tableau think tank - result data · tableau’s approach: exponential smoothing you can forecast...

COPYRIGHT © 2014 RESULT DATA - All Rights Reserved

Tableau Think Tank

Tips, Tricks and Overview for the Ohio Tableau

Community


Table Calculations and ForecastingOutline

Quick Table Calculations

Computations Under the hood: Partitioning and Addressing

Secondary Table Calculations

Tableau’s Approach to Forecasting

Adding Forecasts and Forecast Details


Table CalculationsUnder the Hood: Partitioning and Addressing

• Table calculations are performed on a single measure in the view.

• The dimensions that define the part of the table you are applying the

calculation to (computing along) are called addressing fields.

• The dimensions that define how to group the calculation are

called partitioning fields.

• All dimensions must be used for either one or the other. We define the

addressing field, all others become partitioning fields.

Partition and Addressing fields are automatically chosen when we use

the quick computation options such as Table (across), Pane (Down),

etc…



This option sets the addressing to compute along the entire table moving

horizontally through each partition.

Addressing Fields: Category, Region

Partitioning Fields: Year and Quarter

Table (Across)



This option sets the addressing to compute along the entire table moving

vertically through each partition.

Addressing Fields: Year and Quarter

Partitioning Fields: Category and Region

Table (Down)



This option sets the addressing to compute across the entire table

horizontally and then down the table vertically.

Addressing Fields:

Partitioning Fields:

Table (Across then Down)

Category, Region, Year, Quarter

N/A



This option sets to compute across the pane horizontally. The fields that

span across the pane horizontally are the addressing fields. However, the

fields that separate the panes are now partitioning fields.

Addressing Fields:

Partitioning Fields:

Pane (Across)

Region

Category, Year, Quarter



This option sets the addressing to the individual cells in the table. All fields

become partitioning fields.

Addressing Fields: N/A

Partitioning Fields: Category, Region, Year, Quarter

Cell



The individual dimensions in the view are listed in the Table Calculation

dialog box. Use them to set the addressing to compute using the field you

specify.

The benefit of this option is that you get absolute control over how the

calculation will be computed—if you change the orientation of your view, the

table calculation will continue using the same fields for addressing and

partitioning.

Be careful though, because, addressing on an individual field means that

when you rearrange the table, the calculation may no longer match the table

structure.

Addressing Fields: Individual Field Chosen

Partitioning Fields: All Other Fields

Individual Field


ForecastingTableau’s Approach: Exponential Smoothing

You can forecast quantitative time-series data using exponential

smoothing models in Tableau Desktop.

With exponential smoothing, recent observations are given relatively more

weight than older observations.

These models capture the evolving trend or seasonality of your data and

extrapolate them into the future. Forecasting is fully automatic, yet

configurable.


ForecastingTableau’s Approach: Exponential Smoothing

Requirements: there must be at least one

date and one measure in the view.

In addition, the view cannot contain any of

the following:

Table calculations

Disaggregated measures

Percent calculations

Grand Totals or Subtotals

Date values with aggregation set to

Exact Date

tableau think tank - result data · tableau’s approach: exponential smoothing you can forecast...

Documents