visuals using the following three formats on Tableau:

1. Sheets: Spaces where we can build individual visuals are called sheets. A worksheet has a single view in its sidebar, as well as shelves, cards, legends, and the Data and Analytics panes. A workbook is a sheet file structure along the lines of Microsoft Excel. It includes sheets that can function as a worksheet, a dashboard, or even a story

Source: https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/inspectdata_describe.htm

2. Dashboards: Most commonly used reporting format, a dashboard is a layout where sheets are arranged in a meaningful manner. It is a collection of views that helps you to compare a variety of data at the same time. If you have a set of views that should be reviewed every day, then you can create a dashboard that displays all of the views at once rather than navigating to separate worksheets. Think of the efficiency gains that this can bring about.

Source: https://www.tableau.com/about/blog/2020/5/6-dashboards-tableau-partners-help-you-mitigate-covid-19

3. Story:Sheets or dashboards arranged in a sequence to convey information. A story is a collection of visuals that work together to convey information. Stories can be created to tell a data narrative, provide context, show how decisions affect outcomes, or simply make a compelling case.

Source: https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/stories

Default Charts in Tableau

Through a set of default charts created with Tableau, data sets can be displayed in a comprehensible way. Let's have a look at a few types of charts:

1. Area Chart:An area chart is a line chart with a colour shaded area between the line and the axis. These charts constitute the most common approach to illustrate stacked lines and are often used to represent accumulated totals over time.

Source: https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/qs_area_charts.htm

2. Bar Chart:Place a dimension on the Rows shelf and a measure on the Columns shelf to make a bar chart or vice versa. We may compare numerical data such as integers and percentages using bar charts. Each variable's value is represented by the length of each bar. Bar charts, for example, might demonstrate how much money a small business spends on various expenses.

Source: https://www.tableau.com/data-insights/reference-library/visual-analytics/charts/bar-charts

3. Box-and-whisker Plots:When demonstrating the distribution of data points across a specified metric, box-and-whisker plots, also known as box plots, are an excellent chart to employ. The ranges within the variables measured are represented in these graphs. These graphics are useful for comparing the distributions of multiple variables.

Source: https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_boxplot.htm

4. Bubble cloud: In bubble clouds, data is displayed in a cluster of circles. Individual bubbles are defined by dimensions, while individual circles are defined by measures. A bubble chart's design allows it to display multiple variables. Individual bubbles represent dimension field values, while measure field values define the size and colour of the bubble. As a result, we can examine a plot with at least three variables, one dimension and two measure fields.

Source: https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_bubbles.htm

5. Bullet Graph:Bullet graphs are a type of bar graph that was created to replace dashboard gauges and metres. When comparing the performance of a major metric to one or more other measures, a bullet graph is beneficial. A bullet graph can help you visualise your objective, the current data set, and past data sets; all in one visualisation if you have a target goal that you need to meet on a regular basis

Source: https://www.tableau.com/data-insights/reference-library/visual-analytics/charts/bullet-graph

6. Cartogram:Choropleth Maps, also known as Filled Maps, are a powerful tool for studying geographic data, especially for maps with a lot of detail (e.g., US by counties or ZIP codes). They make it simple to detect geographical hotspots and then drill down into these areas using several visualisation options.

Source: https://www.pluralsight.com/guides/build-filled-maps-in-tableau

7. Click View:The circle view is a useful representation for comparative analysis. It's the same as using the circle marker on a scatter plot. Every mark is in the shape of a circle and can be used for subsequent actions.

Source:https://interworks.com/blog/ccapitula/2014/10/17/tableau-essentials-chart-types-circle-view/

8. Gantt Chart:Gantt charts are used in project management to depict the length of time between events or activities. As a project management tool, it highlights the interdependencies between activities and illuminates the workflow timeline.

Source:https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_gantt.htm

9. Heat Map:In a heat map, data is displayed along with colours. Using one or more Dimensions members and the Measure value, a heat map can be created. Heat Map helps to compare data by colour. For example, how many products have failed to meet the company's expectations, and how many products have exceeded expectations, and so on.

Source:https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_highlight.htm

10. Histogram:A histogram is a graph that depicts a distribution's form. It divides values for a continuous metric into bins and segregates a set of data points into user-specified ranges. The histogram, which resembles a bar graph in appearance, condenses a data series into an easily interpreted visual by grouping many data points into logical ranges or bins.

Source: https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_histogram.htm

11. Scatter Plot (2D or 3D):Scatter plots are a type of graph that is used to show the correlations between numerical data. They are used to depict the link between three variables by plotting data points on three axes. Each column on the X, Y, and Z axes is represented by a marker, whose position is determined by the values in the columns.

Source: https://www.dataplusscience.com/TabCharts/scatterplotsize.html

12. Streamgraph:Streamgraph shows how a number value (Y-axis) changes in response to another numeric value (X-axis). It is a sort of stacked area chart. The relative proportions of the entire can be studied using a stream chart.

Source: https://greatified.com/2018/09/17/how-to-build-a-stream-graph-in-tableau-software/

13. Text Tables:Text tables (also called cross-tabs or pivot tables) are created by placing one dimension on the Rows shelf and another dimension on the Columns shelf. Then, on the Marks card, slide one or more measures to Text to complete the view.

Source: https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_text.htm#:~:text

14. Treemap:Treemaps are used to show data in the form of nested rectangles. Dimensions define the structure of the treemap, while measures define the size or colour of the individual rectangles. It is a simple data visualisation that can provide information in a visually appealing format.

Source: https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/buildexamples_treemap.htm

15. Word Cloud:The word cloud is an excellent visual for representing the frequency of words in a given volume of Text. In a word cloud, the most important or unique words from the data are arranged in groups. The main goal of making a word cloud is to provide the viewer with a quick understanding of the important and unique words in the data.

Source: https://www.edupristine.com/blog/creating-word-cloud-tableau

Custom Visuals in Tableau

Tableau also provides a range of custom visuals. Creating them is just a question of one's expertise in Tableau.

1. Dot Distribution Map: Maps that help to spot visual clusters are known as point or dot distribution maps. Dot distribution maps are excellent for displaying how data points are dispersed.

Source: https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/maps_howto_pointdistribution.htm

2. Network:Nodes and edges make up a network graph. By connecting nodes with similar features, network visualisations show relationships between items. A network graph is a type of data visualisation that allows consumers to quickly grasp data relationships. Nodes are single data points with edges connecting them to other nodes. The relationship between two or more nodes is represented by edges. This enables the user to easily visualise clusters and establish linkages.

Source: https://ladataviz.com/2019/12/15/build-a-network-graph-in-tableau-in-three-steps/

3. Polar Area:The Polar Area Chart, also known as the Coxcomb chart, resembles a pie chart except that all of the slices have the same angle and the length of the slice that extends spirally from the centre represents quantity.

Source: https://tableau.toanhoang.com/creating-a-polar-chart-in-tableau/

4. Radial Tree:A radial bar chart is a type of pie chart. Like a pie chart, it depicts the relationship of parts to the whole, but it can also include subcategories for each part of the total. Each category in the data series plotted in a radial bar chart is assigned a different colour, whereas all subcategories are assigned the same colour.

Source:https://boraberan.wordpress.com/2014/12/31/radial-treemaps-bar-charts-in-tableau/

5. Timeline:The timeline chart, as the name implies, depicts the significant events that occur in the month, year, or even day. The timeline can also be used as a calendar to display forthcoming events.

Source: https://playfairdata.com/how-to-make-a-timeline-in-tableau/