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What is Tableau?

Tableau is a data visualization software with interactive dashboards which tells us about the storage of data. We can slice and dice our data in any way we like. Analysis can be done either through script or point and click. tableau free version uses Visual Query language called VizQL for exploring the large database. There are two versions of it; one is personal, and the other one is professional as the personal edition connects to 7 data sources, including Excel and CSV files. It imports from the data source from another workbook. With professional edition, hundreds of data sources are connected. It is compatible with Tableau Server and Online.

It has compatibility with different types of database (spreadsheet, Bigdata, access data warehouses, cloud applications, cloud databases). Cross-database joins are extremely powerful in the Tableau free version.

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Tableau’s actual process is to perform an analysis of data by visualization. Humans have used visualization to describe the data in different insights. Easy to use drag and drop interface. It is being used by data scientist, data analysts in many different industries. It allows business users to create their own reports in an easy manner by then reducing backlog reports.

Is Tableau Free?

It is an emerging BI tool in a growing market as users are demanding good data visualizations and dynamic access services. Yes, Tableau free version is the trial version which uses the tableau desktop. Tableau free version is not cost-effective for a small organization when creating data visualizations. Consumers can get the public version of the tableau desktop for a free license. It offers free versions of its proprietary solutions and satisfies business analysts. The free version of a desktop solution is named as tableau public. They use web connectors to connect database that publishes in HTML forms. It doesn’t need complex data sources.

Pros

  1. Speed: It analyses millions of rows with efficient speed to give the response in seconds; that is why the growing market puts Tableau in their ranking.
  2. Ease of use: customers don’t require any programming skills.
  3. Dashboard interactive: They give out dynamic results with rich graphics and charts.
  4. Easy sharing: The results are shared live on the web.

Cons

  1. It is not designed for broad business; the Tableau free version is modeled for small organizations.
  2. It doesn’t support statistical analysis like SAAS
  3. It doesn’t integrate social platforms. it supports only Microsoft Platform.

Why Visual Analytics?

Visual Analytics Reduces the time to insight.

They improve decision making to see easy summary reports and outliers.

Why do we care about Tableau?

  • The increase in the importance of Business Intelligence.
  • leads to better understanding, decision making
  • Developers implement interactive data visualizations in web applications.

There are 5 major tools here

  1. Tableau Desktop
  2. Online
  3. Server
  4. Reader
  5. Public

Desktop and Online are used to create different types of reports. The last three tools publish their reports without paying. The reports are saved as the workbook.

  • Tableau Reader: This is a free version that consumes Tableau desktop report.
  • Tableau Server: saves time when we have a large number of people devour the work. It is licensed in two ways: named user, core licensing. It creates a subscription that provides notifications when reports are published.
  • Tableau Public: It is limited to storage Space. Workbooks can be viewed by anyone. This has a premium version with subscriptions which is a fee-based service.

Tableau Online vs Tableau Server

Tableau online doesn’t need a server setup. It had the pricing of Explorer license and Viewer Licence. All the data of Online resides in Tableau Server are not on their own.

Starting with Tableau

Tableau free version software currently runs on Windows Environment. The first thing to do is connecting to data.

Connecting database with the tableau

The connection can be made through the local file or to the server. While in the process, data can have a Live Connection.

Here we use the database concept called joins with tables. We use joins when we make our initial data connection. Each table has a unique identifier that links the tables together. These identifiers are called as keys.

Example:

We can start our connection process to the spreadsheet.

In the connection menu -> select multiple tables and click on Add table button -> return Tab

Example 1

Tableau joins two tables: Joins are robust and persistent

  • Click join icon, displays join details such as inner, outer right, full outer.
  • Inner join gives the result that matches both left and right tables.
  • To use different field joining two fields: Click the attribute pull-down arrow as shown in above fig:

Blending data sources in Single Sheet

Blending has the ability to alter the primary data source for each work page.

There is two possible way in creating blend:

Automatic method

  • It works if both the data sources have the same field name.

Manually defining

  • It uses edit relationship mean to blend.

Tableau Filetypes

  • It uses edit relationship mean to blend.

Tableau Filetypes:

    1. Workbook(.twb)
    2. Data source(.tds)
    3. bookmark(.twb)

Building Visualization

Done by

  • Crosstables
  • Charts
  • Maps

Here comes the creation of charts in visual analytics. It is the process of gaining data in an interactive interface. They separate the data into Dimensions and Measures. Dimensions give text columns. Measures give us numeric values. Aggregation is done to aggregate data.

Example 2

Table Calculations

  • Calculated values are defined by formulas for ex: SUM. They are used to generate numbers, dates.
  • The elements required are:
  • Functions, fields, Operators.
  • The index function counts the position of a row or column in a set.

Using MAPS

They provide granular geographic details. We can create map Visualizations within a second. Geographic units include area code, city, country. Tableau uses detailed online maps. Tableau free version provides two types of maps for displaying data.

  • Symbol
  • Filled

Conclusion – Is Tableau free

The quality of data visualizations and self-service analytics makes the tableau free version so unique compared to other BI tools. Tableau free version takes only a minute to connect and extract data sets. It is designed in such a way where it doesn’t need IT intervention, which is made user-friendly. Every Functionality is possible using drag and drop. Tableau license is very expensive. If the license expires, the user cannot access the server.

Recommended Articles

This has been a guide to Is Tableau Free. Here we have discussed basic concepts about the Tableau free version, major tools and examples of the tableau. You may also look at the following articles –

  1. Tableau Interview Questions You Must Know
  2. Uses of Tableau
  3. Is Big Data a Database?
  4. Tableau Alternatives | Types
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