Tableau Prep Complete Tutorial

What is Tableau Prep?

ableau Prep is a data preparation and ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) tool developed by Tableau Software. It complements Tableau's data visualization capabilities by allowing users to clean, shape, and transform data from various sources before analysis and visualization. With Tableau Prep, data professionals and analysts can efficiently prepare their data for insights without relying heavily on IT or complex coding.

How to Use Tableau Prep?

Tableau Prep is a data preparation tool designed to streamline the process of cleaning, shaping, and transforming data before it is used for analysis and visualization in Tableau Desktop. With an intuitive visual interface, Tableau Prep empowers users to clean messy data, handle missing values, merge datasets, and perform various transformations without the need for complex coding.

1. Connect to Data Sources: To start using Tableau Prep, launch the application and connect to your data sources. Tableau Prep supports a wide range of data sources, including spreadsheets, databases, cloud platforms, and more. You can import data from multiple sources and even join or union them together.
2. Profile and Explore Data: Once your data sources are connected, Tableau Prep provides a data profiling feature that allows you to understand the quality and structure of your data. You can identify patterns, anomalies, and missing values, which helps you make informed decisions about data cleaning and transformation.
3. Data Cleaning and Transformation: Using the visual interface, you can perform a series of cleaning and transformation steps on your data. These steps include filtering rows, splitting and pivoting columns, replacing values, and removing duplicates. The flowchart-like design makes it easy to see the sequence of operations applied to your data.
4. Joining and Blending Data: If you're working with multiple datasets, Tableau Prep enables you to join, union, or cross-database join data sources. This allows you to combine data from different sources and create a unified dataset for analysis.
5. Aggregations and Calculations: You can create calculated fields in Tableau Prep to perform custom calculations on your data. Aggregations, calculations, and expressions can be added directly in the visual interface, giving you control over your data's transformation.
6. Preview and Validate: Throughout the data preparation process, you can preview the output of each step to ensure your transformations are yielding the desired results. This iterative approach helps you catch any errors or inconsistencies before proceeding.
7. Output and Export: Once your data is prepared, you can output it in various formats, such as CSV or Tableau Hyper. You can also directly publish the cleaned dataset to Tableau Server or Tableau Online for further analysis in Tableau Desktop.
8. Automation and Scheduling: Tableau Prep offers automation capabilities that allow you to create a repeatable flow of data preparation steps. This is particularly useful when dealing with regularly updated datasets. You can schedule the flow to run at specific intervals, ensuring your data is always up to date.

How Does it Store Data?

Storing data in Tableau involves connecting to data sources, importing data into Tableau, and creating data extracts or live connections to work with that data effectively. Below is a step-by-step tutorial on how to store data in Tableau:

1. Launch Tableau Desktop: Start by opening Tableau Desktop, the authoring tool for creating Tableau reports and visualizations.

2. Connect to Data Source:

   • Click on "Connect to Data" on the start page.
   • Choose your data source. Tableau supports a wide range of sources, including databases, spreadsheets, cloud services, and web data connectors.

3. Import Data:

   • Once you've selected your data source, you'll need to specify the connection details, such as server name, username, and password.
   • After connecting, you'll see a preview of your data. You can select specific tables or data subsets to import.

4. Data Preparation:

   • Tableau offers data preparation tools to clean, transform, and shape your data as needed. You can rename fields, create calculated fields, pivot data, and more.

5. Data Extracts vs. Live Connections:

   • Tableau gives you two primary options for storing data: Data Extracts and Live Connections.
   • Data Extracts: You can create an extract (a static snapshot) of your data to improve performance and work offline.
   • Live Connections: You can work with the data in real-time without creating extracts.

6. Creating Data Extracts:

   • To create a data extract, select "Data" from the top menu, and then choose "Extract Data."
   • Configure settings like filters, aggregation, and data limits.
   • Click "Extract" to save the data extract file (.hyper).

7. Creating Live Connections:

   • To create a live connection, simply use the data source you imported in step 3. Changes made in the data source will be reflected in Tableau in real-time.

8. Save Your Work:

   • Remember to save your Tableau workbook (.twb) or Tableau packaged workbook (.twbx) regularly to keep your data connections intact.

9. Build Visualizations:

   • Now that your data is in Tableau, you can start building visualizations like charts, graphs, and dashboards.

Tableau Prep Builder

Tableau Prep Builder is a data preparation and ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) tool developed by Tableau, a leading data visualization and analytics company. It is designed to help users clean, shape, and combine data from various sources, making it more suitable for analysis and visualization in Tableau Desktop or other analytics tools. Tableau Prep Builder offers a user-friendly, visual interface that simplifies data preparation tasks, such as data cleaning, joining, pivoting, and aggregating.

Capabilities of Tableau Prep Builder

Tableau Prep Builder is a powerful data preparation tool that complements Tableau's data visualization capabilities. With Tableau Prep Builder, users can connect to various data sources, transform and clean data, and prepare it for analysis. Its key capabilities include data profiling, cleaning, shaping, and combining data from different sources into a single cohesive dataset.

Data profiling allows users to gain insights into their data, such as identifying missing values, outliers, and data distributions. Cleaning features enable data cleansing, including handling duplicates, changing data types, and dealing with null values. Shaping tools help users pivot, split, and aggregate data to create the desired format, and the ability to join and union multiple data sources simplifies data integration.

Capabilities of Tableau Prep Builder are:

• Data Connection: Prep Builder connects to various data sources like databases, spreadsheets, cloud services, and more. This enables users to bring in data from multiple sources into a unified platform.
• Data Cleaning and Shaping: Users can effortlessly remove duplicates, filter, and pivot data The tool offers intuitive interfaces for reshaping data and handling null values.
• Join and Union: Combining data from different sources is simplified through join and union operations, allowing users to merge data with precision.
• Data Transformation: Prep Builder offers a wide range of data transformation options, including calculations, splitting columns, and data type conversions.

Tableau Prep Builder simplifies the data preparation phase, saving analysts significant time and effort. The tool offers a visual and interactive approach to data cleaning and transformation, reducing the reliance on complex coding.

The process begins with connecting to data sources, where Prep Builder intuitively guides users through the selection. The "Add Step" feature allows users to stack actions to the data, creating a flow that defines the sequence of data preparation steps. Users can clean data using profile cards that highlight data quality issues like missing values or outliers. The interface offers a comprehensive view of changes made, making it easy to track and revert changes if necessary.

Installations and Downloads

To embark on your Tableau Prep Builder journey, you need to follow these steps for installation and setup:

1. System Requirements:

   • Check the system requirements for your operating system on Tableau's official website.
   • Ensure your system meets the prerequisites to ensure smooth installation and performance.

2. Download Tableau Prep Builder:

   • Visit Tableau's official website or the Tableau Customer Portal.
   • Log in to your account and navigate to the download section.
   • Choose the version of Tableau Prep Builder that matches your operating system (Windows or macOS).

3. Installation:

   For Windows:

   • Double-click the downloaded .exe file.
   • Follow the on-screen instructions in the installation wizard.
   • Choose the installation location and select additional preferences.

   For macOS:

   • Open the downloaded .dmg file.
   • Drag and drop the Tableau Prep Builder icon into the Applications folder.

4. Activation and Licensing:

   • When you launch Tableau Prep Builder for the first time, you'll need to activate the software using your Tableau account or product key.
   • Follow the prompts to log in or enter your product key.

5. Getting Started:

   • Once activated, you can start using Tableau Prep Builder.
   • Explore the intuitive interface, connect to data sources, and begin creating data preparation flows.

6. Learning Resources:

   • Leverage Tableau's official documentation, online tutorials, and community forums to enhance your skills and troubleshoot any issues.
   • Remember that staying up-to-date with the latest versions of Tableau Prep Builder ensures access to new features, bug fixes, and performance enhancements. Regularly check Tableau's website for updates and announcements.

Tableau Prep Tutorial

Tableau Prep is a dynamic tool that empowers users to transform raw, messy data into structured formats suitable for analysis and visualization. This tutorial provides a comprehensive overview of Tableau Prep, guiding you through the process of connecting, cleaning, and shaping data to uncover valuable insights.

1. Getting Started: Begin by downloading and installing Tableau Prep from Tableau's official website. Ensure your system meets the minimum requirements. Once installed, launch the application and log in using your Tableau account credentials.
2. Connecting to Data Sources: Tableau Prep enables you to connect to a wide array of data sources, including spreadsheets, databases, cloud platforms, and more. Through a user-friendly interface, you can select your data source, establish the connection, and preview the data you'll be working with.
3. Understanding the Interface: Tableau Prep's interface is designed for simplicity and ease of use. The "Profile Cards" provide insights into the data quality, helping you identify issues like missing values or data outliers. The flow pane, resembling a canvas, allows you to visually structure your data preparation process.
4. Building Data Flows: Data preparation in Tableau Prep involves creating a series of connected actions known as "data flows." Each action represents a transformation step, such as filtering data, joining tables, or reformatting values. You can add, rearrange, and modify these actions to shape your data.
5. Data Cleaning and Transformation:
   • Cleaning Data: Utilize Tableau Prep's built-in data cleaning features to remove duplicates, handle null values, and filter out irrelevant data. The interface provides real-time feedback on the changes you make.
   • Joining and Unioning Data: Seamlessly combine data from multiple sources using join and union operations. Define the keys for joining tables and align data with precision.
   • Splitting and Pivoting: Split columns containing combined data into separate columns and pivot data to reshape it for analysis. These transformations are vital for achieving the desired data structure.
   • Data Type Conversion: Adjust data types to ensure consistency and proper analysis. Convert strings to numbers, dates, and other formats as needed.
6. Data Profiling and Validation: Tableau Prep assists in data quality validation. Profile cards display statistics and patterns, helping you make informed decisions while preparing your data. Additionally, the "Clean" step provides suggestions for potential data issues, simplifying your data validation process.
7. Preview and Review: Throughout the data preparation process, you can preview your changes in real-time to ensure accuracy. Tableau Prep allows you to spot check data, observe transformations, and verify the outcome before finalizing your flow.