Comments on: Tableau Tips – Building A Calendar-Based View

By: Sneak Peek! - Tableau Online » Instant Cognition

Sneak Peek! - Tableau Online » Instant Cognition — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:58:09 +0000

[...] in January, I published a post on how to create a calendar-based view in Tableau. At the time, I mentioned that it had created some buzz within the halls at Tableau-central and [...]

By: Clint

Clint — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:51:55 +0000

Michael,
thanks for the addition to the work. I can’t take credit for the DayCalc field though – that was one of Ty’s best contributions.

By: Michael W Cristiani

Michael W Cristiani — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:50:40 +0000

Earlier this week I posted this note on the Tableau blog regarding your calendar view, and wondered if you had any thoughts about it?

Here is an image of a variation on the theme. It illustrates the opportunity to fill cells conditionally based on the values in another field. In this case, the color of each day is based on a calculated field: [Day_color] = MAX([Region]). MAX(Region]) is now also part of Clint’s inventive/mind-blowing original [Day Calc] calculated field, which now reads:

str(MIN(DAY([Order Date])))+”

s: “+str(round(SUM([Sales]),2))+”
p: “+str(round(SUM([Profit]),2))+”
Max p: $”+str(round(max([Profit]),2))+”
“+str(max([Region]))

Best as I can tell, [Day Color] resolves to the [Region] with the MAXimum profit for the [Day] in question. If I am mistaken, it was worth a try. Otherwise, kewl!

This approach might be of some help to Jawon, in answering his question on the Tableau Desktop Basics Forum, which was:

“If I have a variable in the Text shelf, is there a way to conditionally format the background of a cell? For example, I have the State variable in the Text shelf. I want the cell background where State=”IL” to be red. Possible?”

Whaddyathink?

MANY BLESSINGS!
Peace and All Good!
Michael W Cristiani
Market Intelligence Group, LLC

By: Clint

Clint — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:20:42 +0000

Mmmmmm. yummy! We should host a contest for the best pie chart – made from pie!

By: Jacques Warren

Jacques Warren — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:01:13 +0000

I’m throwing cream pie charts at you!!

By: Clint

Clint — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 02:41:12 +0000

Hey Ellie! Thanks for the shout-out.
I’m not migrating users to a different view per se and here’s why:
1. The calendar is used in planning meetings and since these planning meetings tend to revolve around specific events, the calendar works well for that
2. In the next post I’ll discuss the interactive bits that Ty really shone on and we use more purist visualizations of the same/related data. So we have multiple views on the same data that is easy to get to and thus gives a more wholistic picture.
3. As a general principle, I look for visualizations that have the least friction (lower barrier to entry). In other words, bullet graphs are great but they require training someone how to view it. This often leads me to use visualizations that theorists and purists alike will often look down their nose on. I even use the dreaded pie chart (with restrictions) in some cases because a) every MBA in the world is comfortable with them and b) a high degree of accuracy is not required – used most often to answer “Bigger than a breadbox and smaller than a Volkswagon” type questions. (Ok so all you purists and theorists can go hog wild now – I can take it)

By: Ellie Fields

Ellie Fields — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:54:03 +0000

Hey Clint, great post! Thanks for stretching the software. Did you consider showing a different time-series view along with this and gradually working your users off calendars?

By the way we gave you a shout-out in our blog: http://www.tableausoftware.com/blog/calendar-data-visualization

By: Clint

Clint — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:13:23 +0000

Hey Ali – tons of nice features. Really like not being reliant on BI for quick investigation of data. There will definitely be more to come.

By: Ali Behnam

Ali Behnam — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:56:18 +0000

Nice post Clint. Tableau is a great tool and has a lot of nice features. Mix that with your creative and presentations skills and the combo will be really powerful. Keep it coming

By: Omomyid (Clint)

Omomyid (Clint) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:42:17 +0000

New at Instant Cognition: Tableau Tips: Creating A Calendar Based View – http://is.gd/eSiT

By: Clint

Clint — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:09:40 +0000

Hey Jacques! Yeah, color me converted! Thx. for the props. I am really enjoying Tableau. Can’t wait to get my hands on server

By: Jacques Warren

Jacques Warren — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:01:28 +0000

Hi Clint, I didn’t know you were a new Tableau convert. I love that product and I’m impressed (but not surprised!) with what you’re already able to do. Looking forward to your future posts about Tableau.