Tableau Tip: Count Distincts with Google BigQuery
Tableau does a great job of connecting to a variety of databases, but it sometimes needs help on the database end to get the results we need to make hot visualizations. One such example showed itself when connecting to Google BigQuery. The issue? Count distincts. BigQuery doesn’t handle count distincts like one would expect. It gives a statistical approximation (inaccurate) result. […]
Tableau Server Permissions Demystified
I’ve had the pleasure of working with a large number of Tableau Server users and administrators, and by far the most common phrase I hear is “What the [expletive redacted] is up with permissions?!” Permissions in Tableau Server are very simple, given two conditions: Forget everything you know about any other permissioning system ever, and […]
Tableau Driver’s Ed: Building a Partnership
Tableau Driver’s Ed is a new blog series in which we explain InterWorks’ unique take on Tableau Drive, a new methodology for enabling self-serve BI in the enterprise. For the full list of posts, check out the Tableau Driver’s Ed channel. “The trouble with programmers is that you can never tell what a programmer is doing until it’s […]
The Tableau Performance Checklist: Calculations – Limit Blended Calculations
Next up on the list of ways to make your dashboards be the best they can be, we take a closer look at blended calculations: “Limit blended calculations. They require sequentially querying multiple data sources and can be time-consuming. Where possible, create a view on the database server.“ Occasionally, all of the information we need […]
InterWorks Snags Highest Spot Yet on “Best Places to Work in Oklahoma” List
We’re on a roll, people! For the fifth year running, InterWorks has placed in okc.BIZ’s “Best Places to Work in Oklahoma” list. But this year, things got even more special. We managed to claim the #3 spot in the Small/Medium category, the highest ranking we’ve received to date! View the full list of winners. How It […]
The Tableau Performance Checklist: Calculations – Use Calculated Fields Carefully
Let’s examine the following item on the checklist: “Use calculated fields carefully. Think about the data type as you code the calculation. Number and Boolean > date > string calculations when it comes to performance.“ This is another item that can quickly get you into performance trouble if you don’t exercise caution. Let’s dive right […]
Visualizing Data in My Sleep with Tableau
Quantified self visualizations predominantly focus on daytime activity, not sleep habits. Perhaps this is because it’s one of the most difficult things to accurately measure, or maybe it doesn’t seem like an interesting data set. But, anyone with a newborn in the house knows how sleep (or lack of it) can quickly become a major […]
The Tableau Performance Checklist: Custom SQL – Watch for Useless Clauses
Today we’re examining the following guideline: “Watch for useless clauses, e.g. ORDER BY. Tableau is going to re-sort the data once loaded anyway.“ Let’s get started! SQL Overview SQL, or Structured Query Language, is designed for managing data within a relational database. It is essentially composed of two parts: Data Definition Language (DDL) Data Manipulation […]
The Tableau Performance Checklist: Custom SQL – Avoid Parameters
Currently, we’re going through the best ways to employ custom SQL and what to avoid. Here’s what we’ll cover today: “Avoid parameters in custom SQL in Tableau. Tableau wraps the custom SQL in a subquery that many databases don’t handle well. Consider building a view in the database or use a multi-table join with filters.“ Let’s […]
The Tableau Conference 2015 Session Planner
The annual Tableau Conference (formerly known as TCC) is one of my favorite parts about working at InterWorks and being a part of the Tableau Community. I get to meet all sorts of new Tableau users and attend fascinating sessions and keynotes. Some of last year’s highlights included Neil deGrasse Tyson, Hans Rosling, Dr. John […]