Tableau Dataviz: Kickstarter
Kickstarter has been making waves in recent months as the premier place for crowd funding. Projects range from big to small, from purely entertainment to potentially life changing. There’s a lot to love about this dream factory. However, there’s been controversy as well. All projects are not always what they appear and some remain skeptical that lofty claims will not match […]
Using Tableau to wrangle data and other mysteries…
It should come as no surprise that data is not always as it seems. Well, maybe not that big of a surprise to the data analysts out there. After all, most of us are swimming in data. And it might not have had time to be ‘treated’ before it’s consumed. In our ‘always on’ world, […]
Proxying Tableau Server Content Using PHP and Trusted Tickets
It’s common for Tableau Server users to want to embed content into a separate web application while maintaining tight security restrictions. If you want your web application to handle all of the authentication, it’s possible to use the trusted ticket authentication system offered by Tableau Server. It’s important, however, to understand the request workflow that […]
Tableau Tip: How to Build a Combination Area Fill & Symbol Map Part 2 – Region Specific Displays
In my last post (Part 1) I showed you how to create a combination area fill & symbol map. Last week a client in Washington, DC asked me if it was possible to create these types of maps and display specific regional groupings of states. The answer is – yes. Your data must support that […]
Veeam 6.1 Upgrade and Results
Purpose of Article This article was created to show some of my initial impressions of Veeam 6.1, to show some screenshots of the interface changes between Veeam 6.0 and Veeam 6.1, and to show some of the results of some backups and replications. New Features Several new features were added into Veeam 6.1 such as […]
Increasing your data-pixel ratio in KPI lists
Building on the KPI tutorial from Tableau found here, I would like to add a neat trick to increase your data-pixel ratio and remove additional clutter from your KPI charts by using a custom shape. The premise is based on Stephen Few and Edward Tufte’s principle to reduce the redundant non-data pixels and increase the […]
Introduction to Loading Data into Teradata
Loading data into Teradata can be done quickly and fairly easily using the Teradata FastLoad utility, but the utility isn’t exactly friendly to new users. This article provides a quick introduction into the FastLoad utility, which is included in the free Teradata Tools & Utilities (TTU) package downloadable from teradata.com. FastLoad can do many more […]
Tableau Tip: Exploring the Built-In Geocoding System
Fresh off a West Coast swing that took me from the Central Valley to Silicon Valley and into San Francisco, I’m back in Oklahoma for Independence Day. This quick blog post explores a question that always comes up during Tableau Training sessions – “What locations can Tableau geocode using the built-in system?” We’re going to […]
Tableau Tip: Using Parameters & Table Calculations to Allow Users to Hide/Show Reference Lines
While in Chicago conducting a training last week a client asked me whether you can offer a hide/show option for reference lines on a published dashboard. My immediate thought was Tableau doesn’t have a native option to support this, but quickly my mind turned to how we can leverage parameters and table calculations to implement […]
Tableau Tip: How to Build a Combination Area Fill & Symbol Map Part 1
Last week, a client in Washington D.C. (and several clients before) have asked me about building combination maps that combine the new filled map style with the symbol map. This is not a Show Me option but is pretty easy to do once you understand the technique. We will be using the Superstore Sales Excel […]