Tableau Prep Help

Last Updated 6/28/2023

Copyright © 2023 Tableau Software®. Legal & Privacy
Tableau Prep Help

Contents
New Features in Tableau Prep 1

Related resources 1

Get Started with Tableau Prep Builder 3

Sample files 3

Here's the story... 4

1. Connect to data 4

Check your work: Watch "Connect to data" in action. 9

2. Explore your data 9

3. Clean your data 11

Clean Orders_Central 11

Review your changes 17

Check your work: Watch "Clean Orders_Central" in action. 18

Clean Orders_East 18

Clean Orders_West 21

4. Combine your data 25

Union your data 25

Check your work: Watch "Union your data" in action. 30

Clean the product returns data 31

Join your data 36

Clean your join results 41

5. Run your flow and generate output 44

Wrap up and resources 47

About Tableau Prep 48

Using Tableau Prep 48

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Watch a video: See Tableau Prep Builder in action 50

51

A tour of the Tableau Prep workspace 51

Connections pane (1) 52

Flow pane (2) 53

Profile pane (3) 54

Data grid (4) 56

How Tableau Prep stores your data 56

Tableau Prep on the Web 57

Installation and Deployment 57

Sample data and processing limits 58

Available features on the web 58

Autosave and working with drafts 61

Publishing flows on the web 61

Embed credentials 61

Publish a flow 63

Who can do this 63

Tableau Prep Visual Dictionary 64

About Tableau Help 67

Addressing implicit bias in technical language 67

Start or Open a Data Flow 69

Start a new flow 69

Open an existing flow 73

Open a flow in Tableau Prep Builder 73

Open a flow in Tableau Prep on the web 74

Connect to Data 77

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Connect via built-in connectors for popular data types 77

Considerations when using built-in connectors 77

Tableau Prep Builder 78

Tableau Prep on the web 78

Connect to Salesforce Data Cloud 81

Configure SSL to connect to Google BigQuery (MacOS only) 81

Set up and manage your Google BigQuery credentials 82

Sign In using Service Account (JSON) file 83

Sign In using OAuth 83

Supported cleaning operations 86

Before you connect 86

Connect to spatial files 87

Before you connect 88

Connect using Other Databases (ODBC) 90

Connect using custom connectors 93

Use partner-built connectors 94

Connect to published data sources 94

About credentials and permissions: 95

Using published data sources in your flow 96

Connect to Virtual Connections 101

Considerations when connecting to virtual connections: 101

Connect to Tableau data extracts 104

Connect to data via Tableau Catalog 104

Other connection options 104

Use Custom SQL to connect to data 104

Use Initial SQL to query your connections 106

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Run Initial SQL 107

Include parameters in your Initial SQL statement 108

Configure your Data Set 108

Include row numbers from your data set 110

Add the Source Row Number field to your flow 111

Source Row Number details 112

Connect to a custom SQL query 112

Apply cleaning operations in an input step 113

Select fields to include in the flow 114

Apply filters to fields in the Input step 115

Apply a calculation filter 115

Apply a relative date filter 116

Change field names 117

Change data types 118

Configure field properties 119

Configure text settings in text files 120

Set your data sample size 120

Add More Data in the Input Step 121

Refresh input step data or change your connection 122

Refresh your data source 122

Replace your data source 123

Edit the connection 123

Replace the input connection 123

Union files and database tables in the Input step 125

Union files 126

Core filter criteria 126

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Additional filters 126

Create an input union 129

Union database tables 134

Merge fields after a union 136

Join data in the Input step 136

Build and Organize your Flow 139

Add or insert steps 139

Add steps 140

Insert steps 142

Group steps 146

Requirements to group steps 147

Create a group 147

Change the flow color scheme 149

Remove steps from the flow 150

Add descriptions to flow steps and cleaning actions 150

Add a description to flow steps 151

Add a description to a change entry 152

Reorganize the layout of your flow 155

Use the flow navigator tool 156

Examine Your Data 158

Review the data types assigned to your data 158

See size details about your data 159

See the distribution of values or unique values 161

Search for fields and values 163

Copy field values in the data grid 165

Sort values and fields 166

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Reorder fields 166

Highlight fields and values in a flow 168

Trace fields in a flow 168

See related values 168

Highlight identical values 169

Filter Your Data 169

Keep or remove fields 170

Hide fields 171

Hide and unhide fields 172

Filters available for each data type 174

Where are my filter options? 174

Calculation filter 175

Selected Values filter 176

Range of Values filter 176

Range of Dates filter 177

Relative Date filter 177

Wildcard Match filter 178

Null Values filter 178

Use Data Roles to Validate your Data 179

Assign standard data roles to your data 180

Create custom data roles 182

Requirements 183

Create a custom data role 183

Apply a custom data role 187

View and manage custom data roles 189

Group similar values by data role 190

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Create and Use Parameters in Flows 193

Where can I apply parameters? 194

Create user parameters 196

Change the user parameter default value 198

Edit user parameters 198

Reset user parameter default values 199

Apply parameters to your flow 201

Apply parameters to input steps 201

File name or file path 201

Database table 202

Custom SQL 203

Apply user parameters to output steps 203

File name or file path 204

Published data source name 204

Database table and Before and After Custom SQL 205

Apply system parameters to output steps 206

File name 206

Published data source name 207

Apply user parameters to filter calculations 208

Apply user parameters to calculated fields 208

Delete user parameters 209

Run flows with parameters 211

Run flows manually 212

Run flows on a schedule 213

Clean and Shape Data 215

About cleaning operations 215

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Available cleaning operations 215

Order of operations 217

Apply cleaning operations 219

Select your view 220

Pause data updates to boost performance 223

Apply cleaning operations 224

Rename fields in bulk 227

View your changes 229

Merge fields 231

Apply cleaning operations using recommendations 233

Apply recommendations 234

Edit field values 236

Edit a single value 236

Edit multiple values 237

Edit multiple values using quick cleaning operations 237

Group and edit multiple values inline 239

Replace one or more values with Null 239

Manually map multiple values to a standard value 240

Map multiple values to a single selected field 241

Create a group by selecting multiple values 241

Add and identify values that aren't in the data set 243

Automatically map values to a standard value using fuzzy match 245

Group similar values using fuzzy match 246

Adjust your results when grouping field values 248

Copy steps, actions and fields 250

Copy and paste steps 251

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Copy and paste cleaning operations 252

Copy fields 255

Create reusable flow steps 257

Create reusable steps 257

Insert reusable steps in a flow 258

Fill Gaps in Sequential Data 260

Generate new rows 261

Create Level of Detail, Rank, and Tile Calculations 263

Calculate level of detail 264

Create Level of Detail (LOD) calculations 265

Calculation editor 265

Visual calculation editor 266

Calculate rank or row number 268

Supported analytic functions 269

Create Rank or Row Number calculations 274

Calculation editor 274

Visual Calculation editor 278

Calculate tiles 281

Create Tile calculations 283

Visual Calculation editor 283

Calculation editor 286

Calculate Values Across Multiple Rows 288

Calculate Difference From 289

Visual calculation editor 289

Calculation editor 292

Calculate Percent Difference From 294

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Visual Calculation editor 294

Calculation editor 297

Calculate Moving Average or Sum 299

Visual Calculation editor 299

Calculation editor 303

Get Previous Value 305

Pivot Your Data 307

Pivot columns to rows 308

Watch "pivot on multiple field" in action. 311

Use wildcard search to pivot 311

Pivot rows to columns 313

Use R and Python scripts in your flow 316

Use R (Rserve) scripts in your flow 317

Prerequisites 318

Resources 318

Configure Rserve Server for Tableau Server 318

Additional Rserve configuration (optional) 319

Create your R script 320

Connect to your Rserve server 322

Add a script to your flow 323

Use Python scripts in your flow 325

Prerequisites 326

Configure the Tableau Python (TabPy) server for Tableau Server 326

Create your python script 327

Connect to your Tableau Python (TabPy) server 329

Add a script to your flow 330

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Aggregate, Join, or Union Data 334

Aggregate and group values 334

Join your data 335

Inspect the results of the join 338

Common join issues 340

Fix mismatched fields and more 341

Union your data 342

Inspect the results of the union 344

Fix fields that don’t match 345

Additional merge field options 348

Add Einstein Discovery Predictions to your flow 349

What is Einstein Discovery? 349

Prerequisites 350

Salesforce Requirements 350

Tableau Prep Requirements 351

Add prediction data to your flow 352

Reviewing your results 356

Save and Share Your Work 359

Save a flow 359

Automatically save your flows on the web 360

Automatic file recovery 361

View flow output in Tableau Desktop 362

Create data extract files and published data sources 363

Tableau Prep Builder 363

Tableau Prep Builder and on the web 364

Include parameters in your flow output 364

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Create an extract to a file 365

Create an extract to a Microsoft Excel Worksheet 366

Create a published data source 368

Save flow output data to external databases 370

Output options 371

Additional options 371

Supported databases and database requirements 372

Save flow data to a database 373

Save flow output data to Datasets in CRM Analytics 377

Prerequisites 378

Salesforce Requirements 378

Tableau Prep Requirements 379

Save flow data to CRM Analytics 379

Refresh Flow Data Using Incremental Refresh 381

Flow refresh options 382

Configure incremental refresh 383

Configure write options 386

Run your flow 388

Refresh flow output files from the command line 389

Before running the flow 390

Credentials .json file requirements 391

Version 2020.3.1 and later 392

Run flows that include parameter values 393

Examples 394

Connecting to a server connection 394

Connecting to a server connection and output to a database connection 395

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Flow includes Rserve and TabPy script connections and outputs to a database
connection 395

Connecting to and outputting to different database connections 396

Version 2020.2.3 and earlier 397

Examples 398

Connecting to a published data source 398

Connecting to two databases 399

Flow includes script steps for Rserve and TabPy and connects to a database 400

Tips for creating your credentials file 400

Run the flow 401

Run the flow with incremental refresh enabled 403

Command options 404

Syntax examples 406

The flow connects to and publishes to local files 407

The flow connects to and publishes to local files and uses the short form for
incremental refresh 407

The flow connects to databases and publishes to a server 408

The flow publishes to a server and the credentials file is stored on a network
share 408

Version Compatibility with Tableau Prep 409

Version number format 409

Finding your version 410

Compatibility between different versions of Tableau Prep Builder 412

Fix compatibility issues with Tableau Prep Builder 413

Compatibility between different versions of Tableau Prep Builder and Tableau Server 413

Detect incompatible features 413

Tableau Prep Builder (version 2020.1.1 and later) 414

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Tableau Prep Builder (version 2019.3.1 and later) 415

Tableau Prep Builder (all versions) 416

Fixing compatibility issues 418

Identify incompatible features 418

Remove incompatible features from the flow 420

Incompatible data sources 420

Incompatible features 420

Keep Flow Data Fresh 422

Run your Flow 425

Flow run options 425

Run flows manually 426

Publish a Flow to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud 428

Before you publish 428

Publish a flow from Tableau Prep Builder 432

Tableau Server 432

Files 434

Databases 437

Tableau Cloud 441

Files 442

Databases 443

Who can do this 448

Day in the Life Scenarios 449

Hospital Bed Use with Tableau Prep 449

The Data 450

Preliminary Analysis 450

Desired Data Structure 451

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Restructuring the Data 453

Bed Hour Matrix 453

Patient Bed Use 456

Analysis in Tableau Desktop 460

Recap and Resources 463

Finding the Second Date with Tableau Prep 464

The Data 465

Desired Data Structure 466

Restructuring the Data 467

Initial Aggregation for 1st Infraction Date 467

Second Aggregation for 2nd Infraction Date 471

Create full data sets for the 1st and 2nd infractions 473

Create the complete data set 475

Recap 476

Continue to Analysis with the Second Date in Tableau Desktop on page 1. 477

Analysis with the Second Date in Tableau Desktop 477

Analysis in Tableau Desktop 478

Go Further—Pivoted Data 485

The benefits of pivoted data 494

Go Further Still—Calculations Only 495

Reflection on Methods 501

Driver Infractions 501

Pivoted Driver Infractions 502

LOD Driver Infractions 502

Troubleshoot Tableau Prep Builder 505

Running LogShark 505

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Common errors when using the command line to run flows 505

Error: "These features were found that prevent this version of the application from
using this file" 510

Error: "You are using Server version: null..." when signing in to an SSL-enabled
Tableau Server using Tableau Prep 510

Maintain Licenses for Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep 511

View data about your license 511

Automatically refresh product keys using zero downtime licensing 513

Track Tableau Desktop license usage and expiration data 514

Additional resources 515

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New Features in Tableau Prep

Use the viz below to explore new features in Tableau Prep. Click on a feature to bring up the
tooltip with a link to detailed documentation for that feature. Explore the filters to refine your
search. Download the data to create a customized list.

l Use the Search by Feature dashboard to see a list of new features for a product or ver-
sion, or explore when a feature was released. The dashboard currently defaults to
Tableau Prep as the product (which includes Prep Builder and Prep Conductor features)
for the version Tableau Prep Builder.
l Use the Upgrade Prep dashboard to see a list of features specific to your upgrade. If
you publish flows to Tableau Server to run them on a schedule, some new features
require a minimum Tableau Server version to run. The view lists the minimum Tableau
Server version that supports scheduling the flows created in a specific version of Tableau
Prep Builder to help you quickly spot features with compatibility requirements.

Related resources
New Features

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Browse summaries of new features for currently supported versions.

All Known Issues | Downloads

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Get Started with Tableau Prep

Builder
Note: Starting in version 2020.4.1, as a Creator, you can also create and edit flows on
the web. This tutorial was designed using Tableau Prep Builder, but can also be done on
the web with some noted exceptions.

This tutorial introduces you to the common operations that are available in Tableau Prep. Using
the sample data sets that come with Tableau Prep, you will walk through creating a flow for
Sample Superstore. This tutorial uses the most current version of Tableau Prep Builder. If you
are using a previous version, your results may differ.

Watch for tips along the way to gain insights into how Tableau Prep helps you clean and shape
your data for analysis.

To install Tableau Prep Builder before continuing with this tutorial, see Install Tableau Desktop
or Tableau Prep Builder from the User Interface in the Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep
Builder Deployment guide. Otherwise you can download the free trial.

Sample files
To complete the tasks in this tutorial, you need to install Tableau Prep Builder, or if web
authoring is enabled on your server version 2020.4 or later, you can also try the steps on the
web.

After installing Tableau Prep Builder on your machine, you can also find the sample files in the
following location :

l (Windows) C:\Program Files\Tableau\Tableau Prep Builder <ver-

sion>\help\Samples\en_US\Superstore Files
l (Mac) /Applications/Tableau Prep Builder <ver-
sion>.app/Contents/help/Samples/en_US/Superstore Files

Alternatively, download the sample files from these links and create a Samples directory and a
South sub-directory. You'll need to do this if completing this tutorial on the web.

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Download to Samples directory Download to South Sub-directory

l Orders_Central l Orders_South_2015
l Orders_East l Orders_South_2016
l Orders_West l Orders_South_2017
l returns_reasons_new l Orders_South_2018

Here's the story...

You work at the headquarters for a large retail chain. Your boss wants to analyze product sales
and profits over the last four years for the company. You suggest that he use Tableau Desktop
to do that. Your boss thinks that's a great idea and wants you to get right on that.

As you start gathering all the data you'll need, you notice that the data has been collected and
tracked differently for each region. You also notice a lot of creative data entry in the different
files, and that one region even has a separate file for each year!

Before you can start analyzing the data in Tableau, you'll have to do some serious data
cleaning first, and it's going to be a long night.

As you rummage for restaurant menus to order some dinner, you remember that Tableau has
a product called Tableau Prep that might help you with your Herculean data cleaning tasks.

You download the product, or sign up for a free trial and decide to give it a try.

1. Connect to data
The first thing you see when you open Tableau Prep Builder is a Start page with a
Connections pane, just like Tableau Desktop.

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To get started, the first step is to connect to your data and create an Input step. From there you
will start building a workflow or "flow", as it's called in Tableau Prep, and add more steps to take
action on your data as you go.

Tip: The Input step is the ingestion point for your data and the starting point for your flow. You
can have multiple Input steps and some might include multiple data files. For more information
about connecting to data, see Connect to Data on page 77.

Your sales data files for the different regions are stored in different formats, and your orders
from the South are actually multiple files. You check out the Connections pane and see that
you have a lot of choices to connect to data. Great!

Since your other regions have one file for all four years worth of data, you decide to tackle the
files from the South first.

1. On the Connections pane, click the Add connection button.

In web authoring, from the Home page, click Create > Flow or from the Explore page,
click New > Flow. Then click Connect to Data.

2. The files are .csv files, so select Text file in the list of connections.

3. Navigate to the directory for your files. In the Orders South subdirectory, select the first
file orders_south_2015.csv and click Open to add it to your flow. (For file location, see

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Wrap up and resources on page 47.)

After you connect to your first file, the Tableau Prep Builder workspace opens and you
see it is divided into two main sections. The Flow pane at the top and the Input pane at
the bottom.

Much like Tableau Desktop, this Flow pane is your workspace, where you can interact
with your data visually and build your flow. The Input pane contains configuration
options about how the data is ingested. It also shows you the fields, data types, and
examples of your values from your data set.

We'll look at how you can interact with this data in the next section.

Tip: For single tables, Tableau Prep automatically creates an Input step for you in the
Flow pane when you add data to your flow. Otherwise you can use drag-and-drop to
add tables to the Flow pane.

4. You have three other files for your orders in the South, and how you combine them
depends on where you're working.

In Tableau Prep Builder:

a. You could add each file individually, but you want to combine all the files together
into one Input step, so you click the Tables tab in the Input pane.

b. You see an option for Union multiple tables. Select it.

You notice that the directory where you selected your file is already populated and
the other files you need are listed in the Included files section in the Input pane.

Tip: Using a wildcard union is a great way to connect to and combine multiple files
from a single data source with a similar name and structure. To use this option,
the files must be in the same parent or child directory. If you don't see the files you

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need right away, change your search criteria. For more information, see Union
files and database tables in the Input step on page 125.

c. Click Apply to add the data from these files to the orders_south_2015 input step.

d. The files for the other regions are all single table files, so you can select all of the
files at once and add them to your flow.

Note: On the web, files can only be uploaded individually.

In Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud:

The wildcard option isn't currently available for Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud. Still,
you want to include all of the files from the South and handle the data alike, so combining
them makes sense.
a. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to add the rest of the files from the Orders South sub-
directory.
b. Combine them with a union step. (For more details, see Union files and data-
base tables in the Input step on page 125.)

i. Drag Orders_South_2016 on top of Orders_South_2015 and drop it on

the Union option.

ii. Drag Orders_South_2017 on top of the new Union step and drop it on

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Add. Repeat this step with the final file.

5. Add the remaining files.

In Tableau Prep Builder:

l Open File Explorer or Finder and navigate to the directory for the files. Ctrl-click or

Cmd-click (MacOS) to select the following files and drag-and-drop them onto the
Flow pane to add them to your flow. (For file location, see Wrap up and
resources on page 47.)
l Orders_Central.csv

l Orders_East.xlsx

l Orders_West.csv

Note: These are different file types. If you don't see all of these files, make sure
your file explorer or finder is set to view all file types.

In Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud:

l Follow steps 2 and 3 to add Orders_Central.csv and Orders_West.csv.

l On the Connections pane, click the Add connection button. Click

Microsoft Excel and select Orders_East.xlsx.

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Check your work: Watch "Connect to data" in action.

Click the image to replay it

2. Explore your data

Now that you have the data files loaded into Tableau Prep, you're pretty sure that you want to
combine all of the files together. But before you do that, it might be a good idea to take a look at
them first and see if you can spot any issues.

When you select an Input step in the Flow pane, you can see the settings used to bring in the
data, the fields that are included, and a preview of your values.

This is a good place to decide how much data you want to include in your flow and remove or
filter fields that you don't want. You can also change any data types that were assigned
incorrectly.

Tip: If you are working with large data sets, Tableau Prep automatically brings in a sample of
the data to maximize performance. If you don't see the data you expect, you might need to
adjust the sample. You can do this on the Data Sample tab. For more information about
configuring your data options and sample size, see Set your data sample size on page 120.

In the Flow pane, as you select each step and look over each data set, you notice a few things
that you want to fix later and one thing that you can fix now in the Input step.

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l Select the Orders_West Input step.

l The State field uses abbreviations for the state name. Other files spell this out, so
you'll need to fix that later.

l There are a lot of fields that start with Right_. These fields appear to be
duplicates of the other fields. You don't want to include these duplicate fields in
your flow. This is something you can fix right here in the Input step:

To fix this now, clear the check box for all fields that start with Right_. This tells
Tableau Prep to ignore these fields and not to include them in the flow.

Tip: When you perform cleaning operations in a step, like removing fields,
Tableau Prep tracks your changes in the Changes pane and adds an annotation
(in the form of a little icon) in the Flow pane to help you keep track of the actions
you take on your data. For Input steps, an annotation is also added to each field.

l In the Flow pane, click the Orders_Central Input step to select it. In the Input pane,
you notice the following issues:

l The order dates and ship dates are separated out into fields for month, day, and
year.
l Some of the fields have different data types than the same fields in other files.

l There is no field for Region.

You'll need to do some cleaning on these fields before you can combine this file with the
others files. But you can't fix that here in the Input step, so you make a note to do this
later

l Select the Orders_East Input step.

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The fields in this file look like they align pretty well with the other files. But the Sales
values all seem to have the currency code included. You'll need to fix that later, too.

Now that you've identified a few troublemakers in your data sets, the next step is to examine
your data a bit more closely and clean up any issues that you find so that you can combine and
shape your data and generate an output file that you can use for analysis.

3. Clean your data

In Tableau Prep, examining and cleaning your data is an iterative process. After you decide on
the data set that you want to work with, the next step is to examine and take action on that data
by applying various cleaning, shaping, and combining operations to it. You apply these
operations by adding steps to your flow. For more information about cleaning options, see
Clean and Shape Data on page 215

Steps come in many flavors, depending on what you are trying to do. For example, add a
cleaning step any time you want to apply cleaning operations to your fields like filter, merge,
split, rename, and so on. Add an aggregation step to group and aggregate fields and change
the level of detail of your data. For more information about the different step types and their
uses, see Build and Organize your Flow on page 139.

Tip: As you add steps to your flow, a flow line is automatically added to connect the steps to one
another. You can move these flow lines around and remove or add them as needed.

When you run your flow, these connection points are required so Tableau Prep knows which
steps are connected and in which order the steps apply in the flow. If a flow line is missing, the
flow will be broken and you'll get an error.

Clean Orders_Central
To address the issues you noticed earlier and to see if there are any other issues, you start by
adding a cleaning step to the Orders_Central Input step.

1. In the Flow pane, select Orders_Central, do one of the following:

l Click the plus icon and add a cleaning step. Depending on your version, this
menu option is Add Step, Add Clean Step, or Clean Step.

l Click on the suggested clean step (Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.3.3 and

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later and on the web)

When you add a cleaning step to your flow, the workspace changes and you see the
details of your data.

A. Flow pane, B. Toolbar, C. Profile pane, D. Data grid

The workspace is now split into three parts: the Flow pane, the Profile pane with a
toolbar, and the Data grid.

The Profile pane shows you the structure of your data, summarizing the field values
into bins so that you can quickly see related values and spot outliers and null values. The
Data grid shows you the row level detail for your fields.

Tip: Each field in the Profile pane is shown on a profile card. Use the More options
menu (drop-down arrow in prior versions) on each card to see and select the different
cleaning options that are available for that field type. You can also sort the field values,
change the data type, assign a data role to the field or drag and drop the profile cards
and the columns in the Data grid to rearrange them.

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Clean data with calculated fields

This data set is missing a field for Region. Since the other data sets have this field you'll
need to add it so that you can combine your data later. You'll need to use a calculated
field to do this.

2. In the toolbar, click Create Calculated Field.

3. In the Calculation editor, name the calculated field Region. Then enter "Central"
(including the quotes) and click Save.

You love the flexibility of being able to use calculated fields to shape you data. You are
pleased to see that Tableau Prep uses the same calculation editor language as Tableau
Desktop.

Tip: When you make changes to your fields and values, Tableau Prep keeps track of
them in the Changes pane on the left. An icon (annotation) representing the change is
also added to the cleaning step in the flow and to the field in the Profile pane. We'll look
at the Changes pane after making more changes.

Next you want to address the separate order date and ship date fields. You want to
combine them into two single fields, one for Order Date and one for Ship Date so they
align with the same fields in the other data sets. Making sure your tables have the same
fields will enable you to combine the tables using a union later.

You can use a calculated field again to do this in one easy step.

4. In the toolbar, click Create Calculated Field to combine the Order Year, Order

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Month, and Order Day fields into one field with the format "MM/DD/YYYY".

5. In the Calculation editor, name the calculated field Order Date. Then enter the following
calculation and click Save:

MAKEDATE([Order Year],[Order Month],[Order Day])

Now that you have a new field for your order date, you want to remove the existing fields,
as you no longer need them.

You have a lot of fields in the Profile pane. You notice a Search box in the top right
corner on the toolbar. You wonder if you can use that to quickly find the fields that you
want to remove. You decide to give it a try.

6. In the Profile pane, in the search box, type Order.

Tableau Prep quickly scrolls all the fields with Order in the name into view. Cool!

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7. Ctrl-click or Cmd-click (MacOS) to select the fields for Order Year, Order Month, and
Order Day. Then right-click on the selected fields and select Remove (Remove Field in
prior versions) from the menu to remove them.

8. Now repeat steps 4 though 7 above to create a single field for Ship Date. Try it on your
own or use the steps below to help you.

l In the toolbar, click Create Calculated Field to combine the Ship Year, Ship
Month, and Ship Day fields into one field with the format "MM/DD/YYYY".

l Name the calculated field Ship Date and enter the calculation MAKEDATE
([Ship Year],[Ship Month],[Ship Day]). Then click Save.

l Remove the Ship Year, Ship Month, and Ship Day fields. Search for the fields,
select them, and select Remove (Remove Field in prior versions) from the menu
to remove the fields.

Tip: Tableau Prep summarizes the data in the Profile pane into bins to help you quickly
see the shape of your data, find outliers, spot relationships between fields, and so on.

In this scenario, the order and ship dates can now be summarized by year. Each bin
represents a year from January of the starting year to January of the following year and is
labeled accordingly. Because there are sales dates and ship dates that fall in the latter
part of 2018 and 2019, we get a bin for that data that is labeled with the ending year 2019
and 2020 accordingly.

To change this view to the actual dates, click the More options

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menu (drop-down arrow in prior versions) in the Profile card and select Detail.

Interact directly with fields to clean your data

Your data is starting to look good. But, as you finish removing the extra fields for the
order and ship dates, you notice that the Discounts field has a couple of issues.

l It's assigned to a String data type instead of a Number (decimal) data type.

l There's a field value None instead of a numeric value for no discount.

This will cause a problem when you combine the files, so you better fix that too.

9. Clear your search and enter disc in the search box to find the field.

10. Select the Discounts field, double-click the field value None, and change it to the
numeric value 0.

11. To change the data type for the Discount field from String to Number (decimal), click
Abc and select Number (decimal) from the drop-down menu.

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12. Finally name your step to help keep track of what you did in this step. In the Flow pane,
double-click the step name Clean 1 and type in Fix dates/field names.

Review your changes

You made a lot of changes to this data set and you start to worry that you won't remember
everything you did. As you look over your work, you see a column on the left of the Profile pane
called Changes.

You click the arrow to open it and are delighted to see a list of every change you just made. As
you scroll through the changes in the list, you notice that you can delete or edit your changes or
even move them around to change the order that you did them in.

You love that you can easily find the changes you made in any step as you build your flow and
experiment with the order of those changes to get the most out of your data.

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Check your work: Watch "Clean Orders_Central" in action.

Click the image to replay it

Now that you've cleaned one file, you take a look at the other files to see what other issues you
need to fix.

You decide to look at the Excel file for Orders_East next.

Clean Orders_East
As you look over the fields for the Orders_East file, most of the fields look like they align with
the other files, except for Sales. To take a closer look and see if there are any other issues to

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address, you add a cleaning step to the Orders_East Input step.

1. In the Flow pane, select Orders_East and do one of the following:

l Click the plus icon and add a clean step. Depending on your version, this menu
option is Add Step, Add Clean Step, or Clean Step.
l Click on the suggested clean step (Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.3.3 and
later and on the web).

Looking at the Sales field you quickly see that the USD currency code has been included
with the sales numbers, and Tableau Prep interpreted these field values as a string.

You'll need to remove the currency code from this field and change the data type if you
want to get accurate sales data.

Fixing the data type is easy, you already know how to do that. But there are over 2000
unique rows of sales data and fixing every individual row to remove the currency code
seems cumbersome.

But this is Tableau Prep, and you decide to check out the drop-down menu to see if there
is an option to fix this.

When you click the More options (drop-down arrow in prior versions) for the Sales
field, you see a menu option called Clean and an option under that to remove letters. You
decide to give that a try and see what it does.

2. Select the Sales field. Click the More options menu (drop-down arrow in prior
versions) and select Clean > Remove Letters.

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Wow! That cleaning option instantly removed the currency code from every field. Now
you just need to change the data type from String to Number (decimal) and this file is
looking good.

3. Click the data type for the Sales field and select Number (decimal) from the drop-
down list to change the data type.

4. The rest of the file looks pretty good. Name your cleaning step to keep track of your
work. For example, Change data type.

Next you look at your last file for Orders_West to see if there are any issues there that you
need to fix.

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Clean Orders_West
As you look over the fields for the Orders_West file, most of the fields look like they align with
the other files, but you remember seeing that the States field used abbreviations for the values
instead of spelling out the state name. To combine this file with the other files, you'll need to fix
this. So you add a cleaning step to the Orders_West Input step.

1. In the Flow pane, select Orders_West and do one of the following:

l Click the plus icon and add a clean step.

l Click on the suggested clean step (Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.3.3 and
later and on the web).

2. Scroll or use Search to find the State field.

You see that all the state name values use the short abbreviation. There are only 11
unique values for this field. You could manually change each one, but maybe Tableau
Prep has another way to do this?

You click the More options menu (drop-down arrow in prior releases) for the field and
see an option called Group Values (Group and Replace in previous versions). When
you select it you see several options:

l Manual Selection

l Pronunciation

l Common Characters
l Spelling

The state names don't sound alike, they aren't spelled incorrectly, and they don't share
the same characters, so you decide to try the Manual Selection option.

Tip: You can double-click a field name or field value to edit a single value. To edit multiple
values you can select all the values and use the right-click menu option Edit Values. But
when you want to map one or more values to specific values, use the Group Values
option in the drop-down menu.
For more information about editing and grouping values, see Edit field values on
page 236.

3. Select the State field. Click the drop-down arrow and select Group Values (Group and
Replace in previous versions) > Manual Selection.

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A two column card opens. This is the Group Values editor. The column on the left
shows the current field values and the column on the right shows the fields that are
available to map to the fields on the left.

You want to map your state abbreviations to the spelled out version of the state name,
but you don't have those values in the Orders_West data set. You wonder if you can
just edit the name directly and maybe add it there, so you give that a try.

4. In the Group Values editor in the left pane, double-click AZ to highlight the value and
type Arizona. Then press Enter to add your change.

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Tableau Prep created a mapped value for your new value Arizona and automatically
mapped the old value, AZ to it. Having a mapped relationship set up for these values will
save you time if you get more data from this region entered like this.

Tip: You can add field values that aren't in your data sample to set up mapping
relationships to organize your data. If you refresh your data source and new data is
added, you can add the new data to the mapping instead of manually fixing each value.

When you manually add a value that isn't in your data sample, the value is marked with a
red dot to help you easily identify it.

5. Repeat these steps to map each state to the spelled out version of its name.

Abbreviation State Name

AZ Arizona

CA California

CO Colorado

ID Idaho

MT Montana

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NM New Mexico

NV Nevada

OR Oregon

UT Utah

WA Washington

WY Wyoming

Then click Done to close the Group Values editor.

After all the states are mapped, you look at the Changes pane and see there is only one
entry there instead of 11.

Tableau Prep grouped similar actions for a field together. You like that because it will
make it easier to find changes you made to your data set later.

Fixing the State field values was the only change you needed to make here.

6. Name your cleaning step to keep track of your work. For example Rename states.

You've done a lot of clean up in your files, and you can't believe how quick and easy it was. You
might make it home for dinner after all! To make sure that you don't lose all of your work so far,
save your flow.

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Note: If working on the web, your changes are automatically saved as you go, creating a
draft flow. Click in the draft title to name your draft. For more information about authoring
on the web, see Tableau Prep on the Web in the Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud
help.

Click File > Save or File > Save As. Save your file as a flow file (.tfl) and give it a name. For
example, My Superstore.

Tip: When you save your flow files, you can either save them as a flow file (.tfl) or you can save
them as a packaged file (.tflx) and package your local data files with them to share the flow and
files with someone else. For more information about saving and sharing your flows, see Save
and Share Your Work on page 359.

4. Combine your data

Now that all the files are cleaned up, you are finally ready to combine them all.

Because all the files have similar fields after your clean up efforts, to pull all the rows together
into a single table, you need to union the tables.

You remember that there was a step option called Union, but you wonder if you can simply
drag and drop the steps to union them. You decide to try it and see.

Union your data

1. Follow the steps for where you are working.

Tableau Prep Builder

l In the Flow pane, drag the cleaning step Rename states on to the cleaning step
Changed data type step and drop it on the Union option.

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You see that Tableau Prep Builder added a new Union step to your flow. Great!
Now you want to add the other files to this union too.

Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud

l In the Flow pane, drag the cleaning step Rename states on to the Union step
you created earlier for your South files and drop it on the Add option.

You see that Tableau Prep added your new files to your previous union. Great!
Now you want to add the other files to this union too.

2. Drag the next cleaning step in the flow on to the Union step, then drop it on Add to add
it to the existing union.

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3. Drag the remaining step (orders_south_2015 Input step if working in Tableau Prep
Builder or your cleaning step if working on the web) to the new Union step. Drop it on
Add to add it to the existing union.

Now all of your files are combined into a single table. In the Flow pane, select the new
Union step to see your results.

On Tableau Prep Builder:

On Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud:

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You notice that Tableau automatically matched up the fields that had the same names
and types.

You also see that the colors assigned to the steps in the flow are used in the union
profiles to indicate where the field came from and also appear in the colored band
across the top of each field to show you if that field exists in that table.

You notice that a new field called Table Names was added that lists the tables where all
the rows in the union come from.

A list of mismatched fields also shows in the summary pane and you can see right away
that the fields Product and Discounts only appear in the Orders_Central file.

4. To take a closer look at these fields, in the Union Results pane, select the Show only
mismatched fields check box.

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Looking at the field data, you quickly see that the data is the same, but the field name is
different. You could simply rename the field, but you wonder if you could just drag and
drop these fields to merge them. You decide to try that and see.

5. Select the Product field and drag and drop it onto the Product Name field to merge the
fields. After the fields are merged, they no longer appear in the pane.

6. Repeat this step to merge the Discounts field with the Discount field.

The only field that doesn't have a match now is the File Paths field. In Tableau Prep
Builder, this field shows the file paths for the wildcard union that you did for your sales
orders from the South. You decide to leave this field there as it has good information.

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Tip: You have several options when fixing mismatched fields after a union. If Tableau
Prep detects a possible match, it will highlight it in yellow. To merge the fields hover over

the highlighted field and click the plus button that appears.

For more ways to merge fields in a union, see Fix fields that don’t match on
page 345.

7. Clear the Show only mismatched fields check box to show all the fields included in
the union.

8. Name your Union step to represent what this union includes work. For example, All
orders.

Check your work: Watch "Union your data" in action.

Click the image to replay it

You are a cleaning genius! As you are admiring your results, your boss calls. He forgot to
mention that he also wants you to include any product returns in your analysis. He hopes that
won't be too much trouble. With Tableau Prep in your toolkit, it's no problem at all!

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Clean the product returns data

You look over the Excel file that your boss sent you for product returns and it looks a little messy.
You add the new file return_reasons new to your flow to take a closer look.

1. In the Connections pane, click Add connection. Select Microsoft Excel and navigate
to the sample data files you've been using for this exercise. (See Sample files on page 3
to download the file.)

2. Select return reasons_new.xlsx, and then click Open to add the file to the flow pane.

There are only four fields that you want to include from this file in your flow: Order ID,
Product ID, Return Reason and Notes.

3. In the Input pane for returns_new clear the check box at the top of the left-most column
to clear all the check boxes. Then select the check box for the Order ID, Product ID,
Return Reason and Notes fields.

4. Rename the Input step to better reflect the data that is included in this input. In the Flow
pane, double-click the Input step name Returns_new and type in Returns (all).

Looking at the sample field values, you notice that the Notes field seems to have a lot of
different data combined together.

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You have some cleaning to do in this file before you can do any further work with the
data, so you add a cleaning step to check it out.

5. In the Flow pane, select the Input step Returns (all), click the plus icon or on the
suggested clean step to add a clean step.

In the Profile pane, re-size the Notes field so you can see the entries better. To do this,
click and drag the outer right edge of the field to the right.

6. In the Notes field, use the visual scroll bar to the right of the field values to scan the
values.

You notice a few things that are problematic:

l Some of the entries have an extra space in the entry. This can result in the field
being read as a null value.

l It looks like the name of the approver is included in the return notes entry. To
better work with this data you'll want that information in a separate field.

To tackle the extra spaces, you remember that there was a cleaning option to remove
trailing spaces, so you decide to try that to see if it can fix that problem.

7. Select the Notes field. Click the More options menu (drop-down arrow in prior
releases) and select Clean > Trim Spaces.

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Yes! It did exactly what you wanted it to do. The extra spaces are gone.

Next you want to create a separate field for the approver name. You see a Split Values
option in the menu, so you decide to try that.

8. Select the Notes field. Click the More options menu (drop-down arrow in prior
releases) and select Split Values > Automatic Split.

This option did exactly what you were hoping it would do. It automatically split the return
notes and the approver name into separate fields.

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Just like Tableau Desktop, Tableau Prep automatically assigned a name to those fields.
So you'll need to rename the new fields to something meaningful.

9. Select the field Notes-Split 1. Double-click in the field name and type Return Notes.

10. Repeat this step for the second field and rename it to Approver.

11. Finally remove the original Notes field, as you no longer need it. Select the Notes field,

click the More options menu (drop-down arrow in prior versions), and select
Remove (Remove Field in prior versions) from the menu.

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Looking at the new Approver field, you notice that the field values lists the same names
but they are entered differently. You want to group them to eliminate multiple variations of
the same value.

Maybe the Group Values (Group and Replace in prior versions) option can help with
that?

You remember there was an option for Common Characters. Since these values share
the same letters, you decide to try that.

12. Select the Approver field. Click the More options menu (drop-down arrow in prior
versions) and select Group Values (Group and Replace in prior versions) > Common
Characters.

This option grouped all of the variations of each name together for you. That's exactly
what you wanted to do.

After checking the other names to make sure they are grouped properly, you click Done
to close the Group Values editor.

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This file is looking pretty good.

13. Name your cleaning step to keep track of your work. For example Cleaned notes.

Now that the product return data is all cleaned up, you want to add this data to the orders data
from your unioned files. But many of these fields don't exist in the unioned files. To add these
fields (columns of data) to your unioned data set, you need to use a join.

Join your data

When you join data, the files must have at least one field in common. Your files share the
Order ID and Product ID fields, so you can join on those fields to see all the rows that have
those fields in common. You remember an option to create a join when you created your union
using drag and drop, so you give that a try.

1. In the Flow pane, drag the Cleaned notes step on to the All orders Union step and
drop it on Join.

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When you join files, Tableau Prep shows you the results of your join in the Join Profile.

Working with joins can be tricky. You often want to have a clear view of the factors that
are included in the join, such as the fields used to join the files, the number of rows
included in the results and any fields that aren't included or are null values.

As you review the results of the join in Tableau Prep, you are delighted to see so much
information and interactivity at your fingertips.

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Tip: The far left pane of the join profile is where you can explore and interact with your
join. You can also edit values directly in the Join Clauses panes and perform cleaning
operations in the Join Results pane.

Click in the Join Type diagram to try different join configurations and see the number of
rows included or excluded in your join for each table in the Summary of Join Results
section.

Select the fields that you want to join on in the Applied Join Clauses section or add
suggested join clauses from the Join Clause Recommendations section.

For more information about working with joins, see Aggregate, Join, or Union Data
on page 334.

You see that you have over 13,000 rows excluded from your All Orders files. When you
created your join, Tableau Prep automatically joined on the Product ID field, but you
also wanted to join on the Order ID field.

As you scan the left pane of the join profile, you see that Order ID is in the list of
recommended join clauses, so you quickly add it from there.

2. In the left pane of the Join profile, in the Join Clause Recommendations section,

select Order ID = Order ID and click the plus button to add the join clause.

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Because the Join Type is set to an inner join (the default setting for Tableau Prep), the
join is only including values that exist in both files. But you want all of the data from your
Orders files as well as the return data for those files. So you'll need to change the join
type.

3. In the Join Type section, click the side of the diagram to include all orders. In the
example below, click the left side of the diagram to change the join type to a Left join and
include all data from the All orders union step and any matching data from the Cleaned
notes step.

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Now you have all of the data from the sales order files and any return data that apply to
those orders. You review the Join Clauses pane and see the distinct values that don't
exist in the other file.

For example there are many order rows (shown in red) that have no corresponding
return data. You love being able to explore this level of detail about your join.

You're anxious to start analyzing this data in Tableau Desktop, but you notice a few
results from the join that you want to clean up before you do that. Good thing you know
what to do!

Tip: Wonder if your data is clean enough? From Tableau Prep Builder, you can preview
your data in Tableau Desktop from any step in your flow to check it out.

Just right-click on the step in the Flow pane and select Preview in Tableau Desktop
from the menu.

You can experiment with your data and any changes that you make in Tableau Desktop
won't write back to your data source in Tableau Prep Builder. For more information see
View flow output in Tableau Desktop on page 362.

4. Before you start cleaning your join results, name your Join step Orders+Returns and
save your flow.

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Clean your join results

Note: To clean up the fields in your join, you can perform cleaning operations directly in
the Join step. For the purposes of this tutorial we will add a cleaning step so you can
clearly see your cleaning operations. If you want to try performing these steps directly in
the join step skip steps 1 and 3 below.

When you joined the two steps, the common fields Order ID and Product ID were added for both
tables.

You want to keep the Product ID field from all of your orders and the Order ID field from the
returns file and remove the duplicate fields that came from those files. You also don't need the
File Paths and Table Names fields in your output file, so you want to remove those fields as
well.

Tip: When you join tables using fields that exist in both files, Tableau Prep brings in both fields
and renames the duplicate field from the second file by adding a "-1" or a "-2" to the field name.
For example Order ID and Order ID-1.

1. In the Flow pane, select Orders+Returns, click the plus icon, and add a clean step.

2. In the Profile pane, select and remove the following fields:

l Table Names

l Order ID

l File Paths (Tableau Prep Builder only)

l Product ID-1

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3. Rename the field Order ID-1 to Order ID.

You have quite a few null values where the product was returned but there was no return
note or approver indicated. To make this data easier to analyze, you want to add a field
with a value of Yes and No to indicate whether the product was returned.

You don't have this field, but you can add it by creating a calculated field.

4. In the toolbar, click Create Calculated Field.

5. Name the field Returned? and then enter the following calculation and click Save.

If ISNULL([Return Reason])=FALSE THEN "Yes" ELSE "No" END

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For your analysis you would also like to know the number of days it takes to ship an order,
but you don't have that field either.

You have all the information that you need to create it though, so you add another
calculated field to create it.

6. In the toolbar, click Create Calculated Field.

7. Name the field Days to Ship and then enter the following calculation and click Save.

DATEDIFF('day',[Order Date],[Ship Date])

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8. Name your step Clean Orders +Returns.

9. Save your flow.

5. Run your flow and generate output

Your data is looking good and you're ready to generate your output file to start analyzing it in
Tableau Desktop. All you need to do is run your flow and generate your extract file. To do this
you need to add an Output step.

Depending on where you're working, you can output your flow to a file (Tableau Prep Builder
only) , to a published data source or to a database.

1. In the Flow pane, select Clean Orders+Returns, click the plus icon and select
Output (Add Output in prior versions).

When you add an Output step, the Output pane opens and shows you a snapshot of
your data. Here you can select the type of output that you want to generate, and specify
the name and where you want to save the file.

The default location is in the My Tableau Prep Builder repository in your data sources
folder.

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2. In the left pane in the Save output to drop-down, depending on where you are working,
do one of the following:

Tableau Prep Builder

a. Select File (select Save to file in previous versions).
b. Click the Browse button, then in the Save Extract As dialog, enter a name for the
file, for example Orders_Returns_Superstore, and click Accept.

c. In the Output type field, select an output type. Select Tableau Data Extract
(.hyper) for Tableau Desktop or Comma Separated Values (.csv) if you want to
share the extract with a third party.

Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud

a. Select Published data source.
b. Select a project.

c. Enter a name for the file, for example Orders_Returns_Superstore.

Tip: You have choices when generating output from your flow. You can generate an
extract file (Tableau Prep Builder only), you can publish your data as a data source to
Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud or you can write your data to a database. For more
information about generating output files, see Create data extract files and
published data sources on page 363.

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3. In the Write Options section, view the options to write the new data to your files. You
want to use the default (Create table) and replace the table with your flow output, so
there is nothing to change here.

Tip: Starting in version 2020.2.1, you can choose how you want to write your flow data
back to your table. You can choose from two options; Create table or Append table.
By default, Tableau Prep uses the Create table option and overwrites your table data
with the new data when you run your flow. If you choose Append table, Tableau Prep
adds the flow data to the existing table so you can track both new and historical data on
every flow run. For more information, see Configure write options on page 386

4. In the Output pane, click Run Flow or click the Run Flow button in the flow pane to
generate your output.

Note: If you are working on the web, click Publish to publish your draft flow. Only
published flows can be run.

5. When the flow is finished running, a status dialog shows whether the flow ran
successfully and the time it took to run. Click Done to close the dialog.

If working on the web, navigate to the Explore>All Flows page, and find your flow. You
can see the status of your flow run on the Flow Overview page.

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To keep your data fresh, you can run the flow manually or use the command line. If you
have Data Management and have Tableau Prep Conductor enabled, you can also run
your flow on a schedule in Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud.

Starting in Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.2.1 and on the web, you can also choose
to refresh all your data every time the flow is run, or run your flow using incremental
refresh and process only your new data each time.

For more information about keeping your data fresh, see the following topics:
l Refresh flow output files from the command line on page 389
l Publish a Flow to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud on page 428
l Refresh Flow Data Using Incremental Refresh on page 381

Wrap up and resources

You are a data prep rock star! You took dirty data and transformed it with ease! In no time, you
cleaned and prepped your data from multiple data sets and turned it into a sleek, clean data set
that you can now work with in Tableau Desktop to do your analysis.

Want more practice? Try replicating the rest of the sample flow for Superstore using the data
files found here:

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l Orders_South_2015
l Orders_South_2016
l Orders_South_2017
l Orders_South_2018
l Orders_Central
l Orders_East
l Orders_West
l returns_reasons_new
l Quota

You can also find the files in the following location on your computer after installing Tableau
Prep Builder:

l (Windows) C:\Program Files\Tableau\Tableau Prep Builder <ver-

sion>\help\Samples\en_US\Superstore Files
l (Mac) /Applications/Tableau Prep Builder <ver-
sion>.app/Contents/help/Samples/en_US/Superstore Files

Want more training? Check out these great resources, or take an in-person training course.

Want more information about the topics we covered? Check out the other topics in the Tableau
Prep online help.

About Tableau Prep

Tableau Prep Builder is a tool in the Tableau product suite designed to make preparing your
data easy and intuitive. Use Tableau Prep Builder to combine, shape, and clean your data for
analysis in Tableau.

Note: Tableau Prep version 2019.1.2 had changed its name to Tableau Prep Builder
and refers to the Desktop application. Starting in version 2020.4, as a Creator, you can
also create and edit flows on Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud.

Using Tableau Prep

Start by connecting to your data from a variety of files, servers, or Tableau extracts. Connect to
and combine data from multiple data sources. Drag and drop or double-click to bring your

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tables into the flow pane, and then add flow steps where you can then use familiar operations
such as filter, split, rename, pivot, join, union and more to clean and shape your data.

Each step in the process is represented visually in a flow chart that you create and control.
Tableau Prep tracks each operation so that you can check your work and make changes at any
point in the flow.

When you are finished with your flow, run it to apply the operations to the entire data set.

Tableau Prep works seamlessly with other Tableau products. At any point in your flow, you can
create an extract of your data, publish your data source to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud,
publish your flow to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud to continue editing on the web or refresh
your data using a schedule. You can also open Tableau Desktop directly from within Tableau
Prep Builder to preview your data.

For information about installing Tableau Prep Builder, see Install Tableau Desktop or Tableau
Prep Builder in the Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Deployment Guide.

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Watch a video: See Tableau Prep Builder in action

Ready to try it out? From the Start page, click on one of the sample flows to explore and
experiment with the steps, try the Get Started with Tableau Prep Builder on page 3 hands-
on tutorial to learn how to create a flow or try stepping through one of our Day in the Life
Scenarios on page 449 using Tableau Prep Builder.

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Note: You can find the sample data files used in the flows in these locations:

l (Windows) C:\Program Files\Tableau\Tableau Prep Builder

<version>\help\Samples\en_US
l (Mac) /Applications/Tableau Prep Builder
<version>.app/Contents/help/Samples/en_US

To learn more about how Tableau Prep Builder optimizes your data for performance, see
Tableau Prep under the hood. To learn more about Tableau Prep and the different features
and functions it offers, review the topics in this guide.

A tour of the Tableau Prep workspace

The Tableau Prep workspace consists of the Connections pane (1) where you connect to
your data sources, and three coordinated areas that help you interact with and explore your
data:

l Flow pane (2): A visual representation of your operation steps as you prepare your data.
This is where you add steps to build your flow.

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l Profile pane (3): A summary of each field in your data sample. See the shape of your
data and quickly find outliers and null values.

l Data grid (4): The row level detail for your data.

After you connect to your data and begin building your flow, you add steps in the Flow pane.
These steps function as a lens into the structure of your data, as well as a summary of
operations that is applied to your data. Each step represents a different category of operations
that you define, all as part of your flow.

Connections pane (1)

On the left side of the workspace is the Connections pane, which shows the databases and
files you are connected to. Add connections to one or more data sources and then drag the
tables you want to work with into the Flow pane. For more information see Connect to Data
on page 77.

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You can minimize the Connections pane if you need more room in your workspace.

Flow pane (2)

At the top of the workspace is the Flow pane. This is where you'll build your flow. As you
connect to, clean, shape, and combine your data, steps appear in the Flow pane and align from
left to right along the top. These steps tell you what kind of operation is being applied, in what
order, and how your data is affected by it. For example, the Join step shows you which join type
you’ve applied, the join clauses, recommended join clauses, and the fields of the tables that are
included in the join.

You start your flow by dragging tables into the Flow pane. Here you can add additional data
sets, pivot your data, union or join data, create aggregations, and generate your flow output to a

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file (.hyper, .csv, .xlsx), published data source that you can use in Tableau, database or to
CRM Analytics. For more information about generating output files, see Save and Share
Your Work on page 359.

Note: If you make changes to the data while in Tableau Desktop, for example renaming
fields, changing data types, and so on, these changes aren’t written back to Tableau
Prep Builder.

Profile pane (3)

In the center of the workspace is the Profile pane. The Profile pane shows you the structure
of your data at any point in the flow. The structure of your data can be represented in different
ways depending on the operation you want to perform on your data or the step that you select
in the Flow pane.

At the top of the Profile pane is a toolbar that shows you the cleaning operations that you can
perform for each step in your flow.  An options menu also appears on each card in the Profile
pane where you can select the different operations that you can perform on the data.

For example:

l Search, sort, and split fields

l Filter, include, or exclude values

l Find and fix null values

l Rename fields

l Clean up data entry errors using group values or quick cleaning operations

l Use automatic data parse to change data types

l Rearrange the order of your field columns by dragging and dropping them where you

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want them

Select one or more field values in a Profile card and right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) to see
additional options to keep or exclude values, group selected values or replace values with Null.

Tableau Prep keeps track of any changes you make, in the order you make them, so you can
always go back and review or edit those changes if needed. Use drag and drop to re-order the
operations in the list to experiment and apply changes in a different order.

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Click the arrow on the upper right of the pane to expand and collapse the Changes pane for
more room to work with the data in the Profile pane.

For more information about applying cleaning operations to your data see Clean and Shape
Data on page 215.

Data grid (4)

At the bottom of the workspace is the Data grid, which shows you the row level detail in your
data. The values displayed in the Data grid reflect the operations defined in the Profile pane.
You can perform the same cleaning operations here as you can in the Profile pane if you prefer
to work at a more detailed level.

Click the Collapse Profiles icon on the toolbar to collapse (and expand) the Profile pane
to see your options.

How Tableau Prep stores your data

When you connect Tableau Prep to your data and create a flow, it stores the frequently used
data in a .hyper file. For large data sets, this might be a sample of the data. Any stored data is

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saved under a secure temporary file directory in a file named Prep BuilderXXXXX, where
XXXXX represents a universally unique identifier (UUID). After you save the flow, the file is
deleted. For more information about how Tableau Prep samples your data, see Set your data
sample size on page 120.

Tableau Prep Builder also saves data in the Tableau flow (.tfl) file to support the following
operations (which can capture entered data values):

l Custom SQL used in Input steps

l Filtering (on data entry)

l Group Values (on data entry)

l Calculations

Tableau Prep on the Web

Internet Explorer 11 on Windows and compatibility mode for Internet Explorer is not supported.

Starting in version 2020.4 ,Tableau Prep supports web authoring for flows. Now you can create
flows to clean and prepare your data using Tableau Prep Builder, Tableau Server, or Tableau
Cloud. You can also manually run flows on the web and the Data Management is not required.

While most of the same Tableau Prep Builder functionality is also supported on the web, there
are a few differences when creating and working with your flows.

Important: To create and edit flows on the web you must have a Creator license. Data
Management is only required if you want to run your flows on a schedule using Tableau Prep
Conductor. For more information about configuring and using Tableau Prep Conductor, see
Tableau Prep Conductor in the Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud help.

Installation and Deployment

To enable users to create and edit flows on the web, you'll need to configure several settings on
your server. For more information about each of these settings, see Create and Interact with
Flows on the Web.

l Web Authoring: Enabled by default, this option controls whether users can create and
edit flows on Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud.

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l Run Now: Controls whether users or only administrators can run flows manually using
the Run Now option. The Data Management isn't required to run flows manually on the
web.
l Tableau Prep Conductor: If Data Management is licensed, enable this option to let
users schedule and track flows.
l Tableau Prep Extensions (version 2021.2.0 and later): Controls whether users can
connect to Einstein Discovery to apply and run predictive models against data in their
flow.
l Autosave: Enabled by default, this feature automatically saves a user's flow work every
few seconds.

Sample data and processing limits

To maintain performance while working with flows on the web, limits are applied to the amount
of data you can include in a flow.

The following limits apply:

l When connecting to files, the maximum file size is 1GB.

l The data sampling option to include all data is not available. The default sample data
limit is 1 million rows.
l The maximum number of rows that a user can select when using large data sets is con-
figured by the administrator. As a user, you can select the number of rows up to that
limit.

For more information about setting your data sample, see Set your data sample size in the
Tableau Prep help.

Available features on the web

When you create and edit flows on the web you may notice a few differences in navigation and
the availability of certain features. While most features are available across all platforms, some
features are limited or not yet supported in Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud. The following
table identifies features where differences might apply.

Feature area Exceptions Tableau Tableau Tableau

Prep Server Cloud
Builder

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Connect to Data Some connectors may not be

supported on the web. Open
the Connect pane on your
server to see supported con-
nectors.

Build and Organ-

ize your Flow

Set your data In Tableau Server and Tableau

sample size Cloud, the data sample size is
subject to limits set by your
administrator

Union files and Input unions can't be edited or

database tables created in Tableau Server or
in the input step Tableau Cloud. Only in
Tableau Prep Builder.

Clean and Shape

Data

Copy data grid Available in Tableau Prep

values Builder and Tableau Server
starting in version 2022.3 and
Tableau Cloud starting in
2022.2 (August)

Aggregate, Join,
or Union Data

Use R and Script steps can't be added

Python Scripts in when creating or editing a flow
your Flow in Tableau Cloud. This is cur-
rently supported only in
Tableau Prep builder and
Tableau Server.

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Create reusable
flow steps

Automatically Not Applic-

save your flows able
on the web

Automatic file Not Applic- Not Applic-

recovery able able

View flow output

in Tableau
Desktop

Create an extract
to a file

Create an extract
to a Microsoft
Excel worksheet

Connect to a Cus-
tom SQL Query

Create a pub-
lished data
source

Save flow output

to external data-
bases

Add Einstein Dis-

covery Pre-
dictions to your
Flow

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Autosave and working with drafts

When you create or edit flows on the server, your work is automatically saved as a draft every
few seconds so that in the event of a crash, or when closing a tab by accident, you don't lose
your work.

Drafts are saved to the server and project you are signed into. You can't save or publish a draft
to another server, but you can save the flow to another project on that server using the File >
Publish As menu option.

Draft content can only be seen by you until you publish it. If you publish changes and need to
revert them, you can use the Revision History dialog to view and revert to a previously
published version. For more information about saving flows on the web, see Automatically save
your flows on the web.

Publishing flows on the web

Whether you create a flow from scratch on the web or edit an existing flow, before you can run
the flow you'll need to publish it.

l You can only publish draft flows to the same server you are signed into.
l You can publish a draft to a different project using the File menu and selecting Publish
As.
l You can embed credentials for your flow's database connections to enable the flow to run
without having to manually enter the credentials when the flow runs. If you open the flow
to edit it, you'll need to re-enter your credentials.

Embed credentials
Embedding credentials only applies to running flows on your server. Currently, you will manually
need to enter your credentials when editing a flow connected to a database. Embedding
credentials can only be set at the flow level and not at the server or site level.

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Do one of the following:

l From the top menu, select File > Connection Credentials > Embed in Published
Flow.

l When publishing a flow, select the Embed credentials check box. This option shows
when you select Publish As to publish the flow to a new project for the first time or when
you are editing a flow that was last published by someone else.

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Publish a flow
When you publish your flow, it becomes the current version of the flow and can be run and seen
by others who have access to your project. Flows that are never published or flow changes that
you make to a draft can only be seen by you until you publish the flow. For more information
about flow statuses, see Automatically save your flows on the web.

To publish your flow, do one of the following:

l From the top menu, select File > Publish or File > Publish As

l From the top bar, click the Publish button or click the drop arrow to select Publish As.

Who can do this

l Server Administrator, Site Administrator Creator, and Creator allow full connecting and
publishing access.
l Creator can perform web authoring tasks.

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Tableau Prep Visual Dictionary

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About Tableau Help

Addressing implicit bias in technical language

In an effort to align with one of our core company values, equality, we have changed
terminology to be more inclusive where possible. Because changing terms in certain places can
cause a breaking change, we maintain existing terminology in the following places:

l Tableau APIs: methods, parameters, and variables

l Tableau CLIs: commands and options

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l Tableau Resource Monitoring Tool installers, installation directories, and terms in con-
figuration files
l Third-party systems documentation

For more information about our ongoing effort to address implicit bias, see Salesforce
Updates Technical Language in Ongoing Effort to Address Implicit Bias on the Salesforce
website.

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Start or Open a Data Flow

To start preparing your data with Tableau Prep Builder, you can:

l Start a new flow

l Open an existing flow

Note: Starting in version 2020.4.1, you can also create and edit flows in Tableau Server
and Tableau Cloud. Information in this topic applies to all platforms, unless specifically
noted. For more information about authoring flows on the web, see Tableau Prep on
the Web in the Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud help.

You can open multiple Tableau Prep Builder workspaces to work on multiple flows at the same
time. In Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.3.1 and earlier, if you select File > Open, Tableau
Prep Builder replaces your current open flow with the new flow you select.

Start a new flow

Start a new flow by connecting to your data, just like in Tableau Desktop.

Notes: If you open a flow in a version where the connector isn't supported, the flow may
open but might have errors or won't run unless the data connections are removed.
Some connectors might require you to download and install a driver before you can
connect to your data. See the Driver Download page on the Tableau website to get driver
download links and installation instructions.

1. Open Tableau Prep Builder and click the Add connection button.

In web authoring, from the Home page, click Create > Flow or from the Explore page,
click New > Flow. Then click Connect to Data.

Starting in version 2021.4 if you have the Data Management with Catalog enabled, you
can also click New > Flow from the External Assets page on the web to create a flow
with a Catalog-supported connection. For more information, see Tableau Catalog in the
Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud help.

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2. From the list of connectors, select the file type or server that hosts your data. If
prompted, enter the information needed to sign in and access your data.

Note: In web authoring, the list of file connectors may differ.

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3. From the Connections pane, do one of the following:

l If you connected to a file, double-click or drag a table to the Flow pane to start
your flow. For single tables, Tableau Prep automatically creates an Input step for
you in the Flow pane when you add data to your flow.

Note: In web authoring, for file connections, you can only download the
files one at a time. Direct connections to a file network share isn't currently
supported.

l If you connected to a database, select a database or schema, and then double-

click or drag a table to the Flow pane to start your flow.

Note: In Tableau Prep Builder, you can union multiple files or database
tables from a single data source in the input step using a wildcard search.

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In web authoring you can't create or edit input unions but they are supported
in flows published from Tableau Prep Builder. For more information, see
Union files and database tables in the Input step on page 125.

Open an existing flow

In Tableau Prep Builder, you can see and access your most recent flows right on the Start page,
so it's easy to find your work in progress. When working with flows on the web, all your flows are
conveniently listed on the Explore page under the All Flows menu.Open a flow

Open a flow in Tableau Prep Builder

On the Start page do one of the following:

l Under Recent Flows, select a flow.

l Click Open a Flow to navigate to your flow file and open it.

After you connect to your data, use the different options in the Input step to identify the data that
you want to work with in your flow. Then you can add a cleaning step or other step type to
examine, clean, and shape your data.

When your flows include multiple data source connectors, Tableau Prep helps you easily see
which connectors and tables are associated with your Input steps. When you click on the Input
step, the associated connector and data table is highlighted in the Connections pane. This
option was added in Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.1.1 and is also supported when editing
flows on the web.

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Open a flow in Tableau Prep on the web

1. To open and edit an existing flow, on the Explore page select All Flows from the top
drop-down menu and select your flow from the list.

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2. On the Flow Overview page, click Edit to edit your flow.

Your flow will open in a new tab. As soon as you start making changes, Tableau will
automatically save your changes every few seconds and save your modified flow as a draft.
Drafts are only visible to you and your administrator.

When you're finished, you can close your flow and continue making changes later or publish
your flow to apply your changes, creating a new version of the flow.

Like other tools, flow publishing uses a first-in method. If another users modifies and
republishes the flow before you, their changes are committed first. But you can track and revert
to a previous version using the Revision History page. For more information, see Work with
Content Revisions in the Tableau Desktop help.

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Connect to Data
Tableau Prep helps you clean and shape your data for analysis. The first step in this process is
to identify the data you'll work with.

Note: Starting in version 2020.4.1, you can also create and edit flows in Tableau Server
and Tableau Cloud. Information in this topic applies to all platforms, unless specifically
noted. For more information about authoring flows on the web, see Tableau Prep on the
Web in the Tableau Server help.

You can connect to your data using any of the following:

l Built-in connectors for popular data types

l Custom connectors for other data types
l Published data sources
l Tableau data extracts
l Tableau Catalog

Connect via built-in connectors for popular data

types
The most common way to connect to data is to use the built-in connectors in Tableau Prep
Builder. These are available for most popular data types, and new connectors are added
frequently with new versions of Tableau Prep Builder. For a list of available connectors, open

Tableau Prep Builder or start a flow on the web, then click the Add connection button to
see available connectors listed under Connect in the left pane.

Most built-in connectors work the same across all of our platforms and are described in the
Supported Connectors topic in the Tableau Desktop Help.

Considerations when using built-in connectors

l If you open a flow in a version where the connector isn't supported, the flow may open but
might have errors or won't run unless the data connections are removed.

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l When using a MySQL-based connector, the default behavior is that the connection is
secure when SSL is enabled. However, Tableau Prep Builder does not support custom
certificate-based SSL connections for MySQL-based connectors.

l Some connectors, detailed in the sections below, have different requirements when
using them with Tableau Prep Builder.

Connect to cloud data sources via Tableau Server or Tableau

Cloud
You can connect to cloud data sources in Tableau Prep just like Tableau Desktop, but if you
plan to publish flows that connect to cloud data sources and run them on a schedule in your
server, you'll need to configure your credentials in Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud.

You set up your credentials in the Settings tab in the My Account Settings page and
connect to your cloud connector input using these same credentials.

Tableau Prep Builder

When publishing the flow, on the Publish dialog, click Edit to edit the connection, then in the
Authentication drop-down, select Embed <your credentials>.

You can also add credentials right from the publish dialog (Tableau Prep Builder version
2020.1.1 and later) when publishing your flow and then automatically embed them in your flow
when you publish. For more information, see Publish a flow from Tableau Prep Builder on
page 432.

If you don't have saved credentials set up and select Prompt user in the Authentication
drop-down, after you publish the flow you must edit the connection and enter your credentials
in the Connections tab in Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud or the flow will fail when run.

Tableau Prep on the web

In web authoring, you can embed credentials from the top menu under File > Connection
Credentials. For more information, see Publishing flows in the Tableau Server help.

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In Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.4.1, the following cloud connectors were added and are
also available when creating or editing flows on the web:

l Box
l DropBox
l Google Drive
l OneDrive

For more information about how to connect to your data using these connectors, see the
connector-specific help topic in the Tableau Desktop help.

Connect to Salesforce data

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.2.1 and later and when authoring flows on the
web starting in Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud version 2020.4.

Tableau Prep Builder supports connecting to data using the Salesforce connector, just like
Tableau Desktop, but with a few differences.

l Tableau Prep Builder supports any join type you want to do.
l Custom SQL can be created in Tableau Prep Builder 2022.1.1 or later. Flows that use
custom SQL can be run and existing steps can be edited in 2020.2.1 or later.
l Using a standard connection to create your own custom connection isn't currently sup-
ported.
l You can't change the default data source name to be something unique or custom.

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l If you plan to publish flows on Tableau Server and want to use saved credentials, the
server administrator must configure Tableau Server with an OAuth client ID and secret
on the connector. For more information, see Change Salesforce.com OAuth to Saved
Credentials in the Tableau Server help.
l To run incremental refresh on flow inputs that use the Salesforce connector, you must
be using Tableau Prep Builder version 2021.1.2 or later. For more information about
using incremental refresh, see Refresh Flow Data Using Incremental Refresh on
page 381.

Tableau Prep imports the data by creating an extract. Only extracts are currently supported for
Salesforce. The initial extract may take some time to load, depending on the amount of data
that is included. You will see a timer in the Input step while the data loads.

For general information about using the Salesforce connector, see Salesforce in the Tableau
Desktop and Web Authoring help.

Connect to the Salesforce Data Cloud

Tableau Prep Builder supports connecting to data using Salesforce Data Cloud. As of
February 14, 2023, Customer Data Platform is called Salesforce Data Cloud.

l As of Tableau release 2023.2 and Data Cloud Summer 23 release, Salesforce

introduces a new connector, Salesforce Data Cloud connector. The new Tableau
connector seamlessly connects Data Cloud and Tableau Prep. For Tableau Prep,
customers must have Prep Web Authoring, Conductor version 2023.2 or Prep Builder
2023.2.

Benefits of the Data Cloud Connector

l The new built-in connector eliminates the additional step to create a connected
app and install a JDBC driver.

l The connector is data spaces aware with improved usability that shows the object
label in Tableau connect UI instead of the object API name.

l The connector is powered by accelerated queries.

l Version 2021.4: The Salesforce_CDP.taco file is automatically installed.
l Versions 2021.1-2021.3: The Salesforce_CDP.taco file is required. See Connect
Tableau to Salesforce Data Cloud in the Tableau Desktop help for more information.

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Connect to Salesforce Data Cloud

The following steps are for version 2023.2. 

1. In the Connections pane select Salesforce Data Cloud from the Server connector list.

2. In the Salesforce Data Cloud dialog, click Sign In.

3. Sign in to Salesforce with your user name and password.

4. Select Allow.

5. Close the browser pane.

6. From Tableau Prep Builder, select a Data Space.

Tables that are associated with the selected Data Space are displayed.

Connect to Google BigQuery data

Tableau Prep Builder supports connecting to data using Google BigQuery, just like Tableau
Desktop.

You must configure credentials to enable Tableau Prep to communicate with Google BigQuery.
If you plan to publish flows to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud, OAuth connections must also
be configured for those applications.

Note: Tableau Prep doesn't currently support using Google BigQuery customization
attributes.

l Set up OAuth for Google - Configuring OAuth connections for Tableau Server.
l OAuth Connections - Configure OAuth connections for Tableau Cloud.

Configure SSL to connect to Google BigQuery (MacOS only)

If you are using Tableau Prep Builder on Mac and you are using a proxy to connect to Big
Query, you may need to modify the SSL configuration to connect to Google BigQuery

Note: No extra steps are required for Windows users.

To configure SSL for OAuth connections to Google BigQuery, complete the following steps:

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1. Export the SSL certificate for your proxy to a file, for example proxy.cer. You can find
your certificate in Applications > Utilities > Keychain Access >Sys-
tem > Certificates (under Category).

2. Locate the version of java that you are using to run Tableau Prep Builder. For example:
/Applications/Tableau Prep Builder
2020.4.app/Plugins/jre/lib/security/cacerts

3. Open the Terminal command prompt and run the following command for your Tableau
Prep Builder version:

Note: The keytool command must be run from the directory that contains the
version of java that you are using to run Tableau Prep Builder. You may have to
change directories before running this command. For example cd
/Users/tableau_user/Desktop/SSL.cer -keystore Tableau
Prep Builder 2020.1.1/Plugins/jre/bin. Then run the keytool
command.

keytool –import –trustcacerts –file /Users/tableau_

user/Desktop/SSL.cer -keystore Tableau Prep Builder
<version>/Plugins/jre/lib/security/cacerts -storepass
changeit

Example: keytool –import –trustcacerts –file /Users/tableau_

user/Desktop/SSL.cer -keystore Tableau Prep Builder
2020.4.1/Plugins/jre/lib/security/cacerts -storepass
changeit

If you get a FileNotFoundException (Access denied) when running the keytool command,
try running the command with elevated permissions. For example: sudo keytool –
import –trustcacerts –file /Users/tableau_user/Desktop/SSL.cer -
keystore Tableau Prep Builder
2020.4.1/Plugins/jre/lib/security/cacerts -storepass changeit.

Set up and manage your Google BigQuery credentials

The credentials that you use to connect to Google BigQuery in your Input step must match the
credentials that are set up in the Settings tab in the My Account Settings page for Google
BigQuery in Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud.

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If you select different credentials or no credentials in your authentication setting when

publishing your flow, the flow will fail with an authentication error until you edit the connection for
the flow in Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud.

To edit your credentials do the following:

1. In Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud, on the Connections tab, on the Google BigQuery

connection, click More actions .

2. Select Edit Connection.
3. Select the saved credentials that are set up in the Settings tab in the My Account Set-
tings page.

Sign In using Service Account (JSON) file

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2021.3.1 and later. Service Account access is not
available when authoring flows on the web.

1. Add a Service Account as a saved credential. For more information, see Change Google
OAuth to Saved Credentials.
2. Sign in to Google BigQuery using your email or phone number, then select Next.
3. In Authentication, select Sign In using Service Account (JSON) file.
4. Enter the file path or use the Browse button to search for it.
5. Click Sign In.
6. Enter your password to continue.
7. Select Accept to allow Tableau to access your Google BigQuery data. You will be promp-
ted to close the browser.

Sign In using OAuth

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.2.1 and later and when authoring flows on the
web starting in Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud version 2020.4.

1. Sign in to Google BigQuery using your email or phone number, and then select Next.
2. In Authentication, select Sign In using OAuth.
3. Click Sign In.
4. Enter your password to continue.
5. Select Accept to allow Tableau to access your Google BigQuery data. You will be promp-
ted to close the browser.

For more information about setting and managing your credentials, see the following topics:

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Manage Your Account Settings in the Tableau Desktop and Web Authoring help.

Publish a flow from Tableau Prep Builder on page 432 for information about setting
authentication options when publishing a flow.

View and resolve errors for information about resolving connection errors in Tableau Server or
Tableau Cloud.

Connect to SAP HANA data

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.2.1 and later and when authoring flows on
the web starting in Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud version 2020.4.

Tableau Prep Builder supports connecting to data using SAP HANA just like Tableau Desktop
but with a few differences.

Connect to the database using the same procedure you would use in Tableau Desktop. For
more information see SAP HANA. After you connect and search for your table, drag the table
to the canvas to begin building your flow.

Prompting for variables and parameters when opening a flow isn't supported in Tableau Prep.
Instead, in the Input pane, click the Variables and Parameters tab and select the variables
and operands you want to use, then select from a list of preset values or enter custom values
to query your database and return the values you need.

Note: Starting in Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.2.2 and on the web starting in
version 2020.4.1, you can use Initial SQL to query your connection. If you have multiple
values for a variable, you can select the value you need from a drop-down list.

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You can also add additional variables. Click the plus button in the Variables section and
select a variable and operand, then enter a custom value.

Note: This connector requires Tableau Server version 2019.2 and later to run the flow on
a schedule. If you are using an earlier server version, you can refresh the flow data using
the command line interface. For more information about running flows from the
command line see Refresh flow output files from the command line on page 389.
For more information about version compatibility, see Version Compatibility with
Tableau Prep on page 409.

Connect to Spatial files and databases

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Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.4.1 and later and when authoring flows on
the web starting in Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud version 2020.4.

You can connect to spatial files and spatial data sources in Tableau Prep Builder or when
creating or editing flows on the web.

Tableau Prep supports the following connection types:

l Spatial File formats

l Tableau Prep Builder: Esri Shapefiles, Esri File Geodatabases, KML, TopoJSON,

GeoJSON, extracts, MapInfo MID/MIF, TAB files, and zipped shapefiles.

l Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud: Zipped shapefiles, KML, TopoJSON,
GeoJSON, Esri File Geodatabases, and extracts.
l Spatial databases (Amazon Redshift, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and PostgreSQL).

You can also combine spatial tables with non-spatial tables using a standard join and output
spatial data to an extract (.hyper) file. Spatial functions, spatial joins through intersects, and
visualizing spatial data on a map view in Tableau Prep is not currently supported.

Supported cleaning operations

When working with shape file data, some cleaning operations are not supported. Only the
following cleaning operations are available in Tableau Prep when working with shape file data.

l Filters: Only to remove Null or unknown values

l Rename Field
l Duplicate Field
l Keep Only Field
l Remove Field
l Create Calculated Field

Before you connect

Before connecting to spatial files, makes sure the following files are in the same directory:

l Esri shapefiles: The folder must contain .shp, .shx, .dbf, and .prj files as well as .zip
files of the Esri shapefile.
l Esri File Geodatabases: The folder must contain the File Geodatabase's .gdb or the
.zip of the File Geodatabases’s .gdb.
l KML files: The folder must contain the .kml file. (No other files are required.)
l GeoJSON files: The folder must contain the .geojson file.(No other files are required.)

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l TopoJSON files: The folder must contain the .json or .topojson file. (No other files are
required.)

Connect to spatial files

1. Do one of the following:

l Open Tableau Prep Builder and click the Add connection button.
l Open Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud. From the Explore menu, click New >
Flow.

2. From the list of connectors, select Spatial file.

Spatial fields are assigned spatial data type and cannot be changed. If the fields come
from a spatial file, the field is assigned a default field name of "Geometry". If the fields
come from a spatial database, the database field names are shown. If Tableau can't
determine the type of data, the field shows as "Null".

Connect using ODBC

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.2.2 and later. This connector type is not yet
supported when authoring flows on the web.

If you need to connect to data sources that aren't listed in the Connections pane, you can
connect to any data source using the Other Databases (ODBC) connector that supports the

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SQL standard and implements the ODBC API. Connecting to data using the Other Databases
(ODBC) connector works similarly to how you might use it in Tableau Desktop, however there
are a few differences:

l You can only connect using the DSN (data source name ) option.

l To publish and run your flow in Tableau Server, the server must be configured using a
matching DSN.

Note: Running flows from the command line that include the Other Databases
(ODBC) connector isn't currently supported.

l There is a single connection experience for both Windows and MacOS. Prompting for
connection attributes for ODBC drivers (Windows) isn't supported.

l Only 64-bit drivers are supported by Tableau Prep Builder.

Before you connect

To connect to your data using the Other Databases (ODBC) connector, you must install the
database driver and set up and configure your DSN (data source name). To publish and run
flows to Tableau Server, the server must also be configured with a matching DSN.

Important: Tableau Prep Builder only supports 64-bit drivers. If you have a 32-bit driver
already set up and configured, you may need to uninstall it and then install the 64-bit version if
the driver doesn't allow both versions to be installed at the same time.

1. Create a DSN using either the ODBC Data Source Administrator (64-bit) (Windows)
or the using an ODBC Manager utility (MacOS).

If you don't have the utility installed on your Mac, you can download one from
(www.odbcmanager.net for example) or you can manually edit the odbc.ini file.

2. In the ODBC Data Source Administrator (64-bit) (Windows) or the ODBC Manager
utility (MacOS), add a new data source then select the driver for the data source then
click Finish.

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3. In the ODBC Driver Setup dialog, enter the configuration information such as server
name, port, user name and password. Click Test (if your dialog has that option) to verify
that your connection is set up correctly, then save your configuration.

Note: Tableau Prep Builder doesn't support prompting for connection attributes so
you must set this information when configuring the DNS.

This example shows the configuration dialog for a MySQL Connector.

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Connect using Other Databases (ODBC)

1. Open Tableau Prep Builder and click the Add connection button.

2. From the list of connectors, select Other Databases (ODBC).

3. In the Other Databases (ODBC) dialog, select a DSN from the drop-down list and
enter the user name and password. Then click Sign In.

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4. From the Connections pane, select your database from the drop-down list.

Connect to Microsoft Excel data and clean with Data

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Interpreter
Supported for direct Microsoft Excel connections only. Data Interpreter isn't currently available
for Excel files stored in cloud drives.

When working with Microsoft Excel files, you can use Data Interpreter to detect sub-tables in
your data as well as remove extraneous information to help prepare your data for analysis.
When you turn on Data Interpreter, it detects these sub-tables and lists them as new tables in
the Tables section of the Connections pane. You can then drag them into the Flow pane.

If you turn Data Interpreter off, these tables are removed from the Connectionspane. If these
tables are already used in the flow, this will result in flow errors from the missing data.

Note: Currently, Data Interpreter only detects sub-tables in your Excel spreadsheets
and doesn't support specifying the starting row for text files and spreadsheets. Also,
tables that Data Interpreter detected are not included in the Wildcard Union search
results.

The example below shows the results of using Data Interpreter on an Excel spreadsheet in the
Connections pane. Data Interpreter detected two additional sub-tables.

Before Data Interpreter After Data Interpreter

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To use Data Interpreter, complete the following steps:

1. Select Connect to Data then select Microsoft Excel.

2. Select your file and click Open.

3. Select the Use Data Interpreter check box.

4. Drag the new table to the Flow pane to include it in your flow. To remove the old table,
right-click the Input step for the old table and select Remove.

Connect using custom connectors

When Tableau Prep doesn't provide a built-in connector for your ODBC- and JDBC-based data,
you can use a custom connector. You can:

l Use a partner-built connector. For more information about connectors in the exchange,
see Use partner-built connectors on the next page.
l Use a custom connector built with the Tableau Connector SDK. The Connector
SDK provides tools to build a customized connector for ODBC- or JDBC-based data. For
more information, see Connectors Built with the Tableau Connector SDK in Tableau
Desktop help.

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Custom connectors for ODBC- and JDBC-based data are supported in Tableau Prep Builder
version 2020.4.1 and later.

Some custom connectors require the installation of an additional driver. If prompted during the
connection process, follow the prompts to download and install the required driver. Custom
connector currently cannot be used with Tableau Cloud.

Use partner-built connectors

Partner-built or other custom connectors are available from the Connect pane. These
connectors are listed under Additional Connections and are also available from the Tableau
Exchange connectors page.

1. Click Connections in the left pane.

2. From the Additional Connectors section in the Connect pane, click on the connector
you want to use.
3. Click Install and Restart Tableau.

After the connector is installed, it appears in the To a Server section of the Connect
pane.

Note: If you receive a warning that the connectors can’t load, install the .taco file you
need from the Tableau Exchange connectors page. If you are prompted to install the
drivers, go to Tableau Exchange for driver download instructions and locations.

Connect to published data sources

Published data sources are those you can share with others. When you want to make a data
source available to other users, you can publish it from Tableau Prep Builder (version 2019.3.1
and later) to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud, or as output from your flow.

You can use a published data source as an input data source for your flow, whether you are
working in Tableau Prep Builder or on the web.

Note: When you publish a flow that includes a published data source as an input, the
publisher is assigned as the default flow owner. When the flow runs, it uses the flow
owner for the Run As account. For more information about the Run As account, see

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Run As Service Account. Only the Site or Server Administrator can change the flow
owner in Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud and only to themselves.

Tableau Prep Builder supports:

l Published data sources with user filters or functions starting in Tableau Prep Builder ver-
sion 2021.1.3.
l Connections to a single server and site. Logging into a different server or the same
server and different site isn't supported. You must use the same server or site connection
to do the following:
l Connect to the published data source.

l Publish flow output to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud.

l Schedule the flow to run on Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud.

If your flow uses published data sources and you sign out of the server, this breaks the
flow connection. The flow will be in an error state and you won't be able to see the data
from the published data source in the profile pane or data grid.

Note: Tableau Prep Builder does not support published data sources that include multi-
dimensional (cube) data, multi-server connections, or published data sources with
related tables.

Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud supports:

l Published data sources with user filters or functions starting in Tableau Server and
Tableau Cloud version 2021.2.
l Creating or editing a flow on the web using a published data source (Tableau Server or
Tableau Cloud version 2020.4 and later)
l Connecting to published data sources (Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud version
2019.3 and later)

Note: Earlier versions of Tableau Server may not support all features of the published
data source.

About credentials and permissions:

l You must be assigned a role of Explorer or higher in the server site where you are signed
in to connect to published data sources. Only Creators can create or edit flows on the
web. For more information about site roles, see Set User's Site Roles in the Tableau

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Server help.
l In Tableau Prep Builder, data source access is authorized based on the identity of the
user signed into the server. You will see only the data to which you have access.

l In Prep web authoring (Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud), data source access is also
authorized based on the identity of the user signed into the server. You will see only the
data to which you have access.

However, when you run the flow manually or using a schedule, data source access is
authorized based on the identity of the flow owner. The last user to publish a flow
becomes the new flow owner.
l Site and Server Administrators can change the flow owner, but only to themselves.
l Credentials must be embedded to connect to the published data source.

Tip: If credentials aren't embedded for the data source, update the data source to
include the embedded credentials.

Using published data sources in your flow

To connect to a published data source and use it in your flow, follow the instructions for your
Tableau Prep version:

Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.2.2 and later and on the

web
You can connect to published data sources and more that are stored on Tableau Server or
Tableau Cloud directly from the Connect pane. If you have the Data Management with
Tableau Catalog enabled you can also search for and connect to databases and tables and
view or filter by meta data about the data sources, such as descriptions, data quality warnings,
and certifications.

For more information about Tableau Catalog, see "About Tableau Catalog" in the Tableau
Server or Tableau Cloud Help.

1. Open Tableau Prep Builder and click the Add connection button.

In web authoring, from the Home page, click Create > Flow or from the Explore page,
click New > Flow. Then click Connect to Data.

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2. On the Connect pane, under Search for Data, select Tableau Server.

3. Sign in to connect to your server or site.

In web authoring, the Search for data dialog opens for the sever you are signed into.

4. In the Search for Data dialog, search from a list of available published data sources.
Use the filter option to filter by connection type and certified data sources.

5. Select the data source you want to use, then click Connect.

If you don't have permission to connect to a data source, the row and the Connect
button is grayed out.

Note: The Content Type drop-down isn't shown if you don't have Data
Management with Tableau Catalog enabled. Only published data sources are
shown in the list.

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6. The data source is added to the Flow pane. In the Connections pane, you can select
additional data sources or use the search option to find your data source and drag it to
the flow pane to build your flow. The Tableau Server tab in the Input pane shows
details about the published data source.

7. (Optional) If you have Data Management with Tableau Catalog enabled, use the
Content Type drop-down to search for databases and tables.

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You can use the filter option in the top right corner to filter your results by connection type,
data quality warnings, and certifications.

Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.2.1 and earlier

1. Open Tableau Prep Builder and click the Add connection button.

2. From the list of connectors, select Tableau Server.

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3. Sign in to connect to your server or site.

4. Select your data source or use the search option to find your data source and drag it to
the flow pane to start your flow. The Tableau Server tab in the Input pane shows details
about the published data source.

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Connect to Virtual Connections

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2021.4.1 and later and in Tableau Server and
Tableau Cloud version 2021.4 and later. Data Management is required to use this feature.

You can connect to data using virtual connections for your flows. Virtual connections are a
sharable resource that provides a central access point to data. Simply sign into your server and
select from the list of virtual connections in the Search for Data dialog.

Considerations when connecting to virtual connections:

l Database credentials are embedded in the virtual connection. You only need to sign into
your server to access the tables in the virtual connection.

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l Data policies that apply row-level security can be included in the virtual connection. Only
tables, fields, and values you have access to are shown when working with and running
your flows.
l Row-level security in virtual connections does not apply to flow output. All users with
access to the flow output see the same data.
l Custom SQL and Initial SQL are not supported.
l Parameters are not supported. For more information about using parameters in your
flow, see Create and Use Parameters in Flows on page 193.

For more information about virtual connections and data policies, see the Tableau Server or
Tableau Cloud help.

1. Open Tableau Prep Builder and click the Add connection button.

In web authoring, from the Home page, click Create > Flow or from the Explore page,
click New > Flow. Then click Connect to Data.

2. On the Connect pane, under Search for Data, select Tableau Server.

3. Sign in to connect to your server or site.

In web authoring, the Search for data dialog opens for the sever you are signed into.

4. In the Search for Data dialog, in the Content Type drop-down select Virtual
Connections.

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5. Select the data source you want to use, then click Connect.

6. The data source is added to the Flow pane. In the Connections pane, you can select
from the list of tables included in the virtual connection and drag them to the flow pane to
begin your flow.

Note: If you see Rename operations in the Changes pane when connecting to a virtual
connection, do not remove them. Tableau Prep auto-generates these operations to map
to and display the field's user-friendly name.

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Connect to Tableau data extracts

You can connect to a data extract as input to your data flow. Extracts are saved subsets of data
that you can create by using filters and configuring other limits. Extracts are saved as .hyper
files.

For more information on using extracts with Tableau Prep Builder, see Save and Share Your
Work on page 359.

Connect to data via Tableau Catalog

If you have the Data Management with Tableau Catalog enabled, you can also search for and
connect to databases, files, and tables stored on Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud.

For more information about Tableau Catalog, see "About Tableau Catalog" in the Tableau
Server or Tableau Cloud Help.

Other connection options

When you connect, you may also see the following options, depending on which connection
you choose.

Use Custom SQL to connect to data

If you know exactly the information you need from a database and understand how to write
SQL queries, you can use custom SQL queries to connect to data just like you can in Tableau
Desktop. You can use custom SQL to union your data across tables, recast fields to perform
cross-database joins, restructure or reduce the size of your data for analysis, and so on.

1. Connect to your data source, and in the Connections pane, in the Database field, select
a database.

2. Click the Custom SQL link to open the Custom SQL tab.

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3. Type or paste the query into the text box and then click Run to run your query.

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4. Add a clean step in the flow pane to see that only relevant fields from the custom SQL
query are added to your flow.

Use Initial SQL to query your connections

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.2.2 and later and when authoring flows on
the web starting in version 2020.4.1

You can specify an Initial SQL command that will run when a connection is made to a database
that supports it. For example when connecting to Amazon Redshift, you can enter a SQL
statement to apply a filter when connecting to the database just like adding filters in the Input
step. The SQL command will apply before data is sampled and loaded into Tableau Prep.

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Starting in Tableau Prep Builder (version 2020.1.3) and on the web, you can also include
parameters to pass application name, version and flow name data to include tracking data
when you query your data source.

Run Initial SQL

To refresh your data and run the Initial SQL command do one of the following:

l Change the Initial SQL command and refresh the Input step by re-establishing the con-
nection.
l Run the flow. The Initial SQL command is run before processing all of the data.
l Run the flow on Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud. The Initial SQL is run every time that
the flow is run as part of the data loading experience

Note: Data Management is required to run your flow on a schedule on Tableau Server or
Tableau Cloud. For more information about the Data Management, see About Data
Management.

1. In the Connections pane, select a connector in the list that supports Initial SQL.
2. Click the Show Initial SQL link to expand the dialog and enter your SQL statements.

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Include parameters in your Initial SQL statement

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.1.3 and later and when authoring flows on
the web starting in version 2020.4.1.

You can pass the following parameters to your data source to add additional detail about your
Tableau Prep application, version and flow name. The TableauServerUser and
TableauServerUserFull parameters are not currently supported.

Parameter Description Returned value

TableauApp The application Prep Builder

being used to access
Prep Conductor
your data source.

TableauVersion The application ver- Tableau Prep Builder: Returns the exact version.
sion number. For example 2020.4.1

Tableau Prep Conductor: Returns the major

server version where Tableau Prep Conductor is
enabled. For example 2020.4

FlowName The name of the .tfl Example: Entertainment Data_Cleaned

file in Tableau Prep
Builder

Configure your Data Set

Note: Starting in version 2020.4.1, you can now create and edit flows in Tableau Server
and Tableau Cloud. The content in this topic applies to all platforms, unless specifically
noted. For more information about authoring flows on the web, see Tableau Prep on
the Web in the Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud help.

To determine how much of your data set to work with in the flow, you can configure your data
set. When you connect to your data or drag tables into the Flow pane, an Input step is
automatically added to the flow.

The Input step is where you can decide what and how much data to include in your flow. This is
always the first step in the flow.

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If you're connected to an Excel or text file, you can also refresh the data from the Input step. For
more information, see Add More Data in the Input Step on page 121.

In the Input step, you can:

l Right-click or Cmd-click (MacOS) on the Input step in the flow pane to rename or remove
it.
l Union multiple files in the same parent or child directory. For more information, see
Union files and database tables in the Input step on page 125.
l (version 2023.1 and later) Include automatically generated row numbers based on the ori-
ginal sort order of your data set. See Include row numbers from your data set on the
next page.
l Search for fields.
l See examples of field values.

l Configure the field properties by changing the field name or configure the text settings for
text files.

Note: Field values that include square brackets are automatically converted to
parentheses.

l Perform actions to change the data that you work with in your flow. See Set your data
sample size on page 120.
l Configure the data sample ingested into your flow.

l Remove fields you don't need. You can always go back to the input step and

include them later.

l Hide fields that you don't need to clean, but still want to include in your flow output.

You can unhide them at any time if you need them.

l Apply filters to selected fields.

l Change the field data type for data connections that support it.

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These include Microsoft Excel, text and PDF files, data from Box, Dropbox, Google
Drive, and OneDrive. For other data sources you can change the data type in a Clean
step.

For more information, see Review the data types assigned to your data on
page 158

Include row numbers from your data set

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2023.1 and later and on the web for Microsoft
Excel and text (.csv) files.

Note: This option is not currently supported for files included in an input union.

Starting in version 2023.1, Tableau Prep automatically generates row numbers based on the
original sort order of your data that you can include as a new field in your flow. This is available
for Microsoft Excel or Text (.csv) file types only.

In previous releases, if you wanted to include these row numbers, you had to manually add
them to the source before adding the data set to your flow.

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This field is generated in the Input step when you connect to your data. By default, it is excluded
from the flow, but you can include it in one click. If you choose to include it, it behaves like any
other field and can be used in your flow operations and calculated fields.

Tableau Prep also supports the ROW_NUMBER function for calculated fields. This function is
useful when there are fields in your data set that can define the sort, such as Row ID or
Timestamp. For more information about using this function, see Create Level of Detail,
Rank, and Tile Calculations on page 263.

Add the Source Row Number field to your flow

1. Right-click or Cmd-click (MacOS) on the field, or click the More options menu and
select Include Field.

2. The change list is cleared, the field is now part of the flow data, and you can see the

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generated row numbers in subsequent flow steps.

Source Row Number details

When you include the Source Row Number in your data set, the following options and
considerations apply.

l The data source row numbers are applied before any data sampling or filters.
l This creates a new field called Source Row Number that persists throughout the flow.
This field name isn't localized, but can be renamed at any time.
l If a field with this name already exists, the new field name is incremented by 1. For
example Source Row Number-1, Source Row Number-2, and so on.
l You can change the field's data type in subsequent steps.
l You can use this field in flow operations and calculations.
l This value is regenerated for the whole data set each time the input data is refreshed or
the flow is run.
l This field is not available for input unions.

Connect to a custom SQL query

If your database supports using custom SQL, you will see Custom SQL displayed near the
bottom of the Connections pane. Double-click Custom SQL to open the Custom SQL tab
where you can enter queries to preselect data and use source-specific operations. After the
query retrieves the data set, you can select the fields to include, apply filters, or change the
data type before adding the data to your flow.

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For more information about using custom SQL, see Use Custom SQL to connect to data on
page 104.

Apply cleaning operations in an input step

Only some cleaning operations are available in an Input step. You can make any of the following
changes in the Input field list. Your changes are tracked in the Changes pane and annotations
are added to the left of the Input step in the Flow pane and in the Input field list.

l Hide Field: Hide fields instead of removing them to reduce clutter in your flow. You can
always unhide them if you need them. Hidden fields will still be included in your output
when you run your flow.
l Filter: Use the calculation editor to filter values or starting in version 2023.1, you can also
use the Relative Date Filter dialog to quickly specify date ranges for any date or date &
time fields.

l Rename Field: In the Field Name field, double-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) on the field
name and enter a new field name.

l Change Data Type: Click on the data type for the field and select a new data type from
the menu. This option is currently supported for Microsoft Excel, text and PDF files, Box,
Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive data sources. All other data sources can be

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changed in a clean step.

Select fields to include in the flow

Note: Starting in version 2023.1 you can select multiple fields to hide, unhide, remove,
or include them. In previous releases, you can work with one field at a time and select or
clear the check boxes to include or remove fields.

The Input pane shows you a list of fields in your data set. By default all fields are included
except the auto-generated field, Source Row Number. Use the following options to manage
your fields.

l Search: Find fields in the list.

l Hide: Click the eye icon or select Hide Fields from the More options menu to
hide fields that you want to include in your flow output, but don't need to clean. Fields are
processed by the flow during run time. You can also Unhide fields any time if you need
them. For more information, see Hide fields.
l Include Fields: Select one or more rows and right-click, Cmd-click (MacOS), or click

the More options menu and select Include Fields to add back fields that are
marked as removed.

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l Remove Fields: Select one or more rows and right-click, Cmd-click (MacOS), click the

"X", or click the More options menu and select Remove Fields to remove fields that
you don't want to include in the flow.

Apply filters to fields in the Input step

Apply filters in the input step to reduce the amount of data that you ingest from your data
sources. You can gain interactive performance efficiency and a more useful data sample by
eliminating the data you don't want to process when you run the flow.

In the input step you can apply filters using the Calculation Editor. Starting in version 2023.1,
you can also use the Relative Date Filter dialog to specify an exact date range of values to
include for date and date & time field types. For more information, see "Relative Date filter" in
Filter Your Data on page 169.

You can use other filter options in the Clean step or other step types. For more information, see
Filter Your Data on page 169

Apply a calculation filter

1. In the toolbar click Filter Values, or in the field grid, click the More options menu and
select Filter > Calculation ....

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2. Enter your filter criteria in the calculation editor.

Apply a relative date filter

1. In the Input grid, select a field with a data type of Date or Date & Time. Then right-click,

Cmd-click (MacOS), or click the More options menu and select Filter > Relative
Dates.

2. In the Relative Date Filter dialog, specify the exact range of years, quarters, months,
weeks, or days that you want to include in your flow. You can also configure an anchor

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relative to a specific date, and include null values.

Note: By default, the filter operates relative to the date that the flow is run or
previewed within the authoring experience.

Change field names

To change the name of a field, in the Field Name column, select the name, and then type the
new name in the field. An annotation is added in the field grid and in the flow pane to the left of
the Input step. Your changes are also tracked in the Changes pane.

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Change data types

Currently supported for Microsoft Excel, text and PDF files, Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, and
OneDrive data sources. All other data sources can be changed in a clean step.

Note: The data type for Source Row Number (version 2023.1 and later) can only be
changed in a Clean step or other step type.

To change the data type of a field, do the following:

1. Click the data type for the field.

2. Select the new data type from the menu.

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You can also change the data type for fields in other step types in the flow or assign data
roles to help validate your field values. For more information about changing your data
type or using data roles, see Review the data types assigned to your data on
page 158 and Use Data Roles to Validate your Data on page 179.

Configure field properties

When you work with text files, you see a Settings tab where you can edit your connection and
configure text properties, such as the field separator for text files. You can also edit the file
connection in the Connections pane or configure incremental refresh settings. For more
information about setting up incremental refresh for your flow, see Refresh Flow Data Using
Incremental Refresh on page 381.

When you work with text or Excel files, you can correct data types that have been inferred
incorrectly before you even start your flow. Data types can always be changed in subsequent
steps in the Profile pane after you start your flow.

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Configure text settings in text files

To change the settings used to parse text files, select from the following options:

l First line contains header (default): Select this option to use the first row as the field
labels.

l Generate field names automatically: Select this option if you want Tableau Prep
Builder to auto-generate the field headers. The field naming convention follows the
same model as Tableau Desktop. For example F1, F2, and so on.

l Field Separator: Select a character from the list to use to separate the columns. Select
Other to enter a custom character.

l Text Qualifier: Select the character that encloses the values in the file.

l Character Set: Select the character set that describes the text file encoding.

l Locale: Select the locale to use to parse the file. This setting indicates which decimal
and thousand separator to use.

Set your data sample size

To maintain peak performance, by default, Tableau Prep limits the data included in the flow to
a representative sample of your data set. The data sample is determined by calculating the
optimal number of rows based on the total number of fields in the data set and the data types
for those fields. Tableau Prep then retrieves the top number of rows for the calculated amount
as quickly as possible.

The resulting data sample may include all the rows you need, or it may not, depending on how
the sample was calculated and returned. If you don't see the data that you expect, you can
change the data sample settings to run the query again.

When creating or editing flows on the web, limits are applied to the amount of data you can
include in a flow and the options available to change your data sample are slightly different
than when working in Tableau Prep Builder. For more information, see Sample data and
processing limits in the Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud help.

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Note: If your data is sampled, a Sampled badge shows in the Profile pane and
persists for every step you add. Any changes you make apply to the sample you are
working with in the flow. All changes apply to your entire data set when you run the flow.

To change your data sample settings, select an Input step, then on the Data Sample tab select
from the following options:

l (2023.1—Automatic) (2022.4 and earlier—Default sample amount): Tableau Prep

calculates the total number of rows to return. This is the default.

l (2023.1—Maximum) (2022.4 and earlier—Use all data): (Tableau Prep Builder only)
Retrieve all rows in your data set regardless of size. This can impact performance or
cause Tableau Prep Builder to time out.

Note: To maintain performance, even if you select this setting, a data sample limit
of 1 million rows is applied to Aggregate and Union step types and a data sample
limit of 3 million rows is applied to Join and Pivot step types.

l (2023.1—Specify) (2022.4 and earlier—Fixed number of rows): Select the number of

rows to return from the data set. The recommended number of rows is 1 million or less.
Setting the number of rows to more than 1 million can impact performance.
l In Web authoring: The maximum number of rows that a user can select when
using large data sets is configured by the administrator. As a user, you can select
the number of rows up to that limit.

l Quick select (default): The database returns the number of rows requested as quickly
as possible. This might be the first N number of rows or the rows that the database had
cached in memory from a previous query.

l Random sample: The database returns the number of rows requested but looks at
every row in the data set and returns a representative sample from all of the rows. This
option may impact performance when the data is first retrieved.

Add More Data in the Input Step

Note: Starting in version 2020.4.1, you can now create and edit flows in Tableau Server
and Tableau Cloud. The content in this topic applies to all platforms, unless specifically

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noted. For more information about authoring flows on the web, see Tableau Prep on
the Web in the Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud help.

After you connect to your data sources and begin to build your flow you may want to refresh
your data connections as new data comes in. You can also join or union data sets in the input
step to make working with larger data sources more efficient.

Refresh input step data or change your connection

If data changes in your input files or tables after you begin working with your flow, you can
refresh the Input step to bring in the new data or you can easily change and update individual
input step connections without breaking your flow.

Refresh your data source

Applies to file types. Not yet supported on the web.

Do one of the following:

l In the flow pane, right-click the Input step you want to refresh and select Refresh from
the menu.

l In the flow pane on the top menu, click the Refresh button to refresh all Input steps. To
refresh a single Input step, click the drop-down arrow next to the refresh button and
select the Input step from the list.

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Replace your data source

Applies to file types, data sources and extracts in Tableau Prep Builder and on the web.

Refresh your data source by editing individual input connections or replacing individual flow
data sources with a different data source.

Edit the connection

Use this option to easily refresh your credentials or replace the data source with the same data
source type.

Note: To maintain performance, Tableau Prep samples large data sets. If your data is
sampled, you may or may not see your new data in the profile pane. You can change the
settings for how your data is sampled in the Data Sample tab in the Input step, but it may
impact performance. For more information about setting your data sample size, see Set
your data sample size on page 120.

1. In the Connections pane, right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) on the data source and select
Edit.

2. Re-establish your connection by signing into the database or re-selecting the file or
Tableau extract.

Replace the input connection

Easily replace an existing data source in your flow with any new data source without breaking
the flow connection. Depending on your Tableau Prep version, you can drag and drop a new
data source over your old data source or manually disconnect and reconnect your data source.

Drag and drop to replace the input connection (version 20224. and later)

1. From the Connections pane, drag the new table to the flow pane on top of the input step
you want to replace and drop it on the Replace option.

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2. Reconfigure any settings and fix any error as needed.

Manually disconnect and reconnect an input data source (ver-

sion 2022.3 and earlier)
1. In the flow pane, right-click the Input step you want to refresh and select Remove from
the menu.

This will temporarily put your flow in an error state.

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2. Connect to the new or updated data source.

3. Drag the table to the flow pane on top of the second step in the flow where you want to
add the Input step. Drop it on the Add option to reconnect it to the flow.

Union files and database tables in the Input step

Input unions can only be edited and created in Tableau Prep Builder but can be scheduled to
run on the web.

When working with multiple files or database tables from a single data source, you can apply
filters to search for files or use a wildcard search to find tables and then union the data to include
all of the file or table data in the Input step. To union files, the files must be in the same directory
or sub-directory.

Note: This option is not available for Tableau extracts.

New files that are added to the same folder that match the filter criteria are automatically
included in the union the next time you open the flow or run it from the command line.

Packaged flow files (.tflx) won't automatically pick up new files because the files are already
packaged with the flow. To include new files for packaged flows, open the flow file (.tfl) in
Tableau Prep Builder to pick up the new files, then repackage the flow to include the new file
data.

To union database tables, the tables must be in the same database and the database
connection must support using a wildcard search. The following databases support this type of
union:

l Amazon Redshift

l Microsoft SQL Server

l MySQL

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l Oracle

l PostgreSQL

If you add or remove files or tables after you create the union you can refresh the Input step to
update your flow with the new or changed data.

If you need to union data from different data sources, you can do that using a Union step. For
more information about creating Union steps, see Union your data on page 342.

Union files
By default, Tableau Prep Builder unions all .csv files in the same directory as the .csv file you
connected to or all the sheets in the Excel file you connected to.

If you want to change the default union, you can specify additional filter criteria to find the files
or sheets that you want to include in the union.

Core filter criteria

In Tableau Prep Builder version 2022.1.1 and earlier, you can select from the following criteria:

l Search in: Select the directory to use to search for files. Select the Include subfolders
check box to include files in the sub-directory of the parent folder.

l Files: Select whether to include or exclude the files that match the wildcard search
criteria.

l Matching Pattern (xxx*): Enter a wildcard search pattern to find files that have those
characters in the file name. For example, if you enter order* all files that include "order"
in the file name are returned. Leave this field blank to include all of the files in the
specified directory.

Additional filters
Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2022.2.1 and later and for flows published to
Tableau Cloud.

Note: If you use additional filters in your flow, flow scheduling is currently only available
using Tableau Cloud. You can run the flow manually in Tableau Prep Builder or through
the command line interface. This feature isn't compatible with Tableau Server version
2022.1 and earlier.

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Starting in Tableau Prep Builder version 2022.2.1 and later, the filtering options when searching
for files to union have changed. While you still specify a directory and sub-directory to search in,
you can now set multiple filters to perform a more granular search.

These filtering options apply to Text, Microsoft Excel, and Statistical file types. You can select
multiple filters. Each filter is applied separately, in the order that you select them, top to bottom.
Filters can't currently be moved around once added, but you can delete and add filters as
needed.

Select from the following filters:

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Filter Description

File Select Match or Don't match for a file name pattern. For example "orders*".
name

File size Filter files by selecting a Range of sizes or Ranked by size.

Range of sizes: Select from the following options:

l Specify a range of values.

l Select an operator of Less than, Less than or equal to, Greater than
or equal to, or Greater than and apply it to a single value.

Ranked by size: Include or exclude the N largest or smallest files.

Date cre- Filter files by selecting a Range of dates, Relative date, or Ranked by date.
ated
Range of dates: Select from the following options:

l Specify a date and time range.

l Select an operator of Before, Before or equal to, After or equal to, or
After and apply it to a single value.

Relative date: Include or exclude an exact range of years, quarters, months,

weeks, or days. You can also configure an anchor relative to a specific date.

Note: “Last” date periods include the complete current unit of time, even if
some dates haven't occurred yet. For example, if you select the last
month and the current date is January 7th, Tableau will display dates for
January 1st through January 31st.

Ranked by date: Include or exclude the N newest or oldest files.

Date Filter files by selecting a Range of dates, Relative date, or Ranked by date.
modified
Range of dates: Select from the following options:

l Specify a date and time range.

l Select an operator of Before, Before or equal to, After or equal to, or
After and apply it to a single value.

Relative date: Include or exclude an exact range of years, quarters, months,

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weeks, or days. You can also configure an anchor relative to a specific date.

Note: “Last” date periods include the complete current unit of time, even if
some dates haven't occurred yet. For example, if you select the last
month and the current date is January 7th, Tableau will display dates for
January 1st through January 31st.

Ranked by date: Include or exclude the N newest or oldest files.

Note: The instructions below vary based on your Tableau Prep Builder version.

Create an input union

Applies to Tableau Prep Builder version 2022.2.1 and later

1. Click the Add connection button and under Connect, click Text File for .csv files,
Microsoft Excel for Excel files, or Statistical file for Statistical files, then select a file to
open.

2. In the Input pane, select the Tables tab, and then select Union multiple tables.

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3. Select a folder to search in. You can also include all sub-folders listed under a given dir-
ectory to expand your search.

4. Click Add File Filter and select from the following options:
l File name: Enter a name pattern to search on.

l File size: Search by range of size or ranked by size.

l Date created: Search by range of dates, relative date, or ranked by date.

l Date modified: Search by range of dates, relative date, or ranked by date.

5. Click Add File Filter again to add more filters.

Filter results are shown in the Included Tables section.

6. Click Apply to union the files.

When you add a new step to the flow, you can see all the files added to the data set in the File
Paths field in the Profile pane. This field is added automatically.

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Create an input Union (version 2022.1.1 and earlier)

1. Click the Add connection button and under Connect, click Text File for .csv files or
Microsoft Excel for Excel files, and then select a file to open.

2. In the Input pane, select the Multiple Files tab, and then select Wildcard union.

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The example below shows an input union using a matching pattern. The plus sign on the
file icon on the Orders_Central Input step in the Flow pane indicates that this step
includes an input union. The files in the union are listed under Included files.

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3. Use the search, file and matching pattern options to find the files that you want to union.

4. Click Apply to union the files.

When you add a new step to the flow, you can see all the files added to the data set in the File
Paths field in the Profile pane. This field is added automatically.

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Union database tables

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2018.3.1 and later

Note: The input union interface for database tables has been updated in Tableau Prep
Builder version 2022.2.1. Your options might look different depending on your version.

1. Click the Add connection button and under Connect, connect to a database that
supports input unions.

2. Drag a table to the flow pane.

3. In the Input pane, select the Tables tab, and then select Union multiple tables.

In prior versions select the Multiple Tables tab, and then select Wildcard union.

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4. In the Tables field, select Include or Exclude from the drop-down option, then enter a
matching pattern to find the tables that you want to union.

In prior versions use search, Tables and Matching Pattern options.

Only tables that display in the Connections pane in the Tables section can be included
in the union. The input union search doesn't search across schemas or across the
database connection to find tables.

5. Click Apply to union the table data.

When you add a new step to the flow, you can see all the tables added to the data set in
the Table Names field in the Profile pane. This field is added automatically.

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Merge fields after a union

After you create a union in the input step, you might want to merge fields. You can do this in
any subsequent step, except for the Input or Output steps. For more information, see
Additional merge field options on page 348.

Join data in the Input step

In Tableau Prep Builder (version 2019.3.1 and later), and on the web, when you connect to
databases that include tables with relationship data, Tableau Prep can detect and show which
fields in a table are identified as the unique identifier and which fields are identified as a related
field as well as show the related table names for these fields.

A new column called Linked Keys shows in the Input pane and shows the following
relationships if they exist:

l Unique identifier. This field uniquely identifies each row in the table. There can be
multiple unique identifiers in a table. The values in the fields must be unique and cannot
be blank or null.

l Related field. This field relates the table to another table in the database. There can
be multiple related fields in a table.

l Both Unique Identifier and related field. The field is a unique identifier in this table
and also relates the table to another table in the database.

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You can leverage these relationships to quickly find and add the related tables to your flow or
create joins from the Input step. This feature is available for any supported database connector
where table relationships are defined.

1. Connect to a database (such as Microsoft SQL Server) that contains relationship data for
fields, such as unique identifiers or related fields (foreign key).

2. In the Input pane, click on a field that is marked as a related field or as both a
unique identifier and related field.

A dialog opens that shows a list of related tables.

3. Hover on the table that you want to add or join and click the plus button to add the table to
your flow, or click the join button to create a join with the selected table.

If you create a join, Tableau Prep uses the defined field relationship to join the tables and
shows you a preview of the join clauses that it will use to create the join.

4. Alternatively, you can join related tables from the menu in the Flow pane. Click the plus

icon, then select Add Join to see a list of related tables. Tableau Prep creates the join

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based on the fields that make up the relationship between the two tables.

Note: If your table doesn't have table relationships defined, this option is not
available.

For more information about working with joins, see Join your data on page 335.

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Build and Organize your Flow

Note: Starting in version 2020.4.1, you can now create and edit flows in Tableau Server
and Tableau Cloud. The content in this topic applies to all platforms, unless specifically
noted. For more information about authoring flows on the web, see Tableau Prep on
the Web in the Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud help.

After you connect to the data that you want to include in your flow, you can begin cleaning and
shaping your data by adding new steps to the flow or inserting steps in between existing steps.

To organize your flow, you can change the default step colors, add descriptions to provide
context for your steps or cleaning actions, or reorganize your flow layout to make complex flows
easier to follow.

Add or insert steps

As you build out your flow, you can add different step types to perform the actions that you
need. For example add a Clean Step to do things like split fields, apply filters, or perform a
variety of other operations to clean dirty data. Use a Join or Union step type to combine data
tables or add a Script step type to incorporate R or Python scripts into your flow.

As your flow begins to takes shape, you may need to go back to earlier steps in your flow and
insert different step types to perform various actions like adding an additional cleaning step or
aggregating your data to use the same level of detail as a later step.

Note: The menu options that you see will vary depending on your Tableau Prep Builder
version and whether you are adding a step to build out the next step in the flow versus
inserting a step between existing steps. If you are using Tableau Prep Builder version
2019.3.1 or earlier, refer to that section to see your menu options.

You can't add input steps using these menu's. Instead you'll need to drag tables from the
Connections pane to the Flow pane. For more information, see Connect to Data on page 77.

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Add steps

After you connect to your data and drag a table onto the canvas, click the plus button to
select a step type from the menu, or click on the suggested clean step (Tableau Prep Builder
version 2020.3.3 and later and on the web) to automatically add a cleaning step to your flow.

Select a step type:

l Clean Step: Add a cleaning step to perform a variety of cleaning actions. For more
information about the different cleaning actions that are available, see Clean and
Shape Data on page 215.

Note: In Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.4.2, the Add Branch option was
replaced with the Clean Step option. To split your flow into different branches,

click the plus button between two existing steps and select a step type from
the Add menu.

l New Rows: Generate new rows to fill gaps in your sequential data set. For more
information, see Fill Gaps in Sequential Data on page 260.

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Aggregate: Create an Aggregation step to select fields and change their level of
detail. For more information, see Aggregate and group values on page 334.

l Pivot: Create a Pivot step to perform a variety of pivot options such as converting
column data to rows, or row data to columns. You can also set up a wildcard pivot to
automatically add new data to your pivot. For more information, see Pivot Your Data on
page 307.

l Join: Create a Join step to combine data tables. When you create a join from the menu
option, you must manually add the other input to the join and add your join clauses. As an
alternative, you can drag and drop a step (shown below) to join files automatically. For
more information about creating a join, see Join your data on page 335.

If you connect to databases that include tables with relationship data, you can also create
a join from the menu in the Flow pane. For more information about joining tables using
this method, see Join data in the Input step on page 136.

l Union: Create a Union step. Add tables to the union by dragging them to the step and
dropping them on the Add option that displays. As an alternative, you can drag and drop
a step onto another step to union files. For more information about creating a union, see
Union your data on page 342.

l Script (Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.3.1 and later and on the web): Create a Script
step to include R and Python scripts in your flow. Script steps are not currently supported
in Tableau Cloud. For more information, see Use R and Python scripts in your flow
on page 316.
l Prediction: Use Einstein Discovery-powered models to bulk score predictions for the
data in your flow. For more information, see Add Einstein Discovery Predictions to
your flow on page 349.

l Output: Create an Output step to save the output to an extract file (.hyper), a .csv file,
publish the output as a data source to a server, or write your flow output to a database.

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Saving Output steps to a file is not currently supported on the web. For more information
about output types, see Save and Share Your Work on page 359.
l Paste: Add copied steps from the same flow. For more information about copying and
pasting steps in the same flow, see Clean and Shape Data on page 215.

l Insert Flow (Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.3.2 and later and on the web): Add flow
steps that were saved from another flow into your current flow. You can add them to the
end of a step or insert them between existing steps. For more information about using
saved flow steps in your flow, see Create reusable flow steps on page 257

Note: This option was added to this menu in Tableau Prep Builder version
2019.4.2. In prior versions, you could add flow steps using right-click or Ctrl-click
(MacOS) in the white space of the flow pane.

Insert steps
Insert a step between existing steps. Input and Output step types aren't available from this
menu. The options vary depending on your product version. If you are using an earlier version
of Tableau Prep Builder, refer to the Version 2019.3.1 and earlier section below.

1. Hover in the middle of the flow line where you want to insert a step until the plus icon
appears. Then click the icon and select a step type.

Note: Your options may look different depending on your product version. For
example Insert Flow was added to this menu in Tableau Prep Builder version
2019.4.2.

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2. Select a step type:

l Clean Step: Insert a cleaning step between existing steps to perform a variety of
cleaning actions. For more information about the various cleaning actions you can
use, see Clean and Shape Data on page 215.
l New Rows: Generate new rows to fill gaps in your sequential data set. For more
information, see Fill Gaps in Sequential Data on page 260.

l Aggregate: Insert an Aggregation step between existing steps to select fields

and change their level of detail. For more information, see Aggregate and group
values on page 334.

l Pivot: Insert a Pivot step between existing steps to perform a variety of pivot
options such as converting column data to rows, or row data to columns. You can
also set up a wildcard pivot to automatically add new data to your pivot. For more
information, see Pivot Your Data on page 307.

l Join: Insert a Join step between existing steps . When you create a join from the
menu option, you must manually add the other input to the join and add your join
clauses. As an alternative, you can drag and drop a step (shown below) to join files
automatically.

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For more information about creating a join, see Join your data on page 335.

If you connect to databases that include tables with relationship data you can also
create a join from the menu in the Flow pane. For more information about joining
tables using this method, see Join data in the Input step on page 136.

l Union: Insert a Union step. Add tables to the union by dragging them to the step
and dropping them on the Add option that displays. As an alternative, you can
drag and drop a step onto another step to union files. For more information about
creating a union, see Union your data on page 342.
l Script (Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.3.1 and later and on the web): Insert a
Script step to include R and Python scripts in your flow. Script steps are not cur-
rently supported in Tableau Cloud. For more information, see Use R and
Python scripts in your flow on page 316.
l Prediction: Use Einstein Discovery-powered models to bulk score predictions for
the data in your flow. For more information, see Add Einstein Discovery Pre-
dictions to your flow on page 349.
l Paste: Insert copied steps from the same flow between existing steps. For more
information about copying and pasting steps in the same flow, see Clean and
Shape Data on page 215.

l Insert Flow (Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.3.2 and later and on the web):
Insert flow steps that were saved from another flow into your current flow. You can
add them to the end of a step or insert them between existing steps. For more
information about using saved flow steps in your flow, see Create reusable flow
steps on page 257.

Note: This option was added to this menu in Tableau Prep Builder version
2019.4.2. In prior versions, you could insert flow steps using right-click or
Ctrl-click (MacOS) in the white space of the flow pane.

Version 2019.3.1 and earlier

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1. Hover over a step until the plus icon appears then click the icon and select a step type.
Insert Step inserts a cleaning step between steps. All other options will create a branch
from the flow.

2. Select from the following options:

l Add Branch: Split your flow into different branches.

l Insert Step: Insert a cleaning step between existing steps to perform a variety of
cleaning actions. For more information about the various cleaning actions you can
use, see Clean and Shape Data on page 215.

l Add Aggregate: Create an Aggregation step where you can select the fields
that you want to aggregate or group. For more information, see Aggregate and
group values on page 334.

l Add Pivot: Create a Pivot step where you can perform a variety of pivot options
to convert column data to rows, or row data to columns. For more information, see
Pivot Your Data on page 307.

l Add Join: Create a Join step where you can manually add the other input to the
join and add the join clauses. As an alternative, you can drag and drop a step to
join files. The following example shows dragging the Orders_Central Input step
and dropping it on Join:

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For more information about creating a join, see Join your data on page 335.

In Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.1.3 and later, if you connect to databases
that include tables with relationship data you can also create a join from the menu
in the Flow pane. For more information about joining tables using this method,
see Join data in the Input step on page 136.

l Add Union: Create a Union step. Add tables to the union by dragging them to the
step and dropping them on the Add option that displays. As an alternative, you
can drag and drop a step onto another step to union files. For more information
about creating a union, see Union your data on page 342.
l Add Script(version 2019.3.1 and later): Create a Script step to include R and
Python scripts in your flow. For more information, see Use R and Python
scripts in your flow on page 316.
l Add Output: Select this option to save the output to an extract file (.hyper), a .csv
file, or publish the output as a data source to a server.

Group steps
Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.3.3 and later and on Tableau Server or
Tableau Cloud starting in version 2020.4.

Use the Group option to compartmentalize sections of large complex flows into folders to make
it easier to follow, troubleshoot, or share your flow with others. You can change the color of the
group, add a description, copy and paste the grouped steps to other areas of your flow, or in
Tableau Prep Builder, even save the grouped steps to a file on your server to reuse them in
other flows.

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Requirements to group steps

l Steps must be directly connected with a flow line.
l Steps can only be included in one group at a time.
l Groups can't be nested.
l You can add or remove steps from a group at any time, as long as you maintain the flow
line connections between steps in the group. This also applies to removing steps from a
flow that are already included in a group. In that scenario, the group is automatically
ungrouped.

Create a group
Select a set of connected steps in your flow (you can also drag to select multiple steps in one
click), then right-click or Cntrl-click (MacOS) on the selected steps and select Group from the
menu.

After you create the group, you can do any of the following:

l Click the double arrows to expand or collapse the group at any time.
l Add more steps to the group by dragging a connected step and dropping it onto the col-
lapsed folder.

l Remove steps from the group. In the expanded state, right-click or Cntrl-click (Mac OS) a

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step and select Remove from Group.

Note: This option isn't available if you try to remove a step that breaks the
continuity of the group.

l In the collapsed state, right-click or Cntrl-click (MacOS) to open the menu and select
from the following options:

l Rename: Change the group name.

l Add Description: Enter a description for the group
l Edit Color: Change the color of the group folder. This won't change the color of
the individual steps in the group.
l Expand Group: Show all the steps in the group. You can also click the double

arrows to expand the group.

l Ungroup: Remove all the steps from the group and delete the group.
l Copy: Copies the group and all of the steps in the group to your clipboard to
paste elsewhere in your flow. For more information about using copy and paste,
see Copy and paste steps on page 251.
l Save Steps as Flow (Tableau Prep Builder only): Save your grouped steps loc-
ally to a file on your computer or publish it to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud to

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share with others or use it in other flows. For more information about saving steps
for reuse, see Create reusable flow steps on page 257.
l Remove: Removes the group and all the steps in the group from the flow.

l (version 2021.1.2 and later) In the expanded state, right-click or Cntrl-click (MacOS) in
the expanded group area to open the menu to collapse the group or ungroup the steps.

Change the flow color scheme

Tableau Prep assigns each step in your flow a color by default. This color scheme is applied
throughout the flow to help you keep track of your data throughout the flow as you apply
cleaning steps, join, union or aggregate the data so you know which files are impacted by your
operations.

To select a different color scheme for your steps do the following:

1. Select one or more steps.

2. Right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) on a selected step and select Edit Color.

3. Click on a color in the color palette to apply it.

To reset the step color back to the default color, do one the following:

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l Click Undo from the top menu.

l Cntrl+Z or Command-Shift-Z (MacOS).

l Select the steps you changed, right-click on a selected step and select Edit Color, then
select Reset Color from the bottom of the color palette.

Remove steps from the flow

At any point in the flow, you can remove steps or the flow lines between steps.

Note: You can't remove flow lines coming into or out of a collapsed step group. You
must either expand the group or ungroup the steps first.

l To remove a step or flow line, select the step or line you want to remove, right-click the
element, and then select Remove.

l To remove multiple steps or flow lines, do one of the following:

l Use your mouse to drag and select a whole section of the flow. Then right-click or
Ctrl-click (Mac OS) on one of the selected steps and select Remove.

l Press Ctrl+A or Cmd+A (MacOS) to select all elements in the flow, or press
Ctrl+click or Cmd+Click (MacOS) to select specific elements, and then press the
Delete key.

Add descriptions to flow steps and cleaning

actions
As you build your flow and perform various cleaning operations, you might want to add a
description to help others who might later look at or work with your flow to better understand
your steps. You can add a description to any individual step in your flow directly on the Flow
pane, any step group, or to any cleaning action in the Changes pane to provide additional
context for your changes. The description can be up to 200 characters long.

For more information about viewing changes in the Changes pane, see View your changes
on page 229.

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Add a description to flow steps

When you add a description, a message icon is added underneath the step. Click the icon to
show or hide the description text in the Flow pane.

1. In the Flow pane, select a step.

2. Do one of the following:

l Right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) on the step and select Add Description from the
menu.

l Double-click in the name field for the step, then click on Add a description.

3. Type your description in the text box.

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4. Click outside the text box or press Enter to apply your changes. By default, the

description displays underneath the step. To hide the description click the message
icon.

5. To edit or delete the description, right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) on the step or

description. Then from the menu, select Edit Description or Delete Description.

Add a description to a change entry

You can add a description to an entry in the Changes pane starting Tableau Prep Builder
version 2019.1.1 and on the web.

1. Select a step in the flow pane.

2. Open the Changes pane or Changes tab.

3. Right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) on an entry in the Changes pane and select Add
Description.

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4. Enter a description for the change action.

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The description appears below the generated text for the change with a comment
icon.

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5. To edit or delete the description, right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) on the change item, and
select Edit Description or Delete Description.

Reorganize the layout of your flow

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.2.2 and later and on Tableau Server or
Tableau Cloud starting in version 2020.4.

As you build a flow, Tableau Prep Builder uses a default layout. Each flow is laid out and
processed from left to right, with Input steps beginning on the far left of the canvas and Output
steps ending on the right side of the canvas. However if you build large, complex flows, they can
quickly become hard to follow.

You can clean up the layout of your flow by selecting and moving steps so the flow layout is
organized in a way that makes sense to you. For example, you can fix crossed flow lines, move
your flow steps to clean up extra white space, or rearrange your flow steps to show a clear
sequence of events.

For example. the following flow is confusing and hard to follow:

To clean up this flow select and drag steps up, down, left or right and drop them to a new
location in the canvas. Flow steps can't be moved to a position that disrupts the left-to-right
process flow. For example, you can't drag a union step that is positioned before a join step, to a
position that is after that join step in the flow.

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When dragging flow steps to an allowed location, an orange box displays. If the location isn't
allowed, no orange box displays and the steps return to their original location when you try to
drop them.

To move steps in your flow, do the following:

1. In the Flow pane, select the steps that you want to move. You can click on a specific
step, drag to select multiple steps, or Ctrl-click or Cmd-click (MacOS) to select steps that
aren't next to each other.

2. Drag and drop the steps to the new location.

Note: If you don't like the reorganization moves that you make you can click
Undo in the top menu to reverse them. However, if you perform cleaning actions
in between moving steps, you may undo those actions as well. The Undo option
reverses your actions in the order that you performed them.

Watch "Reorganize flow steps" in action

The following example shows rearranging a flow using drag and drop.

Use the flow navigator tool

When working with large flows, scrolling back and forth to search for a particular area of the
flow that you need to go back to can be difficult. The flow navigator tool makes this easier. The

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flow navigator is a miniature version of your flow that appears in the lower right corner of the
canvas.

Click in any area of the graphic to jump to that area of your flow or use the following toolbar

options to navigate:

Toolbar Description
option

Collapse the flow navigator graphic. In the collapsed state, you may only see
the percentage indicator. Simply hover on this to expand the toolbar and click
the up arrow to expand the graphic again.

Expand the flow navigator graphic.

Change the size of your flow to fit on your screen.

Zoom in and out of your flow. You can click on the percentage indicator to
restore the view to 100 percent.

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Examine Your Data

Note: Starting in version 2020.4.1, you can now create and edit flows in Tableau Server
and Tableau Cloud. The content in this topic applies to all platforms, unless specifically
noted. For more information about authoring flows on the web, see Tableau Prep on
the Web in the Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud help.

Use the options in this topic to get a good understanding about the composition of your data to
better understand changes you need to make and the effect of the operations you include in
the flow.

Review the data types assigned to your data

Like Tableau Desktop, Tableau Prep interprets the data in your fields when you drag a
connection to the Flow pane and automatically assigns a data type to it. Because different
databases can handle data in different ways, Tableau Prep's interpretation might not always
be correct.

To change a data type, click the data type icon and select the correct data type from the
context menu. You can change string or integer data types to Date or Date & Time, and
Tableau Prep will trigger Auto DateParse to change these data types. Like Tableau Desktop, if
the change is not successful you will see Null values in the fields instead and you can create a
calculation to make the change.

For more information about using DateParse, see Convert a Field to a Date Field in the
Tableau Desktop and Web Authoring Help.

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You can change the data type in your Input step after connecting to data from the following data
sources:

l Microsoft Excel
l Text files
l PDF files
l Box
l Dropbox
l Google Drive
l OneDrive

For all other data sources, add a cleaning step or other step type to make this change. To see a
list of cleaning options available in the different step types, see About cleaning operations on
page 215.

See size details about your data

After you connect to your data, add a table to the flow, and then add a step. You can use the
Profile pane to see the current state and structure of your data and spot nulls and outliers.

l Number of fields and rows: In the upper-left corner of the Profile pane you can find
information that summarizes the number of fields and rows in the data at a particular
point in the flow. Tableau Prep rounds to the nearest thousand. In the example below,

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there are 21 fields and 3000 rows in the data set.

When you hover over the number of fields and rows, you can see the exact number of
rows (in this example, 2848).

l Data set size: Work with a subset of your data by specifying the number of rows to
include in the Data Sample tab in the Inputpane.

l Sampled: To enable you to interact directly with your data, Tableau Prep works with a
subset of your raw data. The number of rows is determined by the data types and
number of fields that are being rendered. String fields take more storage space than
integers, so if you have 10 fields of strings in your data set, you might get fewer rows
than if you had 10 fields of integers.

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A Sampled badge displays next to the size details in the Profile pane to
indicate that this is a subset of your data set. You can modify the amount of data that you
include in your flow. When creating or editing flows on the web, additional data limits
apply. For more information, see Set your data sample size on page 120.

l Number of unique values: The number next to each field header represents the
distinct values that are contained within that field. Tableau Prep rounds to the nearest
thousand. In the example below, there are 3,000 distinct values that are represented in
the Description field, but if you hover over the number, you can see the exact number of
unique values.

See the distribution of values or unique values

By default, Tableau Prep groups numerical, date, and date & time values in a field into buckets.
These buckets are also known as bins. The bins ensure that you can see the distribution of
values as a whole and quickly identify outliers and null values.  The bin size is calculated based
on the minimum and maximum values in the field, and null values are always shown at the top of
the distribution.

For example, order and ship dates are summarized or "binned" by year. Each bin represents a
year from January of the beginning year to January of the following year and labeled

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accordingly. Because there are sales dates and ship dates that fall in the latter part of 2018
and 2019, a bin is created for the following year for those values.

If a discrete (or categorical) data field contains many rows or has a distribution that is large
enough that it can’t be displayed in the field without scrolling, you can see a summarized
distribution to the right of the field. You can click and scroll through the distribution to target
specific values.

When your data contains numeric or date fields, you can toggle to display the detailed
(discrete) version of the values or a summarized (continuous) version of the values. The
summarized view shows you the range of values in a field and the frequency with which certain
values appear.

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This toggle can help you isolate unique values (like the number of “3” records in a field) or the
distribution of values (like the sum of all “3” records in a field)

To toggle your view:

1. In the Profile pane, Results pane or data grid, click the More options menu for a
numeric or date field.

2. In the context menu, select Detail to see the detailed version of the values, or Summary
to see the distributed version of the values.

Search for fields and values

In the Profile pane or Results pane, you can search for fields or values of particular interest to
you and use the search results to filter your data.

Starting in version 2021.1.1, when you search for fields, a new indicator will show telling you the
number of fields found so you can better understand your search results. If no fields are found,
additional messaging will show.

To search for fields, enter a full or partial search term in the search box on the toolbar.

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To search for a value in a field:

1. Click the Search icon for a field, and enter a value.

2. To use advanced search options, click the Search options... button.

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3. To use the search results to filter the data, select Keep Only or Exclude.

In the Flow pane, a filter icon appears above affected steps.

Copy field values in the data grid

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder and Tableau Server version 2022.3 and later, and in
Tableau Cloud version 2022.2 (August) and later.

Easily copy a selected set of values from the data grid and paste them into any document such
as Microsoft Excel, Text (.csv) files, email, and more. You can even copy and paste them into
SQL editor to quickly run a SQL query.

1. In the data grid, select one or more field values to copy.

2. Right-click or cmd-click (MacOS) on the selected field values and select Copy from the
menu. You can also use keyboard shortcuts Ctrl + C or cmd+C (MacOS) or select Copy
from the ... toolbar menu.

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3. Paste the copied fields to your document or location.

Note: Edit > Copy doesn't currently copy field values from the data grid.

Sort values and fields

Sort options on a profile card let you sort the bins (the count of values represented by the
distribution bars) in ascending or descending order or the individual field values in alphabetical
order.

Reorder fields
Changing the order of fields using the list view is supported in version 2022.2.1 and later.

You can change the order of fields from the Profile pane, Data grid, or List view by dragging
and dropping them into a new position.

To rearrange the order of your fields:

1. From the Profile pane, Results pane, Data grid, or List view, select one or more pro-
file cards or fields.
2. Drag the profile card or field until you see the black target line appear.
3. Drop the profile card or field into place.
The Profile pane, data grid, and list view are synced so the field will appear in the same

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order in all places. The new order for the fields is persistent across Tableau products
when running and scheduling flows.

Data Grid reorder

List View reorder

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Highlight fields and values in a flow

Tableau Prep makes it easy to find fields and values in your flow data. Trace where a field
originated and where it is used throughout the flow in the flow pane, or click individual values in
a profile card or in the data grid to highlight related or identical values.

Trace fields in a flow

In Tableau Prep, you can highlight everywhere a field is used in a flow, even where it originated
to help you track down missing values or troubleshoot a flow when you aren't seeing the results
you expect.

Click on a field in the Profile pane in a cleaning step or in the Results pane in any other step
type and the flow pane will highlight the path where that field is used.

Note: This option is not available for Input or Output step types.

See related values

You can use highlighting to find related values across fields. When you click a value in the
Profile card in the Profile pane or Results pane, all the related values in the other fields are
highlighted in blue. The blue color shows the relationship distribution between the value you
selected and the values in the other fields.

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For example, to highlight related values, in the Profile pane, click a value in a field. The related
values in other fields turn blue and the proportion of the bar highlighted in blue represents the
degree of association.

Highlight identical values

When you select a value in the data grid, all identical values are highlighted too. These
highlights help you identify patterns or irregularities in your data.

Filter Your Data

Note: Starting in version 2020.4.1, you can now create and edit flows in Tableau Server
and Tableau Cloud. The content in this topic applies to all platforms, unless specifically
noted. For more information about authoring flows on the web, see Tableau Prep on
the Web in the Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud help.

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Tableau Prep provides various options that you can use to filter your data. For example, use
Keep Only or Exclude to do one-click filtering on a specific value for a field in a profile card,
data grid or results card, or select from a variety of filter options for more complex filtering
needs. You can also keep or remove entire fields.

Filter data at any step in the flow. If you want to simply change a specific value, you can select
Edit Value to edit the value in-line or replace the value with Null. For more information about
editing field values, see Edit field values on page 236.

Keep or remove fields

As you work with your data in your flow you might want to remove unwanted fields. In the
Profile pane or the data grid in any cleaning or action step, select one or more fields and right-
click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) and select Remove to remove the selected fields, or select Keep
Only (Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.2.2 and later and on the web) to keep only the
selected fields and remove all unselected fields.

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Hide fields
Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2021.1.4 and later and Tableau Server or Tableau
Cloud starting in version 2021.1.

If you have fields in your flow that don’t need cleaning, but you still want to include them in your
flow, you can hide the fields instead of removing them. Data for those fields won't be loaded until
you either unhide the fields or run your flow to generate your output.

When you hide fields, a new profile card called Hidden Fields is automatically added to the
Profile pane, letting you easily unhide fields from the list as you need them.

You can include hidden fields in most operations, but joins, aggregations, and pivots require the
field to be unhidden to use it in one of these step types. If you hide the field after it has been
used in one of these operations, the field will show as hidden and the operation won't be
affected.

All hidden fields are tagged with an eye icon.

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Hide and unhide fields

To hide or unhide fields, you must be in an Input step or in a Clean step. In the Clean step you
can hide or unhide fields from the Profile pane, date grid, and List view.

From the Input step

1. Connect to your data.

2. In the Input step select the field you want to hide or unhide.

3. Click the eye icon to hide or unhide the field.

Multi-selecting fields in the Input step is supported starting in version 2023.1.

From the Profile pane

1. Select the fields you want to hide.

2. Right-click, Ctrl-click (MacOS), from the More options menu, or from the toolbar

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menu, select Hide Field or Hide Fields.

3. A new profile card is generated showing your hidden fields.

4. To unhide fields, in the Hidden Fields profile card, select one or more fields, and either

click the eye icon, right-click, or Ctrl-click (MacOS) and select Unhide Fields from the
menu.

From the List view

1. In a Clean step, on the toolbar, click the List view icon to change to the list view.
2. Select one or more fields to hide or unhide.

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3. Click the eye icon to hide or unhide the fields.

Filters available for each data type

Data type Available filters

String Calculation, Wildcard Match, Null Values, Selected Values

Number Calculation, Range of Values, Null Values, Selected Values

Date and Date Calculation, Range of Dates, Relative Date, Null Values, Selected
& Time Values

Where are my filter options?

To see the different filter options available for your fields, on the profile card, in the data grid or

in the results pane, click the More options menu. To see the menu on the data grid, you

must click the Hide profile pane button first, and then click More options .

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Calculation filter
When you select Calculation, the Add Filter dialog box opens. Enter the calculation, verify
that it's valid, and click Save. Starting in version 2021.4.1 you can also include parameters in
calculation filters. For more information, see Apply user parameters to filter calculations
on page 208.

Note: In the Input step this is the only type of filter that is available. All other filter types
are available in the profile cards, data grid or results pane.

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Selected Values filter

In Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.2.3 and later and on the web, you can use the Selected
Values filter to pick and choose the values that you want to keep or exclude for a field, even
values that aren't in your sample. In the right pane, click the Keep Only or Exclude tab to

select your action, then enter search terms to search for values or click Add a value to
add values that are in your data set but aren't included in your sample. Click Done to apply
your filter.

Note: This filter options isn't available for Aggregation or Pivot step types.

Range of Values filter

Filter out values that fall within a specific range. When you select Range of Values, you can
specify a range or set minimum or maximum values.

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Range of Dates filter

Filter out values that fall within a specific date range. When you select Range of Dates, you
can specify a range of dates or set a minimum or maximum date.

Relative Date filter

Use the Relative Dates filter to specify the exact range of years, quarters, months, weeks, or
days that you want to see in your data. You can also configure an anchor relative to a specific
date, and include null values.

Note: “Last” date periods include the complete current unit of time, even if some dates
haven't occurred yet. For example, if you select the last month and the current date is
January 7th, Tableau will display dates for January 1st through January 31st.

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Wildcard Match filter

When you select Wildcard Match, you can filter the field values to keep or exclude values that
match a pattern. In the filter editor, select the Keep Only or Exclude tab, enter a value to
match and then set the Matching Options criteria to return the values you are looking for.

The filtered results display in the left pane of the filter editor so that you can review and
experiment with your results. Once you have the results you want, click Done to apply your
change.

Null Values filter

When you select Null Values you can filter the values in the selected field to show only null
values or exclude all null values.

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Use Data Roles to Validate your Data

Note: Data source owners and Tableau administrators can add synonyms for specific
data field names and values for Ask Data. For information about using data roles for Ask
Data, see Add Synonyms for Ask Data in the Tableau Desktop help.

Use data roles to quickly identify whether the values in a field are valid or not. Tableau Prep
delivers a standard set of data roles that you can select from or you can create your own using
the unique field values in your data set.

When you assign a data role, Tableau Prep compares the standard values defined for the data
role with the values in your field. Any values that don't match are marked with a red exclamation
mark. You can filter your field to view only the valid or invalid values and take the appropriate
actions to fix them. Once you've assigned a data role to your fields, you can use the Group
Values option to group and match invalid values to valid ones based on spelling and
pronunciation.

Note: Starting in version 2020.4.1, you can now create and edit flows in Tableau Server
and Tableau Cloud. The content in this topic applies to all platforms, unless specifically
noted. For more information about authoring flows on the web, see Tableau Prep on the
Web in the Tableau Server help.

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Assign standard data roles to your data

Assign data roles provided by Tableau Prep to your field the same way you assign a data type.
The data role identifies what your data values represent so Tableau Prep can automatically
validate values and highlight ones that aren't valid for that role.

For example if you have field values for geographical data, you can assign a data role of City
and Tableau Prep compares the values in the field to a set of known domain values to identify
values that don't match.

Note: Each field is analyzed independently so a City value of "Portland" in State

"Washington" in Country "USA" might not be a valid city and state combination, but it
won't be identified that way because it is a valid city name.

Tableau Prep Builder provides the following data roles:

l Email

l URL

l Geographic roles (Based on current geographic data and is the same data used by
Tableau Desktop)

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l Airport
l Area code (U.S.)
l CBSA/MSA
l City
l Congressional District (U.S.)
l Country/Region
l County
l NUTS Europe
l State/Province
l Zip code/Postal code

Tip: In Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.1.4 and later and on the web, if you assign a
geographic role to a field, you can also use that data role to match and group values with the
standard value defined by your data role. For more information about grouping values using
data roles, see Clean and Shape Data on page 215.

To assign a data role to a field, do the following:

1. In the Profile pane, Results pane or data grid, click the data type for the field.

2. Select the data role for the field.

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Tableau Prep compares the field's data values to known domain values or patterns (for
email or URL) for the data role you select and marks any values that don't match with a
red exclamation point.

3. Click the drop-down arrow for the field and from the Show Values section select an
option to show all values or only values that are valid or not valid for the data role.

4. Use the cleaning options on the More options menu for the field to correct any
values that aren't valid. For more information about how to clean your field values see
About cleaning operations on page 215.

Create custom data roles

Starting in Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.3.1 and on the web, you can create your own
custom data roles using the field values in your data sets to create a standard set of values that
you or others can then use to validate fields when cleaning data. Select the field that you want
to use, apply any cleaning operations to it if needed, then, publish it to Tableau Server or
Tableau Cloud to use it in your flow or share your data roles with others.

If creating custom data roles when editing flows on the web, you can publish the custom data
role directly to the server you are signed into.

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Requirements
l You can create custom data roles from single fields in your data set. Creating custom
data roles from a combination of fields isn't supported.
l Publishing data roles to projects with locked permissions isn't supported.
l You can create custom data roles only for fields assigned to a data type of String and
Number (whole).
l When you create a custom data role, Tableau Prep creates an output step in your flow
that is specific to publishing the data role.
l Publishing custom data roles to multiple sites in the same flow isn't supported. If you pub-
lish the flow, you must publish the custom data role to the same site or server where the
flow is published.
l Custom data roles are specific to the site, server and project where you publish them. All
users with permissions to the location can use the custom data role, but must be signed
into the site or server to select it or apply it. Custom data roles are assigned the default
permission for the All Users group for new projects instead of None.
l Custom data roles aren't version specific. When applying a custom data role, the most
current version is applied.
l Once published to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud user with access to the site, server
and project can view all data roles in that location.
l Users with appropriate permissions can move, delete or edit permissions for the

data roles.
l The permissions you can set and actions you can take on a custom data role are
similar to what you can do with a flow. For more information, see Manage a Flow
and Permission capabilities in the Tableau Server help.
l To edit a data role, you must make your changes in Tableau Prep Builder or in the flow on
the web, then republish the data role using the same name to overwrite it. This process is
similar to editing a published data source.

Create a custom data role

1. In the Profile pane, data grid, or Results pane select the field you want to use to create a
custom data role.

2. Click More options for the field, and select Publish as Data Role.

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3. Select the server and project where you want to publish the data role.

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4. Click Run Flow to create the data role. After the publishing process completes
successfully, you can view your data role in Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud.
Processing the data role can take some time based on the load on your Tableau Server
or Tableau Cloud site. If your data role isn't available right away, wait a few minutes, then
try selecting it again.

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Apply a custom data role

1. In the Profile pane, Results pane or data grid, click the data type for the field where you
want to apply the custom data role.

2. Select Custom then select the data role that you want to apply to the field.

Important: In Tableau Prep Builder, make sure you are signed into the site or server
where the data role was published or you won't see this option.

Tableau Prep compares the field's data values to known domain values for the data role
you select and marks any values that don't match with a red exclamation point.

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3. Click the drop-down arrow for the field and from the Show Values section select an
option to show all values or only values that are valid or not valid for the data role.

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4. Use the cleaning options on the More options menu for the field to correct any values
that aren't valid. For more information about how to clean your field values see About
cleaning operations on page 215.

View and manage custom data roles

You can view and manage your published custom data roles on Tableau Server and Tableau
Cloud. You can view all custom data roles published to your site or server. Click More actions

for a selected data role to move it to a different project, change permissions or delete it.

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Group similar values by data role

Note: In Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.1.4 and 2019.2.1 this option was labeled
Data Role Matches.

If you assign a geographic data role to a field you can use the values in the data role to group
and match values in your data field based on spelling and pronunciation to standardize them.
You can use either Spelling or Spelling + Pronunciation to group and match invalid values
to valid ones.

These options uses the standard value defined by the data role. If the standard value isn't in
your data set sample, Tableau Prep adds it automatically and marks the value as not in the
original data set. For more information about assigning data roles to fields, see Assign
standard data roles to your data on page 180.

To use data roles to group values, complete the following steps.

1. In the Profile pane, Results pane or data grid, click the data type for the field.

2. Select one of the following data roles for the field:

l Airport

l City

l Country/Region

l County

l State/Province

Starting in Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.3.2 and on the web, you can also select
from your custom data roles.

Standard data roles (ver- Custom data roles (version 2019.3.2 and later)

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sion 2019.1.4 and later)

Tableau Prep compares the field's data values to known domain values for the data role
you select and marks any values that don't match with a red exclamation point.

3. Click More options , select Group Values (Group and Replace in previous
versions), then select one of the following options:
l Spelling: Matches invalid values to the closest valid values that differ by adding,
removing, or substituting characters.

l Pronunciation + Spelling: Matches invalid values to the most similar valid value
based on spelling and pronunciation.

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You can also click on the Recommendations icon on the field to apply the
recommendation to group and replace the invalid values with valid ones. This option
uses the Pronunciation + Spelling Group Values option.

Tableau Prep compares the values by spelling or spelling and pronunciation and then
groups similar values under the standardized value for the data role. If the standardized
value isn't in your data set, the value is added and marked with a red dot.

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Create and Use Parameters in Flows

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2021.4.1 and later and on the web in Tableau
Cloud and Tableau Server version 2021.4.0 and later

Note: The content in this topic applies to authoring flows in Tableau Prep Builder and on
the web, unless specifically noted. For more information about authoring flows on the
web, see Tableau Prep on the Web in the Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud help.

If you often reuse flows using different data with the same schema, you can create and apply
user parameters to your flows to easily transition between scenarios. A parameter is a global
placeholder value such as a number, text value, or boolean value that can replace a constant
value in a flow.

Instead of building and maintaining multiple flows, you can now build one flow and use
parameters to run the flow with your different data sets. For example, you can create a
parameter for various sales regions, then apply a parameter value to the input file path to run
the flow using just that region's data.

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Starting in Tableau Prep Builder and Tableau Cloud version 2023.2, you can also add system
parameters to the file or published data source output name to automatically add a time stamp
each time you run the flow.

Where can I apply parameters?

You can apply user Parameters to file names, paths, table names, filter expressions, and
calculated fields, depending on the step type. Starting in version 2022.1.1, you can even
include parameter override values when running flows using the REST API. For more
information, see Flow Methods in the Tableau Rest API help.

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You can apply system parameters (version 2023.2 and later) to output names for file and
published data source output types.

The following table lists the locations where you can apply parameters for each step type.

Step type Parameter location

Input User parameters:

l Connect to file: Use parameters in the file name or file path

l Connect to database: Use parameters for the table name and in Cus-
tom SQL
l Expression editor: Filters

Output User or system parameters:

l Output to file: Apply user parameters to the file name or file path and
starting in version 2022.1.1, to the Microsoft Excel worksheet name.
Apply system parameters to the file name.
l Output to server: Apply user or system parameters to the published
data source name
l Output to database: Apply user parameters to the table name and
starting in version 2022.1.1, to SQL scripts that you run before or
after writing the flow output to a database.

Clean, New User parameters:

Rows, Pivot,
l Expression editor: Filters and calculated field values
Join, Union

Aggregate User parameters:

l Expression editor: Filters

Script User parameters:

l Expression editor: Filters and calculated field values

Prediction User parameters:

l Expression editor: Filters and calculated field values

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Create user parameters

User parameters are specific to the flow where they are used. Create parameters from the top
menu, then define the values that apply to them. You can also define parameters that accept
all values, which means any flow user can enter any value when running the flow.

You can make flow parameter values required or optional. When running the flow, users are
prompted to enter the parameter values. Required parameter values must be entered before
the user can run the flow. Optional parameter values can be entered or you can accept the
current (default) value. The parameter values are then applied to the flow run everywhere that
parameter is used.

Note: To run or schedule flows that include parameters on Tableau Server or Tableau
Cloud, your administrator must enable the Flow Parameter settings on your server.
For more information, see Create and Interact with Flows on the Web in the
Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud help.

1. From the top menu, click the Parameter icon, then click Create Parameter.

2. In the Create Parameter dialog, enter a name and a description (optional). The
parameter name must be unique. This is the value that shows in the user interface when
you add a parameter.

If you include a description, users can see this information on hover (starting in version
2022.1.1) in the parameters list and where parameters are used.

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3. Select one of the following data types. Parameter values must match the data type that
you select.
l Number (whole or decimal)

l String

l Boolean

4. Specify the Allowable values. These are the values that users can enter in the
parameter.

l All: This option lets users type in any value for the parameter, even when running
the flow.

Note: Using this option for parameters that can be used in input and output
steps can be a security risk. For example, Custom SQL queries that allow

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any value to be entered can expose your data assets to SQL injection
attacks.

l List: Enter a list of values that users can choose from when applying the para-
meter. To enter multiple values, press Enter after each entry.
5. (optional) Select Require selection at run time (Prompt for value at run time in
prior releases). This makes the parameter required. The user is required to enter a
value when running or scheduling the flow.

6. Enter a Current value. This is a required value and acts as a default value for the
parameter.
l All: Enter a value.
l List: Tableau uses the first value in your list. Use the drop-down option to change
it.
lBoolean: Select True or False.
7. Click OK to save the parameter.

Change the user parameter default value

When you create a user parameter, you have to specify a current (default) value. If a
parameter is included in a flow, this value is used to:

l Run Custom SQL queries defined in an input step.

l Fill in optional parameters that aren't specified at run time.
l Replace the parameter as a static value in saved steps (version 2022.1.1 and later).
l Replace the parameter as a static value in file paths when publishing flows with pack-
aged data sets.

You can change the value at any time. From the top menu you can edit the parameter or use
the Set button on the parameter list. From within the flow, you can use the Set button
anywhere the parameter is applied. When you do this, it resets the parameter's current
(default) value everywhere that parameter is used, even in Custom SQL queries.

Edit user parameters

1. From the top menu, click the Parameter icon.

2. Click Edit parameter.

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3. In the Edit Parameter dialog, make any changes, then click OK.

Reset user parameter default values

To quickly reset the parameter default value, use the Set button. The button shows you a count
indicating the number of places in the flow where the parameter is used.

To highlight the steps in the flow that use the parameter, click View in flow on the parameter
dialog. If there is only one place the parameter is used, you are taken directly to that step with
the profile pane opened.

1. Do one of the following:

l From the top menu, click the Parameter icon. Use this option to reset
parameter values used anywhere in the flow, or when used in filters and calculated

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fields.

l Click on the parameter where it is applied in the flow. You can use this option for
parameters used in file names, file paths, table names, custom SQL, and pre and
post SQL scripts.

2. Select or enter the parameter value.

3. Click Set to apply the change.

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Apply parameters to your flow

After you create user parameters, you can apply them to various places throughout your flow,
depending on the step type. When the flow is run, the parameter values are applied to that flow
run to produce the output for the specific data scenario.

System parameters (version 2023.2 and later) are automatically generated when you run the
flow. Simply apply them to your output step name and every time the flow is run, the parameter
is dynamically updated with the flow run start date or time.

Apply parameters to input steps

In an Input step you can use user parameters to replace a file name, sections of your file path, a
database table name, or when using Custom SQL.

File name or file path

This option is not available when editing or authoring flows on the web.

You can include user parameters in your file path with some exceptions. Starting in version
2022.1.1, you can also see a preview of the parameter values.

Exceptions

l Starting in version 2022.1.1, you can schedule and run flows on the web that include para-
meters in the input file path. If using an earlier version, run flows in Tableau Prep Builder
or from the command line.

l To include parameters in the file path when publishing flows to the web, a direct file
connection is required. Otherwise, the parameter is converted to a static value using the
Current value.

Note: Direct file connections require that the file locations are included in your
organization's safe list. For more information see Safe List Input and Output
Locations in the Tableau Server help.

Apply a user parameter to a file name or path

1. In the Settings tab, in the file path, place your cursor in the location where you want to
add the parameter.

2. Click the parameter icon and select your parameter.

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3. View a preview of the parameter value. The current (default) value is shown in the
preview. You'll be prompted to select or enter the parameter value when you run the
flow.

Database table
When using user parameters in table names, the entire table name must be the parameter.
Using parameters for parts of a table name is not currently supported.

Note: Using a parameter for a table name in a Google BigQuery input connection is not
yet supported.

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1. In the Settings tab, in the Table field, click the drop-down menu.

2. Select Use Parameter, then select the parameter from the list.

Custom SQL

1. In the Connections pane, click Custom SQL.

2. In the Custom SQL tab, type or paste the query into the text box.

3. Click the parameter icon and select your parameter.

4. Click Run to run your query. You won't be prompted to enter a parameter value until you
run the flow. Instead the query will run initially using the parameter's Current value.

Note: If the parameter is used elsewhere in the flow and the Current Value is
reset, that change can impact your query.

Apply user parameters to output steps

In an Output step you can apply user parameters to the following places:

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l File name
l Sections of your file path
l Published data source name
l Database table name
l Microsoft Excel worksheet name (version 2022.1.1 and later)
l Custom SQL scripts that run before or after writing flow output data to a database (ver-
sion 2022.1.1 and later)

File name or file path

This output option is not available when creating or editing flows on the web

1. In the Output pane, select File from the Save output to drop-down list.

2. In the Name or Location field, click the parameter icon and select your parameter.

For file path, place your cursor in the location where you want to add the parameter.

When you run the flow you'll be prompted to enter your parameter values.

Published data source name

1. In the Output pane, in the Save output to drop-down list, select Published data
source.

2. In the Name field, click the parameter icon and select your parameter.

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When you run the flow you'll be prompted to enter your parameter values.

Database table and Before and After Custom SQL

1. In the Output tab, in the Save output to drop-down list, select Database table.

2. In the Table field, select Use Parameter, then select the parameter from the list.

3. (Optional) Click on the Custom SQL tab. Starting in version 2022.1.1, you can enter a
SQL script with parameters to run Before and After the data is written to the table. To
include a parameter, click Insert Parameter, and select your parameter.

For more information about using SQL scripts when writing output to a database, see
Save flow output data to external databases on page 370.

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Note: Parameters used in SQL scripts must be manually deleted. See Manually
delete user parameters on page 210 for more information.

When you run the flow you'll be prompted to enter your parameter values.

Apply system parameters to output steps

In an Output step you can apply date and time system parameters to the following places:

l File name
l Published data source name

File name
This output option is not available when creating or editing flows on the web

1. In the Output pane, select File from the Save output to drop-down list.

2. In the Name field, click the parameter icon and select from the following run date or

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run time parameters. You can combine multiple system parameters to create whatever
time stamp you need.

Run date
l Date: YYYY-MM-DD, YYYMMDD, DD-MM-YYYY

l Month: Month Name, Month Number

l Week Number

l Quarter Number

l Year Number

Run time
l YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS (24 hour)

l YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS (24 hour)

When you run the flow Tableau Prep applies the flow start run time using your local time
zone or the server time zone.

Published data source name

1. In the Output pane, in the Save output to drop-down list, select Published data
source.

2. In the Name field, click the parameter icon and select from the following run date or
run time parameters. You can combine multiple system parameters to create whatever
time stamp you need.

Run date
l Date: YYYY-MM-DD, YYYMMDD, DD-MM-YYYY

l Month: Month Name, Month Number

l Week Number

l Quarter Number

l Year Number

Run time
l YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS (24 hour)

l YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS (24 hour)

When you run the flow Tableau Prep applies the flow start run time using your local time
zone or the server time zone.

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Apply user parameters to filter calculations

Use user parameters to filter data throughout your flow. Filter your data set in the input step or
apply filter parameters at the step or field value level. For example use a filter parameter to
only input data for a specific region or filter data in a step to a specific department.

Note: Starting in version 2022.1, you can use copy and paste to reuse filter calculations
with parameters in other flows when the same parameter exists with the same name
and data type.

1. From the Input step or toolbar on the profile pane, click Filter Values. To add a para-

meter filter to a field, from the More options menu select Filters > Calculation.

2. In the Add Filter calculation editor, type the name of the parameter to select it from the
list (the parameter shows in purple), then click Save to save your filter.

When you run the flow you'll be prompted to enter your parameter values.

Apply user parameters to calculated fields

Use user parameters to replace constant values in calculations that you use throughout your
flow. You can apply calculation parameters at the step or field value level.

Note: Starting in version 2022.1, you can use copy and paste to reuse calculations with
parameters in other flows when the same parameter exists with the same name and
data type.

1. From the toolbar on the profile pane, click Create Calculated Field. To add a para-

meter to a calculation on a field, from the More options menu select Create

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Calculated Field > Custom Calculation.

2. In the Add Field calculation editor, enter your calculation, type the name of the
parameter to select it from the list, then click Save to save your calculation.

When you run the flow you'll be prompted to enter your parameter values.

Delete user parameters

To delete user parameters that you no longer need, click Delete Parameter in the Edit
Parameter dialog. This removes any instance of the parameter used throughout the flow and
replaces it with the parameter's Current value. This action can't be undone.

Note: The options to delete parameters in a flow vary depending on your version. Use
the instructions below for version 2022.1 and later. Use Manually delete user
parameters on the next page for previous versions and to delete parameters used in
Custom SQL scripts that run before or after writing output to a database.

1. From the top menu, click the parameter icon drop-down menu, then click Edit para-
meter for the parameter you want to delete.

2. In the Edit Parameter dialog, click Delete Parameter.

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3. In the confirmation dialog, click Delete Parameter again. You can click View in flow to
highlight the steps and investigate where the parameter is used before you delete it.

Manually delete user parameters

Applies to version 2021.4.4 and earlier and parameters used in pre and post Custom SQl
scripts

Before you can delete a user parameter from your parameters list, you must first find and
remove all instances of the parameters from your flow, even from the Changes pane.

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1. From the top menu, click the parameter icon drop-down menu.

2. For the parameter that you want to delete, click View in flow to find all instances where
the parameter is used in the flow.

If the parameter is not used anywhere in the flow skip to step 4.

3. For each step where the parameter is used, remove the parameter, including deleting
any changes listed in the Changes pane.

4. From the top menu, click the parameter icon drop-down menu and for the parameter
you want to delete, click Edit parameter.

5. In the Edit Parameter dialog, click Delete Parameter.

The parameter will be replaced with the parameter's Current value.

Run flows with parameters

Running flows that include parameters is the same as running flows that don't have them,
except that users are prompted to enter user parameter values at run time or when adding the
flow to a schedule in Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud.

System parameters are applied automatically when the flow is run.

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If a user parameter is marked as a required, users must enter a value before they can run the
flow. If a parameter is optional, users can enter a value or accept the parameter's Current
value by default.

Required parameters are those that have the Require selection at run time (Prompt for
value at run time in prior releases) check box selected.

If you run flows using the command line interface and want to override the current (default)
parameter values, create a parameters override .json file and include the -p --parameters
syntax in your command line. For more information, see Refresh flow output files from the
command line on page 389.

Run flows manually

When you run a flow from Tableau Prep Builder or manually in Tableau Server or Tableau
Cloud, the Parameters dialog opens when you click Run.

1. Enter or select the user parameter values. If there are optional parameters in the flow,
you can enter the values at this time or accept the current (default) parameter value.
2. Click Run Flow to run the flow.

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For more information about running flows, see Publish a Flow to Tableau Server or
Tableau Cloud on page 428.

Run flows on a schedule

When you schedule flows to run on Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud, you will need to enter any
required user parameter values when scheduling the flows.

1. On the New Tasks or Linked Tasks tab, in the Set Parameters section, enter or select
the parameter values. If there are optional parameters in the flow, you can enter the
values at this time or leave the field empty to use the current (default) parameter value.

New Tasks

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Linked Tasks

2. Click Create Tasks to schedule your flow.

For more information about scheduling flow tasks, see Schedule Flow Tasks in the Tableau
Server or Tableau Cloud help.

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Clean and Shape Data

Note: Starting in version 2020.4.1, you can now create and edit flows in Tableau Server
and Tableau Cloud. The content in this topic applies to all platforms, unless specifically
noted. For more information about authoring flows on the web, see Tableau Prep on
the Web in the Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud help.

Tableau Prep offers various cleaning operations that you can use to clean and shape your data.
Cleaning up dirty data makes it easier to combine and analyze your data or makes it easier for
others to understand your data when sharing your data sets.

You can also clean your data using a pivot step or a script step to apply R or Python scripts to
your flow. Script steps aren’t supported in Tableau Cloud. For more information, see Pivot
Your Data on page 307 or Use R and Python scripts in your flow on page 316.

About cleaning operations

You clean data by applying cleaning operations such as filtering, adding, renaming, splitting,
grouping, or removing fields. You can perform cleaning operations in most step types in your
flow. You can also perform cleaning operations in the data grid in a cleaning step.

You can apply limited cleaning operations in the Input step and can't apply cleaning operations
in the output step. For more information about applying cleaning operations in the Input step,
see Apply cleaning operations in an input step on page 113.

Available cleaning operations

The following table shows which cleaning operations are available in each step type:

Input Clean Aggregate Pivot Join Union New Output

Rows

Filter X X X X X X X

Group Values X X X X

Clean X X X X X

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Convert Dates X X X X X X

Split Values X X X X X

Rename Field X X X X X X

Rename Fields (in X

bulk)

Duplicate Field X X X X X

Keep Only Field X X X X X X X

Remove Field X X X X X X X

Create Calculated X X X X X
Field

Edit Value X X X X X

Change Data X X X X X X X
Type

As you make changes to your data, annotations are added to the corresponding step in the
Flow pane and an entry is added in the Changes pane to track your actions. If you make
changes in the Input step, the annotation shows to the left of the step in the Flow pane and
shows in the Input profile in the field list.

The order that you apply your changes matters. Changes made in Aggregate, Pivot, Join, and
Union step types are performed either before or after those cleaning actions, depending on
where the field is when you make the change. Where the change was made is shown in the
Changes pane for the step.

The following example shows changes made to several fields in a Join step. The change is
performed before the join action to give the corrected results.

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Order of operations
The following table shows where the cleaning action is performed in Aggregate, Pivot, Join, and
Union step types depending on where the field is in the step.

Action Step Aggreg- Aggreg- Piv- Pivot Join Join Union Union New
Type: ate ate ot Rows

Field Groupe- Aggreg- Not Cre- Inclu- Inclu- Mis- Com- Field
Loca- d fields ated in ated ded ded matche- bined used
tion: fields piv- from in in d fields fields to
ot pivot one both gen-
tabl- table- erate
e* s* rows

Filter Before After Bef- After Befo- After Before After After
Aggreg- Aggreg- ore Pivot re Join Union Union New

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ation ation Piv- Join Rows

ot

Group NA NA Bef- After Befo- After Before After After

Val- ore Pivot re Join Union Union New
ues Piv- Join Rows
ot

Clean NA NA Bef- After Befo- After Before After After

ore Pivot re Join Union Union New
Piv- Join Rows
ot

Con- Before After Bef- After Befo- After Before After After
vert Aggreg- Aggreg- ore Pivot re Join Union Union New
Dates ation ation Piv- Join Rows
ot

Split NA NA Bef- After Befo- After Before After After

Val- ore Pivot re Join Union Union New
ues Piv- Join Rows
ot

Rena- NA NA Bef- After Befo- After Before After Befor-

me ore Pivot re Join Union Union e
Field Piv- Join New
ot Rows

Duplic- NA NA Bef- After Befo- After Before After After

ate ore Pivot re Join Union Union New
Field Piv- Join Rows
ot

Keep After After Bef- After Befo- After Before After After
Only Aggreg- Aggreg- ore Pivot re Join Union Union New
Field ation ation Piv- Join Rows
ot

Remo- Remov- Remov- Bef- After Befo- After Before After After

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ve es from es from ore Pivot re Join Union Union New

Field Aggreg- Aggreg- Piv- Join Rows
ation ation ot

Create NA NA Bef- After After After Before After After

Cal- ore Pivot Join Join Union Union New
culate- Piv- Rows
d ot
Field

Edit NA NA Bef- After Befo- After Before After After

Value ore Pivot re Join Union Union New
Piv- Join Rows
ot

Chang- Before After Bef- After Befo- Befo- Before After Befor-
e Data Aggreg- Aggreg- ore Pivot re re Union Union e
Type ation ation Piv- Join Join New
ot Rows

Note: For joins, if the field is a calculated field that was created using a field from one
table, the change is applied before the join. If the field is created with fields from both
tables, the change is applied after the join.

Apply cleaning operations

To apply cleaning operations to fields, use the toolbar options or click More options on the
field profile card, data grid, or Results pane to open the menu.

In Aggregate, Pivot, Join, and Union step types, the More options menu is available on the
profile cards in the Results pane and corresponding data grid. If you perform the same cleaning
operations or actions over and over throughout your flow, you can copy and paste your steps,
actions, or even fields. For more information see Copy steps, actions and fields on
page 250.

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Profile pane toolbar Drop-down menu

Select your view

You can perform cleaning operations outside of the profile or results pane in the data grid or in

the list view. Use the view toolbar (Tableau Prep Builder version

2019.3.2 and later and on the web) to change your view, then click More options on a field
to open the cleaning menu.

l Show profile pane: This is the default view. Select this button to go back to the
Profile pane or Results pane view.

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l Show data grid: Collapse the profile or results pane to expand and show only the
data grid. This view provides a more detailed view of your data and can be useful when
you need to work with specific field values. After you select this option, this view state
persists across all steps in your flow but you can change it at any time.

Note: Not all cleaning operations are available in the data grid. For example if you
want to edit a value in-line, you must use the Profile pane.

l Show list view (Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.3.2 and later and on the web):
Convert the profile pane or results pane into a list. After you select this option, this view
state persists across all steps in your flow but you can change it at any time.

In this view you can:

l Select and remove multiple rows using the X option.

l (version 2021.1.4 and later) Select and hide or unhide multiple rows using the
option.
l (version 2021.2.1 and later) Rename fields in bulk.

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l Use the More options menu to apply operations to selected fields.

If you assign a data role to the field, or select Filter, Group Values, Clean, or
Split Values, you're returned to the Profile or Results view to complete those
actions. All other options can be performed in the list view.

Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.3.1 and earlier

Use the view toolbar to hide the Profile pane and show only the

data grid. Then click More options on a field in the data grid to open the cleaning menu.
This view shows a more detailed view of your data and can be useful when you need to work
with specific field values. After you select this option, this view state persists across all steps in
your flow but you can change it at any time.

Note: Not all cleaning operations are available in the data grid. For example if you want
to edit a value in-line, you must use the Profile pane.

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Pause data updates to boost performance

As you perform cleaning operations on your data, Tableau Prep applies your changes as you
go to show you the results immediately. To save valuable processing time when you know the
changes you need to make and don't need immediate feedback as you make each change, you
can boost performance by pausing data updates.

When you pause data updates, you can make all your changes at once, then resume updates
to see your results. You can resume data updates and enable all available operations at any
time.

Note: When you pause data updates, any operations that require you to see your values
are disabled. For example if you want to apply a filter to selected values, you need to see
the values you want to exclude.

1. In the top menu, click Pause data updates to pause updates.

2. Tableau Prep converts the Profile pane into the List view. In List view, use the More

options menu to apply operations to selected fields. If the operation requires you to
see your values, it is disabled. To enable the operation, you must resume data updates.

For more information about using List view mode, see Select your view on page 220.

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3. To see the results of your changes or enable a disabled feature, resume data updates.
Click the Resume data updates button, click the Resume button in the menu dialog or
in the message banner at the top of the Flow pane.

Note: Tableau Prep Builder gives you an option to resume updates directly from
the menu. If editing flows on the web, you'll need to resume updates from the top
menu.

Apply cleaning operations

To apply cleaning operations to a field, do the following:

Note: You can perform cleaning operations in a list view beginning in Tableau Prep
Builder version 2019.3.2 and on Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud starting in version
2020.4.

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1. In the Profile pane, data grid, Results pane, or list view, select the field you want to make
changes to.

2. From either the toolbar or More options menu for the field , select from the following
options:

l Filter or Filter Values: Select from one of the filter options, right-click or Ctrl-click
(MacOS) a field value to keep or exclude values. You can also use the Selected
Values filter to pick and choose the values to filter, included values not in your flow
sample. For more information about filter options, see Filter Your Data on
page 169.

l Group Values (Group and Replace in prior versions): Manually select values or
use automatic grouping. You can also multi-select values in the Profile card and
right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) to group or ungroup values or edit the group value.
For more information about using Group Values, see Automatically map
values to a standard value using fuzzy match on page 245.

l Clean: Select from a list of quick cleaning operations to apply to all values in the
field.

l Convert Dates (Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.1.4 and later and on the
web): For fields assigned to a Date or Date & Time data type, select from a list of
DATEPART quick cleaning operations to convert your date field values to an
integer value representing year, quarter, month, week, day, or a date and time
value.

Starting in version 2021.1.4, you can also select from two DATENAME quick
cleaning operations, day of the week or month name, to convert your date field
values.

l Custom Fiscal Year (Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.3.3 and later and
on the web): If your fiscal year doesn't start in January, you can set a custom
fiscal month to convert the date using that month instead of the default
month of January.

This setting is on a per field basis, so if you want to apply a custom fiscal
year to other fields, repeat this same step.

To open the dialog, from the More options menu, select Convert

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Dates > Custom Fiscal Year.

l Split Values: Split values automatically based on a common separator or use

custom split to specify how you want to split field values.

Automatic split and custom split work the same as they do in Tableau Desktop.
For more information, see Split a Field into Multiple Fields in the Tableau Desktop
and Web Authoring Help.

l Rename Field: Edit the field name.

l Duplicate Field (Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.2.3 and later and on the
web): Create a copy of your field and values.

l Keep Only Field(Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.2.2 and later and on the
web): Keep only the selected field and exclude all other fields in the step.

l Create Calculated Field: Write a custom calculation in the Calculation editor or

use the Visual Calculation editor (Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.1.1 and later
and on the web) to create level of detail, rank or row number calculations. For
more information, see Create Level of Detail, Rank, and Tile Calculations
on page 263.
l Publish as Data Role: Create custom data roles that you can then apply to your
fields to validate the field values when cleaning data. For more information about
this option, see Create custom data roles on page 182.

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l Hide Field: If you have fields you want to keep in your flow but don't need to clean,
you can hide them out of the way instead of removing them. For more information,
see Hide fields on page 171.

l Remove (Remove Field in previous versions): Remove the field from the flow.

3. To edit a value, right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) one or more values and select Edit
Value then enter a new value. You can also select Replace with Null to replace the
values with a Null value or double-click in a single field to edit it directly. For more
information about editing field values see Edit field values on page 236.
4. Review the results of these operations in the Profile pane, Summary panes or data grid.

Rename fields in bulk

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2021.2.1 and later. Supported in Tableau Prep on
the web in Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud version 2021.2 and later.

Use the Rename Fields option to rename multiple fields in bulk. Search for parts of a field
name to replace or remove it, or add prefixes or suffixes to all or selected fields in your data set.

You can also automatically apply the same change to any fields added in the future that match
your criteria by selecting the Automatically rename new fields check box when making your
changes.

Note: This option is only available in a Clean step type.

1. In a Clean step, from the toolbar, select Rename Fields.

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Your view is automatically converted to the List view showing all the fields in your flow.
You can use the Search option in the toolbar to narrow your results.

All fields are selected by default. Clear the top check box to clear the selection for all
fields to manually select only the fields you want to change.
2. In the Rename Fields pane, select from the following options:

l Replace text: In the Find text field, find matching text using the Search
options, then enter the replacement text in the Replace with field. To find blank
spaces, press the space bar in the Find text field.

Note: Renaming fields can't result in blank or duplicate field names.

l Add prefix: Add text to the beginning of all selected field names.

l Add suffix: Add text to the end of all selected field names.

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As you make your entries, your results display in the List view pane.

3. (optional) Select Automatically rename new fields to automatically apply these same
changes to new fields that match your replacement criteria when your data is refreshed.

4. Click Rename to apply your changes and close the pane. The Rename button shows the
number of fields that are impacted by your changes.

View your changes

The different types of cleaning operations are represented by icons over the steps in your flow.
If more than four types of operations are applied to a step, an ellipsis displays over the step.
Hover over these icons to view annotations showing applied operations and the order in which
they are performed.

Starting in Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.1.3 and later and on the web, you can click on an
annotation on the change icon on a step in the Flow pane or on a profile card in the Profile or
Results pane and the change and field it impacts will be highlighted in the Changes pane and
the Profile or Results pane.

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You can also select a step and then expand the Changes pane to view the details for each
change, edit or remove your changes, drag changes up or down to change the order in which
they're applied and add a description to provide context to other users. For more information
about adding descriptions to your changes, see Add descriptions to flow steps and
cleaning actions on page 150.

Cleaning annotation Changes pane

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When viewing changes in an Aggregation, Pivot, Join, or Union step, the order that the change
is applied shows either before or after the reshaping action. The order of these changes is
applied by the system and cannot be changed. You can edit and remove the change.

Merge fields
If you have fields that contain the same values but are named differently, you can easily merge
them into a single field to combine them by dragging one field on top of the other. When you
merge the fields, the target field becomes the primary field and the field name of the target field
persists. The field that you merge to the target field is removed.

Example:

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Input union results in 3 fields with the same values Merge 3 fields into 1

When you merge fields, Tableau Prep keeps all of the fields from the target field and replaces
any nulls in that field with values from the source fields that you merge with the target field. The
source fields are removed.

Example

Name Contact_Phone Business_Phone Cell_Phone Home_Phone

Bob 123-4567 123-4567 null null

Sally null null 456-7890 789-0123

Fred null null null 567-8901

Emma null 234-5678 345-6789 null

If you merge the Business _Phone, Cell_Phone and Home_Phone fields with the
Contact_phone field, the other fields are removed and results in the following:

Name Contact_Phone

Bob 123-4567

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Sally 456-7890

Fred 567-8901

Emma 234-5678

To merge fields, do one of the following:

l Drag and drop one field onto another. A Drop to merge fields indicator displays.

l Select multiple fields and right-click within the selection to open the context menu, and
then click Merge Fields.

l Select multiple fields, and then click Merge Fields on the toolbar.

For information about how to fix mismatched fields as a result of a union, see Fix fields that
don’t match on page 345.

Apply cleaning operations using recom-

mendations
Sometimes it can be hard to identify which cleaning operation you need to use to fix problems in
your data. Tableau Prep can analyze your data and recommend cleaning operations that you
can apply automatically to quickly fix problems in your data fields or help to identify problems so
you can fix them. This feature is available in all step types except Input, Output and Join step
types.

Note: In Tableau Prep Builder, if you don't want to use this feature, you can turn it off.
From the top menu, go to Help > Settings and Performance. Then click on Enable
Recommendations to clear the check mark next to the setting.

Recommendation types include:

l Data roles

l Filter
l Group values (also applies to fields with data roles starting in Tableau Prep Builder ver-
sion 2019.2.3 and on the web)

l Pivot columns to rows (Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.4.2 and later and on the web)

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l Replace values with Null values

l Remove fields

l Split (Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.1.1 and later and on the web)

Note: This option works specifically with data in fixed-width type text files. To use
the split recommendation with this file type, after you connect to the data source,
in the Input step, in the Text Settings tab, select a Field Separator character
that is not used in the data so the data loads as a single field.

l Trim spaces

Apply recommendations
1. Do one of the following:

l Click the light bulb icon in the top right corner of the profile card.
l From the toolbar, click the Recommendations drop-down arrow to view all
recommendations for your data set and select a recommendation from the list.

This option only appears when recommended changes are identified by Tableau Prep.

2. To apply the recommendation, hover on the Recommendations card and then click

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Apply.

The change is automatically applied and an entry is added to the Changes pane. To
remove the change, click Undo in the top menu or hover over the change in the
Changes pane and click the X to remove it.

If you apply a recommendation to pivot fields, a Pivot step is automatically created where
you can then perform any additional pivot actions like renaming the pivoted fields or
pivoting on additional fields.

3. If Tableau Prep identifies further recommendations as a result of the change, the light
bulb icon remains on the Profile card until no further recommendations are found.

Repeat the steps above to apply any additional changes or ignore the suggested change
and use the other cleaning tools to address the data problems.

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Edit field values

Multiple variations of the same value can prevent you from accurately summarizing your data.
You can quickly and easily correct these variations using the following options.

Note: Any edits that you make to the values must be compatible with the field data type.

Edit a single value

1. In the Profile card, click the value you want to edit, and enter the new value. A group

icon shows next to the value.

Alternatively, right-click a value and click Edit Value. The change is recorded in the
Changes pane on the left side of the screen.

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2. View the results in the Profile pane, and data grid.

Edit multiple values

You have several options to edit multiple values at once. For example, use quick cleaning
operations to remove punctuation for all values in a field, manually group values using multi-
select, automatically group values together using fuzzy-match algorithms that find similar
values or select multiple values and replace them with Null.

Note: When you map multiple values to a single value, the original field shows a group

icon next to the value, showing you which values are grouped together.

Edit multiple values using quick cleaning operations

This option applies only to text fields.

1. In the Profile pane, Results pane or data grid, select the field you want to edit.

2. Click More options , select Clean, and then select one of the following options:

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l Make Uppercase: Change all values to uppercase text.

l Make Lowercase: Change all values to lowercase text.

l Remove Letters: Remove all letters and leave only other characters.

l Remove Numbers: Remove all numbers and leave letters and other characters.

l Remove Punctuation: Remove all punctuation.

l Trim Spaces: Remove leading and trailing spaces.

l Remove Extra Spaces: Remove leading and trailing whitespace and replace
extra whitespace in-between characters with a single space.
l Remove All Spaces: Remove all whitespace, including leading and trailing
whitespace and any whitespace in between characters.

You can stack operations to apply multiple cleaning operations to the fields. For
example first select Clean > Remove Numbers and then select Clean > Remove
Punctuation to remove all numbers and punctuation from the field values.

3. To undo your changes, click the Undo arrow at the top of the Flow pane, or remove the

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change from the change list.

Group and edit multiple values inline

Use this option to manually select multiple values and group them under a standard value in the
profile card. To use other methods to group values, see Manually map multiple values to a
standard value on the next page and Automatically map values to a standard value
using fuzzy match on page 245.

1. In the Profile card, select the field you want to edit.

2. Press Ctrl or Shift+click or Command or Shift+click (MacOS), and select the values that
you want to group.

3. Right-click, and select Group from the context menu. The value in the selection that you
right-click becomes the default name for the new group but you can edit this in-line.

4. To edit the group name, select the grouped field and edit the value or right-click or
Ctrl+click (Mac) on the grouped field and select Edit Value from the context menu.

5. To ungroup the grouped field values, right-click on the grouped field and select Ungroup
from the context menu.

Replace one or more values with Null

If you have data rows that you want to include in your analysis but you want to exclude certain
field values you can change them to a Null value.

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1. In the Profile card, press Ctrl or Shift+click or Command or Shift+click (on Mac), and
select the values that you want to change

2. Right-click or Ctrl+click (Mac), and select Repace with Null from the menu. The values

are changed to Null and the group icon shows next to the value.

Manually map multiple values to a standard

value
Use Group Values (Group and Replace in previous versions) to map the value of a field
from one value to another or manually select multiple values to group them. You can even add
new values to set up mapping relationships to organize your data.

For example, let’s say you have three values in a field: My Company, My Company
Incorporated, and My Company Inc. All these values represent the same company, My
Company. You can use Group Values to map the values My Company Incorporated and My
Company Inc to My Company, so that all three values appear as My Company in the field.

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Map multiple values to a single selected field

1. In the Profile pane or Results pane, select the field you want to edit.

2. Click More options and select Group Values (Group and Replace in previous
versions) > Manual Selection from the menu.

3. In the left pane of the Group Values editor, select the field value that you want to use as
the grouping value. This value now shows at the top of the right pane.

4. In the lower section of the right pane in the Group Values editor, select the values you
want to add to the group.

To remove values from the group, in the upper section of the right pane in the Group
Values editor, clear the check box next to the values.

Create a group by selecting multiple values

1. In the Profile pane or Results pane, select the field you want to edit.

2. Click More options and select Group Values (Group and Replace in previous
versions) > Manual Selection from the menu.

3. In the left pane of the Group Values editor, select multiple values that you want to group.

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4. In the right pane of the Group Values editor, click Group Values.

A new group is created using the last selected value as the group name. To edit the
group name, select the grouped field and edit the value or right-click or Ctrl+click
(MacOS) on the grouped field and select Edit Value from the menu.

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Add and identify values that aren't in the data set

If you want to map values in your data set to a new value that doesn't exist, you can add it
using Group Values (Group and Replace in previous versions). To easily identify any
values that are not in the data set, these values are marked with a red dot next to the
value name in the Group Values editor.

For example in the image below, Wyoming and Nevada aren’t in the data set.

Some reasons why a value might not be in the data set include the following:

l You just added the new value manually.

l The value is no longer in the data.

l The value is in the data, but isn’t in the sampled data set.

To add a new value:

1. In the Profile pane or Results pane, select the field you want to edit.

2. Click More options and select Group Values (Group and Replace in
previous versions) > Manual Selection from the context menu.

3. In the left pane of the Group Values editor, click the plus to add a new value.

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4. Type a new value in the field and press Enter to add it.

5. In the right pane, select the values that you want to map to the new value.

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6. (Optional) To add additional new values to your mapped value, click the plus
button in the right pane in the Group Values editor.

Automatically map values to a standard value

using fuzzy match
To search for and automatically group similar values, use one of the fuzzy match algorithms.
Field values are grouped under the value that appears most frequently. Review the grouped
values and add or remove values in the group as needed.

If you use data roles to validate your field values, you can use the Group Values (Group and
Replace in previous versions) option to match invalid values with valid ones. For more
information, see Group similar values by data role on page 190

Choose one of the following options to group values:

l Pronunciation: Find and group values that sound alike. This option uses the
Metaphone 3 algorithm that indexes words by their pronunciation and is most suitable for
English words. This type of algorithm is used by many popular spell checkers. This option
isn't available for data roles.

l Common Characters: Find and group values that have letters or numbers in common.
This option uses the ngram fingerprint algorithm that indexes words by their unique
characters after removing punctuation, duplicates, and whitespace. This algorithm works
for any supported language. This option isn't available for data roles.

For example, this algorithm would match names that are represented as "John Smith"
and "Smith, John" because they both generate the key "hijmnost". Since this algorithm
doesn't consider pronunciation, the value "Tom Jhinois" would have the same key
"hijmnost" and would also be included in the group.

l Spelling: Find and group text values that are spelled alike. This option uses the
Levenshtein distance algorithm to compute an edit distance between two text values
using a fixed default threshold. It then groups them together when the edit distance is
less than the threshold value. This algorithm works for any supported language.

Starting in Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.2.3 and on the web, this option is available
to use after a data role is applied. In that case, it matches the invalid values to the closest

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valid value using the edit distance. If the standard value isn't in your data set sample,
Tableau Prep adds it automatically and marks the value as not in the original data set.

l Pronunciation +Spelling: (Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.1.4 and later and on
the web) If you assign a data role to your fields, you can use that data role to match and
group values with the standard value defined by your data role. This option then
matches invalid values to the most similar valid value based on spelling and
pronunciation. If the standard value isn't in your data set sample, Tableau Prep adds it
automatically and marks the value as not in the original data set. This option is most
suitable for English words.

For more information see Clean and Shape Data on page 215. Want to read more
about these fuzzy match algorithms? See Automated Grouping in Tableau Prep Builder
on Tableau.com

Note: In Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.1.4 and 2019.2.1 this option was
labeled Data Role Matches.

Group similar values using fuzzy match

1. In the Profile pane or Results pane, select the field you want to edit.

2. Click More options and select Group Values then select one of these options:

l Pronunciation

l Common Characters

l Spelling

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Tableau Prep Builder finds and groups values that match and replaces them with the
value that occurs most frequently in the group.

3. Review the groupings and manually add or remove values or edit them as needed. Then
click Done.

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Adjust your results when grouping field values

If you group similar values by Spelling or Pronunciation, you can change your results by
using the slider on the field to adjust how strict the grouping parameters are.

Depending on how you set the slider, you can have more control over the number of values
included in a group and the number of groups that get created. By default, Tableau Prep
detects the optimal grouping setting and shows the slider in that position.

When you change the threshold, Tableau Prep analyzes a sample of the values to determine
the new grouping. The groups generated from the setting are saved and recorded in the
Changes pane, but the threshold setting isn't saved. The next time the Group Values editor
is opened, either from editing your existing change or making a new change, the threshold
slider is shown in the default position, enabling you to make any adjustments based on your
current data set.

1. In the Profile pane or Results pane, select the field you want to edit.

2. Click More options and select Group Values (Group and Replace in previous
versions) then select one of these options:

l Pronunciation

l Spelling

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Tableau Prep finds and groups values that match and replaces them with the value that
occurs most frequently in the group.

3. In the left pane of the Group Values editor, drag the slider to one of the 5 threshold
levels to change your results.

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To set a stricter threshold, move the slider to the left. This results in fewer matches and
creates less groups. To set a looser threshold, move the slider to the right. This results
in more matches and creates more groups.
4. Click Done to save your changes.

Copy steps, actions and fields

Note: Starting in version 2020.4.1, you can now create and edit flows in Tableau Server
and Tableau Cloud. The content in this topic applies to all platforms, unless specifically
noted. For more information about authoring flows on the web, see Tableau Prep on
the Web in the Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud help.

When cleaning your data you often perform the same cleaning operations or actions over and
over throughout your flow. To help make cleaning and shaping your data more efficient, you
can copy and paste operations or actions throughout your flow, or even copy selected steps or
groups and save them so you can perform cleaning operations or actions once, then reuse it
where you need it. You can even duplicate fields to experiment with different cleaning
operations.

For more information about creating groups in your flow, see Group steps on page 146.

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Copy and paste steps

Copy one or more steps to use them in another area of the same flow. This option is not
available for Input steps that include a union in the input step.

1. In the Flow pane, select one or more steps or group in the flow.

2. Right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) on the selected step, then select Copy.

3. To paste the copied steps do one of the following:

l Hover over a step or flow line until the plus icon appears, then click the icon and
select Paste from the menu.
l Right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) in any whitespace in the canvas and click Paste.

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4. If you pasted the steps in the flow whitespace, drag and drop the steps to where you
want to place them in the flow. If adding steps to the end of a flow step, the steps are
automatically added to the end of the step. If inserting steps between existing flow steps,
move the steps where you want them in the flow and fix any errors.

You can remove flow lines or move steps around if needed. For example to connect a
step to the copied steps, remove the existing flow line if there is one, then drag the
existing step to the new step and drop on Add.

For more information about organizing your flow, see Reorganize the layout of your
flow on page 155.

Copy and paste cleaning operations

You can copy and paste cleaning operations in the same flow to reuse your actions using one
of the following options:

l Copy an operation from the Changes pane in one step and paste it in the Changes
pane for the same step or another step to apply that same operation in that step.
l Drag and drop an operation from the Changes pane and drop it to other fields in the Pro-
file pane for that step to apply that operation to multiple fields. This option is not available
for operations that impact multiple fields, such as calculated fields.

To copy and paste a change in a step to the same step or another step, do the following:

1. In the Changes pane select the change you want to copy.

2. Right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) on the change item, then select Copy from the menu.

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3. In the Changes pane where you want to past the change right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS)
and select Paste. Select the change and click on Edit to make any adjustments as
needed.

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To drag and drop a change to other fields in the step do the following:

1. In the Changes pane select the change you want to copy.

2. Drag the change over the field where you want to apply it and drop it. Repeat this action

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as needed.

Copy fields
Starting in Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.2.3 and later and on the web, if you wanted to
experiment with your cleaning operations on a field but don't want to change the original data,
you can copy your fields .

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1. In the profile pane, data grid, results pane, or list view, select the field you want to copy.

2. From the More options menu, select Duplicate Field.

A new field is created with the same name and a modifier. For example, "Ship Date -1".

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Create reusable flow steps

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.3.2 and later.

Note: Reusable flow steps can't be created on the web, but you can use them in your
web flows. Reusable steps that include file-based input steps are not yet supported on
the web.

If you commonly perform the same actions over and over again with your data and you want to
apply these same steps in other flows, in Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.3.2 and later, you
can select one or more flow steps or groups and their associated actions or the entire flow and
save it locally to a file on your computer. You can also or publish it to Tableau Server or Tableau
Cloud to share with others.

When the flow steps are published to your server, a Saved Steps tag is automatically added so
you can easily search and find them when adding them to your flows.

Starting in version 2022.1.1 you can create reusable steps that include parameters. When the
steps are saved, the parameter is converted to a static value using the parameter's Current
value. For more information about using parameters in flows see Create and Use
Parameters in Flows on page 193.

Create reusable steps

1. Select one or more steps.

2. Right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) on a selected step and select Save Steps as Flow.

3. Select Save to File to save the flow locally or Publish to Server to publish the flow to

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Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud.

4. If you publish the flow to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud, sign into your server if
needed, then complete the fields in the Publish Flow dialog then click Publish.

Insert reusable steps in a flow

1. Open a flow.

2. In the flow pane, do one of the following:

l Hover over a step or flow line until the plus icon appears, then click the icon
and select Insert Flow.
l In the white area of the canvas, right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) and click Insert
Flow or click Edit > Insert Flow from the top menu.

Flow Step menu Canvas menu

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3. In the Add Flow dialog, select from flows saved to either your local file or your server,
then click Add. The list of flows is automatically filtered to show flows tagged with Saved
Steps. To insert other flows, change the Flow Type to All Flows.

In Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.4.2 and later and on the web, you can click View
Flow to open and view the published flow in the server you are signed into.

4. The flow is added to the flow pane. If adding a flow to the end of a flow step, the flow steps
are automatically added to the end of the step. If inserting flow steps between existing
flow steps, move the steps where you want them in the flow and fix any errors.

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Fill Gaps in Sequential Data

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2021.3.1 and later and on the web in Tableau
Server and Tableau Cloud version 2021.3.0 and later.

When you have gaps in your sequential data set, you may need to fill those gaps with new rows
to effectively analyze your data or perform trend analysis. You can use the New Rows step
type to generate the missing rows and set configuration options to get the results you need.

New rows can be generated for fields with numeric (whole numbers) or date values.
Configuration options include:

l Generate rows using values from a single field or two fields

l Use all data in the field or select a range of values
l Create a new field with the results or add the new rows to your existing fields
l Set the increment (up to 10,000) to use when generating the new rows
l Set the values for the new rows to be zero, Null, or copy the value from the previous row.

Examples

l Example 1: You have a table of sales data, but there are some days where no sales are
recorded. You need a row for every day, not just the days where you had sales. With
New Rows you can generate rows for your missing days and add them to you existing
field "Days of the week". Since no sales are recorded for those days, you want the
quantity sold value to be zero.

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l Example 2: You have a table of sales data where orders filled is recorded using a range
of dates. You need a row for each day. Since you don't know how many orders were filled
each day, you want the values for the new rows to be Null. With New Rows you can
generate the missing rows between the two dates, and create a new field called "All
Days" to preserve your original data.

Generate new rows

1. In the Flow pane, click the plus icon, and select New Rows. A New Rows step
displays in the Flow pane.

Complete the following steps to configure your options to generate the new rows.
2. How do you want to add new rows? Use one of the following options to select the
field or fields where rows are missing.

a. Values from one field: Generate missing rows from values in a single field. Use
this option for Number (whole) or Date data types.

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By default, use the minimum and maximum value to generate missing rows. This
option uses all values in the field. If you only want to use a range of values to
generate the missing rows, set a Start value and End value.

Note: The Start value and End value fields can't be used to generate
rows outside of your current data set.

b. Value ranges from two fields: Generate new rows using a value range
between two date fields. This option is only available for Date and Date and
Time data types, uses all values in the field, and requires that both fields have the
same data type.
3. Where do you want to add the new rows? When using a single field you can add the
new rows to your existing field or create a new field to preserve your original data. When
using value ranges from two fields, you must create a new field.

l Field Name: Enter a name for the new field.

4. Specify your increment value: Enter a value from 1-10,000. Each new row is incre-
mented by the value you select. If you select a value that is greater than the gap
between values, no new rows are generated.
l Number fields: Select a numeric value.
l Date fields: Select a numeric value and select Day, Week, or Month.

5. What values should your new rows have?: Select an option to fill in the other field
values for the new rows.
l Null: Populate all field values with Null.
l Null or zero: Populate all text values with Null and all numeric values with zero.
l Copy from previous row: Populate all field values with the value from the pre-
vious row.

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New rows are shown in the Generated Rows pane in bold as you enter your configuration
settings. The row details are shown in the New Rows Results pane.

Create Level of Detail, Rank, and Tile Cal-

culations
Note: Starting in version 2020.4.1, you can now create and edit flows in Tableau Server
and Tableau Cloud. The content in this topic applies to all platforms, unless specifically
noted. For more information about authoring flows on the web, see Tableau Prep on
the Web in the Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud help.

You can use calculated fields to create new data using data that already exists in your data
source. Tableau Prep supports many of the same calculation types as Tableau Desktop. For
general information about creating calculations, see Get Started with Calculations in Tableau.

Starting in version 2020.1.3 Tableau Prep Builder and on the web, you can use FIXED Level of
Detail (LOD) and RANK and ROW_NUMBER analytic functions to perform more complex
calculations.

For example, add a FIXED LOD calculation to change the granularity of fields in your table, use
the ROW_NUMBER () analytic function to quickly find duplicate rows, or use one of the RANK ()
functions to find the top N or bottom N values for a selection of rows with similar data. If you want

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a more guided experience when building these types of expressions, you can use the visual
calculation editor.

Starting in version 2021.4.1 Tableau Prep Builder and on the web, you can use the tile feature
to distribute rows into a specified number of buckets.

Note: Some functions supported in Tableau Desktop may not yet be supported in
Tableau Prep. To view the available functions for Tableau Prep, review the function list
in the Calculation editor.

Calculate level of detail

When you need to calculate data at multiple levels of granularity in the same table, you can
write a level of Detail (LOD) expression to do this. For example, if you wanted to find the total
sales for each region, you could write a calculation like {FIXED [Region] : SUM
([Sales])}.

Tableau Prep supports the FIXED level of detail expression and uses the syntax {FIXED
[Field1],[Field2] : Aggregation([Field)}.

LOD expressions have two parts to the equation that are separated by a colon.

l FIXED [Field] (required): This is the field or fields that you want to calculate the values
for. For example if you wanted to find the total sales for customer and region, you would
enter FIXED [Customer ID], [Region]:. If you don't select any fields, this is
the equivalent to performing the aggregation defined on the right side of the colon and
repeating that value for every row.

l Aggregation ([Field]) (required): Select what you want to calculate and what level of
aggregation you want. For example if you want to find the total sales, then enter SUM
([Sales].

When using this feature in Tableau Prep, the following requirements apply:

l INCLUDE and EXCLUDE LOD expressions aren't supported.

l Aggregation calculations are only supported inside an LOD expression. For example,
SUM([Sales]) would not be valid, but {FIXED [Region] : SUM([Sales])} is
valid.

l Nesting expressions inside an LOD expression isn't supported. For example, { FIXED

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[Region] : AVG( [Sales] ) / SUM( [Profit] )} isn't supported.

l Combining an LOD expression with another expression isn't supported. For example
[Sales]/{ FIXED [Country / Region]:SUM([Sales])} isn't supported.

Create Level of Detail (LOD) calculations

To create a level of detail calculation, you can use the Calculation editor to write the
calculation yourself or if you want a more guided experience, you can use the Visual
Calculation editor where you select your fields and Tableau Prep writes the calculation for
you.

Calculation editor
1. In the Profile pane toolbar click Create Calculated Field, or in a profile card or

data grid, click the More options menu and select Create Calculated Field >
Custom Calculation.

2. In the Calculation editor, enter a name for your calculation and enter the

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expression.

For example, to find the average days to ship products by city, create a
calculation like the one shown below.

Visual calculation editor

Select fields from a list and Tableau Prep builds the calculation for you as you make your
selections. A preview of the results is shown in the left pane so you can see the results of
your selections as you go.

1. In a profile card or results pane, click the More options menu and select
Create Calculated Field >Fixed LOD.

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2. In the Visual Calculation editor, do the following:

l In the Group by section, select the fields that you want to calculate the val-

ues for. The field where you selected the Create Calculated Field >Fixed

LOD menu option is added by default. Click the plus icon to add any addi-
tional fields to your calculation. This populates the left side of the equation,
{FIXED [Field1],[Field2] :.

l In the Compute using section, select the field that you want to use to
calculate your new values. Then select your aggregation. This populates the
right side of the equation, Aggregation([Field)}.

A graphic below the field shows the distribution of values and a total count
for each value combination. Depending on the type of data, this can be a
box plot, range of values, or the actual values.

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Note: Available aggregation values vary by the data type assigned

to the field.

l To remove a field, right-click or Cntrl-click (MacOS) in the drop-down box

for the fields in the Group by section and select Remove Field.
l In the left pane, double-click in the field header and enter a name for your
calculation.

3. Click Done to add your new calculated field. In the Changes pane, you can see
the calculation that Tableau Prep generated. Click Edit to open the visual
calculation editor to make any changes.

Calculate rank or row number

Analytic functions, sometimes referred to as window calculations, enable you to perform
calculations across the entire table, or a selection of rows (partition) in your data set. For
example, when applying a rank to a selection of rows, you would use the following calculation
syntax:

{PARTITION [field]: {ORDERBY [field]: RANK() }}

l PARTITION (optional): Designate the rows you want to perform the calculation on. You
can specify more than one field, but if you want to use the entire table, omit this part of

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the function and Tableau Prep treats all the rows as the partition. For example
{ORDERBY [Sales] : RANK() }.

l ORDERBY (required): Specify one or more fields that you want to use to generate the
sequence for the rank.

l Rank () (required): Specify the rank type or ROW_NUMBER () you want to calculate.
Tableau Prep supports RANK(), RANK_DENSE(), RANK_MODIFIED(), RANK_
PERCENTILE(), and ROW_NUMBER() functions.

l DESC or ASC (optional): Represents descending (DESC) or ascending (ASC) order. By

default, rank is sorted in descending order, so you don't need to specify this in the
expression. If you want to change the sort order, add ASC to the expression.

You can also include both options in the function. For example if you wanted to rank a
selection of rows, but wanted to sort the rows in ascending order, then apply the rank in
descending order, you would include these two options in the expression. For example:
{PARTITION [Country], [State]: {ORDERBY [Sales] ASC,[Customer
Name] DESC: RANK() }}

When using this feature, the following requirements apply:

l Nesting expressions inside a RANK () function isn't supported. For example, [Sales]/
{PARTITION [Country]: {ORDERBY [Sales]: RANK() }} / SUM(
[Profit] )} isn't supported.
l Combining a RANK () function with another expression isn't supported. For example
[Sales]/{PARTITION [Country]: {ORDERBY [Sales]: RANK() }} isn't
supported.

Supported analytic functions

Function Description Result

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RANK () Assigns a whole

number rank
starting with 1, in
ascending or
descending
order to each
row. If rows have
the same value,
they share the
rank that is
assigned to the
first instance of
the value. The
number of rows
with the same
rank is added
when calculating
the rank for the
next row, so you
may not get
consecutive rank
values.

Sample
calculation:
{ORDERBY
[Commissio
n] DESC:
RANK()}

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RANK_ Assigns a whole

DENSE() number rank
starting with 1 in
ascending or
descending
order to each
row. If rows have
the same value,
they share the
rank that is
assigned to the
first instance of
the value, but no
rank values are
skipped so you
will see
consecutive rank
values.

Sample
calculation:
{ORDERBY
[Commissio
n] DESC:
RANK_DENSE
()}

RANK_ Assigns a whole

MODIFIED() number rank
starting with 1, in
ascending or
descending
order to each
row. If rows have
the same value,
they share the

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rank that is
assigned to the
last instance of
the value. Rank_
Modified is
calculated as
Rank +
(Rank +
Number of
duplicate
rows - 1).

Sample
calculation:
{ORDERBY
[Commissio
n] DESC:
RANK_
MODIFIED()}

RANK_ Assigns a
PERCENTIL- percentile rank
E() from 0 to 1 in
ascending or
descending
order to each
row. RANK_
PERCENTILE is
calculated as
(Rank-1)/
(Total
rows-1).

Sample
calculation:
{ORDERBY

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[Commissio
n] DESC:
RANK_
PERCENTILE
()}

Note: In
the event
of a tie,
Tableau
Prep
rounds the
rank
down,
similar to
PERCEN
T_RANK()
in SQL.

ROW_ Assigns a
NUMBER() sequential row
ID to each
unique row. No
row number
values are
skipped. If you
have duplicate
rows and use
this calculation,
your results
might change
each time you
run the flow if the
order of rows
changes.

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Sample
calculation:
{ORDERBY
[Commissio
n] DESC:
ROW_NUMBER
()}

The following example shows a comparison of each of the above functions applied to the same
data set.

Create Rank or Row Number calculations

To create a Rank or Row_Number calculations, you can use the Calculation editor to write the
calculation yourself or if you want a more guided experience, you can use the Visual
Calculation editor where you select your fields and Tableau Prep writes the calculation for you.

Note: ROW_NUMBER () calculations aren't available in the visual calculation editor.

Calculation editor
Use the Calculation editor to create any of the supported RANK () or ROW_NUMBER()
calculations. The list of supported analytic calculations is shown in the Calculation editor in the
Reference drop-down under Analytic.

1. In the Profile pane toolbar click Create Calculated Field, or in a profile card or data

grid, click the More options menu and select Create Calculated Field > Custom
Calculation.

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2. In the Calculation editor, enter a name for your calculation and enter the expression.

For example to find the latest customer order, create a calculation like the one shown
below, then keep only the customer order rows that are ranked with the number 1.

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Example: Use ROW_NUMBER to find and remove duplicate values.

This example uses the Superstore sample data set in Tableau Prep Builder to find and remove
exact duplicate values for the field Row ID using the ROW_NUMBER function.

1. Open the Sample Superstore flow.

2. In the Flow pane, for the Input step Orders West, click on the Clean step Rename
States.

3. In the toolbar, click Create Calculated Field.

4. In the Calculation editor, name the new field "Duplicates", and use the ROW_NUMBER
function to add a row number to the field Row ID using the expression {PARTITION
[Row ID]: {ORDERBY[Row ID]:ROW_NUMBER()}} and click Save.

5. In the new calculated field, right-click or Cmd-click (MacOS) on the field value 1, then
select Keep Only from the menu.

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Before After

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Visual Calculation editor

Just like when creating a level of detail calculation, you can use the visual calculation editor to
build a rank calculation. Select the fields you want to include in the calculation, then select the
fields you want to use to rank the rows and the type of rank you want to calculate. A preview of
the results is shown in the left pane so you can see the results of your selections as you go.

1. In a profile card or results pane, click the More options menu and select Create
Calculated Field >Rank.

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2. In the Visual calculation editor, do the following:

l In the Group by section, select the fields with rows you want to compute values
for. This creates the Partition part of the calculation.

After you select your first field, click the plus icon to add any additional fields to
your calculation. If you want to include all rows or remove a selected field, right-
click or Cmd-click (MacOS) in the drop-down box for the fields in the Group by
section and select Remove Field.

l In the Order by section, select the fields that you want to use to rank your new
values. The field where you selected the Create Calculated Field >Rank menu
option is added by default.

Click the plus icon to add any additional fields to your calculation, then select

your Rank type. Click the sort icon to change the rank order from descending
(DESC) to ascending (ASC).

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Note: Rank values vary by the data type assigned to the field.

l In the left pane, double-click in the field header and enter a name for your
calculation.

3. Click Done to add your new calculated field. In the Changes pane, you can see the
calculation that Tableau Prep Builder generated. Click Edit to open the visual
calculation editor to make any changes.

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Calculate tiles
Use the Tile feature to distribute rows into a specified number of buckets by creating a
calculated field. You select the fields that you want to distribute by, and the number of groups
(tiles) to be used. You can also select additional fields for creating partitions where the tiled rows
are distributed into groups. Use the Calculation editor to input the syntax manually or use the
Visual Calculation editor to select the fields and Tableau Prep writes the calculation for you.

For example, if you have rows of student data and wanted to see which students are in the top
50% and bottom 50%, you can group the data into two tiles.

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The following example shows two groups for the upper and lower half of student grades. The
syntax for this method is:

{ORDERBY [Grade] DESC:NTILE(2)}

You can also create a partition, where each value of a field is a separate partition, and divide
data into groups for each partition.

The following example shows creating partitions for the Subject field. A partition is created for
each subject and two groups (tiles) are created for the Grade field. The rows are then
distributed evenly into the two groups for the three partitions. The syntax for this method is:

{PARTITION [Subject]:{ORDERBY [Grade] DESC:NTILE(2)}}

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Create Tile calculations

To create tile calculations, you can use the Calculation editor to write the calculation yourself or
if you want a more guided experience, you can use the Visual Calculation editor where you
select your fields and Tableau Prep writes the calculation for you.

Visual Calculation editor

When you use the visual calculation editor to create a tile calculation, a preview of the results is
shown in the left pane.

1. Select a profile card to create a tile calculation.

2. Click the More options menu and select Create Calculated Field > Tile.

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The selected profile card is added as an ORDERBY field.

3. In the Visual calculation editor, do the following:

l Select the number of tile groupings you want. The default value for Tiles is 1.

l In the Group by section, select the fields for the rows you want to compute values
for. This creates the PARTITION part of the calculation. You can have multiple
Group by fields for a single calculation.

Click the plus icon to add any additional fields to your calculation. If you want to
include all rows or remove a selected field, right-click or Cmd-click (MacOS) in the
drop-down box for the fields in the Group by section and select Remove Field.

l In the left pane, double-click in the field header and enter a name for your
calculation.

l In the Order by section, select one or more fields that you want to use to group
and distribute your new values. You must have at least one Order by field. The

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field where you selected the Create Calculated Field >Tile menu option is
added by default.

4. To sort the results, do the following:

l Click any of the Calculation rows to filter the results for the selected grouping

l Change the ascending or descending order of the order by field.

5. Click Doneto add your new calculated field.

6. In the Changes pane, you can see the calculation that Tableau Prep Builder generated.
Click Edit to open the visual calculation editor to make any changes.

The following example shows a quartile division of rows. A partition is created based on
four US regions and then the Sales field data is evenly grouped into the partitions.

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Calculation editor

1. In the Profile pane toolbar, click Create Calculated Field, or in a profile card or data grid,

click the More options menu and select Create Calculated Field > Custom
Calculation.

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2. In the Calculation editor, enter a name for your calculation and enter the expression. For
example, to order rows of students by grades into two groups and then group them by
subject, use : {PARTITION [Subject]:{ORDERBY [Grade] DESC:NTILE
(2)}}.

Tile calculations include the following elements: 

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l PARTITION (optional): A partition clause differs the rows of a result set into
partitions where the NTILE() function is used.

l ORDERBY (required) The ORDER BY clause defines the distribution of rows in

each partition where the NTILE() is used.

l NTILE (required):NTILE is the integer into which the rows are divided.

Note: When all of the rows are divisible by the NTILE clause, the feature
divides the rows evenly among the number of tiles. When the number of
rows isn’t divisible by the NTILE clause, the resulting groups are divided
into different sized bins.

l DESC or ASC (optional): Represents descending (DESC) or ascending (ASC)

order. By default, the tile is sorted in descending order, so you don't need to
specify this in the expression. If you want to change the sort order, add ASC to
the expression.

3. Click Save.

The generated field shows the tile grouping (bin) assignments associated with each row
in the table.

Calculate Values Across Multiple Rows

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2023.2 and later and on the web in Tableau Cloud.
This feature is not yet supported in Tableau Server.

Note: Starting in version 2020.4.1, you can create and edit flows in Tableau Server and
Tableau Cloud. The content in this topic applies to all platforms, unless noted. For more
information about authoring flows on the web, see Tableau Prep on the Web in the
Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud help.

Multi-row calculations let you compute values between multiple rows of data in your flow. While
similar to table calculations in Tableau, multi-row calculations apply to your entire data set
when you run your flow. You can also build on the result using other types of calculations.

In Tableau, table calculations only apply to values in your visualization. While you can build on
the result, you must use another table calculation to do so. For more information about using

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table calculations in Tableau, see Transform Values with Table Calculations in the Tableau
help.

Performing table calculations during data preparation can provide greater flexibility when
analyzing data in Tableau. You can easily reuse the calculation when building your view and the
underlying calculation isn't impacted by filtering. Workbook load times for large data sets can be
faster as the table calculation isn't recalculated after the query runs.

Tableau Prep currently supports the following multi-row calculations:

l Difference from: Computes the difference between the current row value and another
value.
l Percent difference from: Computes the difference between the current row value and
another value as a percentage.
l Moving calculations: Returns the sum or average of a numeric field within a flexible set
of rows.

Use the visual calculation editor to quickly generate the calculation, or write your own custom
calculation in the calculation editor using the LOOKUP() function.

Calculate Difference From

A Difference From calculation computes the difference between the current value and a value
N rows before or after the current row.

Visual calculation editor

Select fields from a list and Tableau Prep builds the calculation for you as you make your
selections. A preview of the new field results is shown in the left pane and you can review the
calculation results in the far right of the pane.

1. In a profile card or results pane, click the More options menu and select Create
Calculated Field > Difference From.

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2. In the Group by section, select the fields with rows that you want to include in the
calculation. This partitions your table when performing the calculation. To apply the
calculation to all rows in the table, accept the default value Full table.

After you select your first field, click the plus icon to add any additional Group by
fields to your partition. To reorder or remove fields, right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) and
select an action from the menu.

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3. In the Order by section, select the fields that you want to use as the sort order. This field
is used to specify how the LOOKUP function orders the rows in your table.

If the field where you selected the Create Calculated Field >Difference From menu
option is a date or time field, then this field is added by default, but you can change it.

Click the plus icon to add any additional Order by fields to your calculation. Click the

sort icon to change the order from ascending (ASC) to descending (DESC). You
can also right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) and select an action from the menu to reorder or
remove fields.
4. In the Compute using section, select the field with the values that you want to use to cal-
culate your results.

5. In the Difference From section, select the rows to use to calculate the difference. For
example select Previous Value, 2 to calculate the difference between the current value
and a value 2 rows before that value. Annotations highlight the rows used to perform the
calculation.

By default, the calculation preview will show you the first non-null row. However, you can
click on any row in the results table and see an updated preview of the selected value.

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If the calculation can't be performed with the current settings, the annotation Not
enough values is shown. To resolve this issue, either select a different current value or
change the configuration in the Difference From section.

6. In the left pane, double-click in the field header and enter a name for your calculation.

7. Click Done to add your new calculated field. In the Changes pane, you can see the
calculation that Tableau Prep generated. Click Edit to open the visual calculation editor
to make any changes.

Calculation editor
If you want to write your own calculation to calculate the difference between two values, use
the LOOKUP function in the Calculation editor.

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1. In the Profile pane toolbar click Create Calculated Field, or in a profile card or data grid,

click the More options menu and select Create Calculated Field > Custom
Calculation.

2. In the Calculation editor, enter the expression. For example, to find the difference
between current sales and the previous day's sales by region, create a calculation like
the one shown below.

{PARTITION [Region]:{ ORDERBY [Order Date]ASC:LOOKUP

([Sales],0)}}
-

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{ PARTITION [Region]:{ ORDERBY [Order Date]ASC:LOOKUP

([Sales],1)}}

3. Enter a name for your calculation, and click Save.

Calculate Percent Difference From

A Percent Difference From calculation computes the difference between the current value
and a value N rows before or after the current row as a percentage. For example Value1-
Value2/Value2.

Visual Calculation editor

Select fields from a list and Tableau Prep builds the calculation for you as you make your
selections. A preview of the new field results is shown in the left pane and you can review the
calculation results in the far right of the pane.

1. In a profile card or results pane, click the More options menu and select Create
Calculated Field > Percent Difference From.

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2. In the Group by section, select the fields with rows that you want to include in the
calculation. This partitions your table when performing the calculation. To apply the
calculation to all rows in the table, accept the default value Full table.

After you select your first field, click the plus icon to add any additional Group by
fields to your partition. To reorder or remove fields, right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) and
select an action from the menu.

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3. In the Order by section, select the fields that you want to use as the sort order. This field
is used to specify how the LOOKUP function orders the rows in your table.

If the field where you selected the Create Calculated Field > Percent Difference
From menu option is a date or time field, then this field is added by default, but you can
change it.

Click the plus icon to add any additional Order by fields to your calculation. Click the

sort icon to change the order from ascending (ASC) to descending (DESC). You
can also right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) and select an action from the menu to reorder
or remove fields.
4. In the Compute using section, select the field with the values that you want to use to
calculate your results.

5. In the Percent Difference From section, select the rows to use to calculate your result.
For example select Previous Value, 2 to calculate the percent difference between the
current value and a value 2 rows before that value. Annotations highlight the rows used
to perform the calculation.

By default, the calculation preview will show you the first non-null row. However, you can
click on any row in the results table and see an updated preview of the selected value.

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If the calculation can't be performed with the current settings, you will see the annotation
Not enough values. To resolve this, either select a different current value or change the
configuration in the Percent Difference From section.

6. In the left pane, double-click in the field header and enter a name for your calculation.

7. Click Done to add your new calculated field. In the Changes pane, you can see the
calculation that Tableau Prep generated. Click Edit to open the visual calculation editor
to make any changes.

Calculation editor
If you want to write your own calculation to calculate the percent difference between two values,
use the LOOKUP function in the Calculation editor.

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1. In the Profile pane toolbar click Create Calculated Field, or in a profile card or data

grid, click the More options menu and select Create Calculated Field > Custom
Calculation.

2. In the Calculation editor, enter the expression. For example, to find the percent
difference between current sales and previous days sales by region, create a calculation
like the one shown below.

{ PARTITION [Region]:{ ORDERBY [Order Date]ASC:LOOKUP

([Sales],0)}}
-
{ PARTITION [Region]:{ ORDERBY [Order Date]ASC:LOOKUP

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([Sales],-1)}}
/
{ PARTITION [Region]:{ ORDERBY [Order Date]ASC:LOOKUP
([Sales],-1)}}

3. Enter a name for your calculation, and click Save.

Calculate Moving Average or Sum

Create a moving calculation to better understand trends in your data and reduce overall
fluctuations. In Tableau Prep you can calculate a moving average or sum across a specified
number of values before or after the current value. For example tracking the three month
moving average of sales per region.

Visual Calculation editor

Select fields from a list and Tableau Prep builds the calculation for you as you make your
selections. A preview of the new field results is shown in the left pane and you can review the
calculation results in the far right of the pane.

1. In a profile card or results pane, click the More options menu and select Create
Calculated Field > Moving Calculation.

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2. In the Group by section, select the fields with rows that you want to include in the
calculation. This partitions your table when performing the calculation. To apply the
calculation to all rows in the table, accept the default value Full table

After you select your first field, click the plus icon to add any additional Group by
fields to your calculation. To reorder or remove fields, right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS)
and select an action from the menu.

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3. In the Order by section, select the fields that you want to use as the sort order. This field
is used to specify how the LOOKUP function orders the rows in your table.

If the field where you selected the Create Calculated Field > Moving Calculation
menu option is a date or time field, then this field is added by default, but you can change
it.

Click the plus icon to add any additional Order by fields to your calculation. Click the

sort icon to change the order from ascending (ASC) to descending (DESC). You
can also right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) and select an action from the menu to reorder or
remove fields.
4. In the Compute using section, select the field with the values that you want to use to cal-
culate your results.

5. In the Results section, select the aggregation you want to perform (sum or average), the
number of rows to include in the calculation, and whether to include the current row or
exclude it.

To change the results setting, click the drop-down in the Values field. For example, to
calculate the moving average of sales across the current month and previous 2 months,
set the Previous values to 2 and close the dialog.

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6. By default, the calculation preview will show you the first non-null row. However, you can
click on any row in the results table and see an updated preview of the selected value.
Annotations highlight the rows used to perform the calculation.

If the calculation can't be performed with the current settings, you will see the annotation
Not enough values. To resolve this, click the drop-down in the Values field to change
the configuration in the Results Settings.

7. In the left pane, double-click in the field header and enter a name for your calculation.

8. Click Done to add your new calculated field. In the Changes pane, you can see the

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calculation that Tableau Prep generated. Click Edit to open the visual calculation editor
to make any changes.

Calculation editor
If you want to write your own calculation to calculate the moving average or sum, use the
LOOKUP function in the Calculation editor.

1. In the Profile pane toolbar click Create Calculated Field, or in a profile card or data grid,

click the More options menu and select Create Calculated Field > Custom
Calculation.

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2. In the Calculation editor, enter the expression. For example, to find the three month
moving average of sales per region, create a calculation like the one shown below.

Note: This example assumes that the data set is at the correct level of detail, one
row for each month. If your data set is not at the correct level of detail, consider
using an aggregation step to change this before applying the calculation.

{ PARTITION [Region]:{ ORDERBY [Year of Sale]ASC,[Order

Month]ASC:LOOKUP([Sales],-2)}}
+
{ PARTITION [Region]:{ ORDERBY [Year of Sale]ASC,[Order
Month]ASC:LOOKUP([Sales],-1)}}

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+
{ PARTITION [Region]:{ ORDERBY [Year of Sale]ASC,[Order
Month]ASC:LOOKUP([Sales],-0)}}
/
3

3. Enter a name for your calculation, and click Save.

Get Previous Value

If you need to create a field with the value from a previous row, you can create a custom
calculation using the LOOKUP function.

1. In the Profile pane toolbar click Create Calculated Field, or in a profile card or data grid,

click the More options menu and select Create Calculated Field > Custom
Calculation.

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2. In the Calculation editor, enter the expression. For example, to find the previous sales
value by order date, create a calculation like the one shown below.

Note: This example assumes that the data set is at the correct level of detail, one
row for each day. If your data set is not at the correct level of detail, consider using
an aggregation step to change this before applying the calculation.

{ ORDERBY [Order Date]ASC:LOOKUP([Sales],-1)}

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3. Enter a name for your calculation, and click Save.

Pivot Your Data

Note: Starting in version 2020.4.1, you can now create and edit flows in Tableau Server
and Tableau Cloud. The content in this topic applies to all platforms, unless specifically
noted. For more information about authoring flows on the web, see Tableau Prep on
the Web in the Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud help.

Sometimes analyzing data from a spreadsheet or crosstab format can be difficult in Tableau.
Tableau prefers data to be "tall" instead of "wide", which means that you often have to pivot your
data from columns to rows so that Tableau can evaluate it properly.

However you may also have scenarios where your data tables are tall and narrow and are too
normalized to properly analyze. For example a sales department that tracks advertising spend
in two columns, one called Advertising that contains rows for radio, television and print and
one column for total spent. In this type of scenario, to analyze this data as separate measures
you would need to pivot that row data to columns.

But what about pivoting larger data sets or data that changes frequently over time? You can use
a wildcard pattern match to search for fields that match the pattern and automatically pivot the
data.

Use one of the following options when pivoting your data:

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l Pivot columns to rows

l Use wildcard search to instantly pivot fields based on a pattern match (Tableau Prep
Builder version 2019.1.1 and later and on the web).
l Pivot rows to columns (Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.1.1 and later and on the
web).

No matter how you pivot your fields, you can interact directly with the results and perform any
additional cleaning operations to get your data looking just the way you want it. You can also
use Tableau Prep's smart default naming feature to automatically rename your pivoted fields
and values.

Pivot columns to rows

Use this pivot option to go from wide data to tall data. Pivot from columns to rows on one or
more groups of fields. Select the fields that you want to work with and pivot the data from
columns to rows.

1. Connect to your data source.

2. Drag the table that you want to pivot to the Flow pane.

3. Do one of the following:

l Tableau Prep Builder Version 2019.4.2 and later and on the web: In the

Profile pane, select the fields that you want to pivot, then right-click or Ctrl-click
(MacOS) and select Pivot Columns to Rows from the menu. If using this
option, skip to step 7.

l All versions: Click the plus icon, and select Add Pivot from the context
menu.

Select Fields (Tableau Prep Builder version Flow Step Menu (all ver-
2019.4.2 and later and on the web) sions)

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4. (Optional) In the Fields pane, enter a value in the Search field to search the field list for
fields to pivot.
5. (Optional) Select the Automatically rename pivoted fields and values check box to
enable Tableau Prep to rename the new pivoted fields using common values in the data.
If no common values are found, the default name is used.

6. Select one or more fields from the left pane, and drag them to the Pivot1 Values column
in the Pivoted Fields pane.

7. (Optional) In the Pivoted Fields pane, click the plus icon to add more columns to
pivot on, then repeat the previous step to select more fields to pivot. Your results appear
immediately in both the Pivot Results pane and the data grid.

Note: You must select the same number of fields that you selected in Step 5. For
example if you selected 3 fields to initially pivot on, then each subsequent column
that you pivot on must also contain 3 fields.

8. If you didn't enable the default naming option or if Tableau Prep couldn't automatically
detect a name, edit the names of the fields. You can also edit the names of the original
fields in this pane to best describe the data.

9. (Optional) Rename the new Pivot step to keep track of your changes. For example "Pivot
months".

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10. To refresh your pivot data when data changes, run your flow. If new fields are added to
your data source that need to be added to the pivot, manually add them to the pivot.

Example: Pivoting on multiple fields

This example shows a spreadsheet for pharmaceutical sales, taxes and totals by month and
year.

By pivoting the data you can create rows for each month and year and individual columns for
sales, taxes and totals so that Tableau can more easily interpret this data for analysis.

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Watch "pivot on multiple field" in action.

Use wildcard search to pivot

If you work with large data sets or if your data frequently changes over time, starting in Tableau
Prep Builder version 2019.1.1 and on the web, you can use a wildcard search when pivoting
columns to rows to instantly pivot your data based on a wildcard pattern match.

If new fields are added or removed that match the pattern, Tableau Prep detects the schema
change when the flow is run and the pivot results are automatically updated.

1. Connect to your data source.

2. Drag the table that you want to pivot to the Flow pane.

3. Click the plus icon, and select Add Pivot from the context menu.

4. In the Pivoted Fields pane, click on the link Use wildcard search to pivot .

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5. Enter a value or partial value that you want to search for. For example, enter Sales_ to
match fields that are labeled as sales_2017, sales_2018 and sales_2019.

Do not use asterisks to match the pattern unless they are part of the field value that you

are searching for. Instead click the Search Options button to select how you want to
match the value. Then press Enter to apply the search and pivot the matching values.

6. (Optional) In the Pivoted Fields pane, click the plus icon to add more columns to
pivot on, then repeat the previous step to select more fields to pivot.

7. If you didn't enable the default naming option or if Tableau Prep couldn't automatically

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detect a name, edit the names of the fields.

8. To refresh your pivot data when data changes, run your flow. Any new fields added to
your data source that match the wildcard pattern are automatically detected and added
to the pivot.

9. If the results aren't what you expect, try one of the following options:

l Enter a different value pattern in the Search field and press enter. The pivot will
automatically refresh and show the new results.

l Manually drag additional fields to the Pivot1 Values column in the Pivoted
Fields pane. You can also remove fields that were added manually by dragging
them off the Pivot1 Values column and dropping them in the Fields pane.

Note: Fields that were added from the wildcard search results can't be
removed by dragging them off the Pivot1 Values column. Instead try using
a more specific pattern to match the search results you are looking for.

Pivot rows to columns

In Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.1.1 and later and on the web, pivot rows to columns if
your data is too normalized and you need to create new columns - going from tall data to wider
data.

For example if you have advertising costs for each month that includes all advertising types in
one column, if you pivot the data from rows to columns you can then have a separate column for
each advertising type instead, making the data easier to analyze.

You can select one field to pivot on. The field values for that field are then used to create the
new columns. Then, select a field to use to populate the new columns. These field values are
aggregated and you can select the type of aggregation to apply.

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Because aggregation is applied, pivoting columns back to rows won't reverse this pivot action.
To reverse a row to column pivot type, you will need to undo the action. Either click the Undo
button on the top menu, remove the fields from the Pivoted Fields pane or delete the pivot
step.

1. Connect to your data source.

2. Drag the table that you want to pivot to the Flow pane.

3. Click the plus icon, and select Add Pivot from the context menu.

4. In the Pivoted Fields pane, select Rows to Columns from the drop-down list.
5. (Optional) In the Fields pane, enter a value in the Search field to search the field list for
fields to pivot

6. Select a field from the left pane, and drag it to the Field that will pivot rows to
columns section in the Pivoted Fields pane.

Note: If the field you want to pivot on has a data type of date or datetime, you will
need to change the data type to string to pivot it.

The values in this field will be used to create and name the new columns. You can
change the column names in the Pivot Results pane later.

7. Select a field from the left pane and drag it to the Field to aggregate for new
columns section in the Pivoted Fields pane. The values in this field are used to
populate the new columns created from the previous step.

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A default aggregation type is assigned to the field. Click the aggregation type to change it.

8. In the Pivot Results pane, review the results and apply any cleaning operations to the
new columns that you created.

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9. If the field being pivoted has a change in its row data, right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) on
the Pivot step in the flow pane and select Refresh.

Use R and Python scripts in your flow

Starting in version 2019.3.1 you can use R and Python scripts to perform more complex
cleaning operations or incorporate predictive modeling data into your flow. Data is passed from
the flow as input through the R or Python script step, then returned as output data that you can
continue cleaning using the features and functions of Tableau Prep Builder.

Note: Connecting to scripts as an input step for your flow is not yet supported. Also,
script steps are not yet supported for flows authored or published to Tableau Cloud.

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Configure your Rserve server or Tableau Python (TabPy) server and add a script step to your
flow. Tableau Prep passes the data to Rserve for R or Tableau Python server (TabPy) for
Python and returns the resulting data back to the flow in the form of a table. You can continue to
apply cleaning operations to the results and generate your output for analysis.

When you create your script, you will need to include a function that specifies a data frame as an
argument of the function. If you want to return different fields than what you input, you'll need to
include a getOutputSchema function in your script that defines the output and data types.
Otherwise, the output will use the fields from the input data.

If you author or edit flows in Tableau Server (version 2020.4.1 and later) that include script
steps, Tableau Server must also have a connection to an Rserve or TabPy server to run script
steps. For information about how to configure R or Python to use in your flows and how to
create your scripts, see Use R (Rserve) scripts in your flow below or Use Python scripts
in your flow on page 325.

Use R (Rserve) scripts in your flow

Disclaimer: This topic includes information about a third-party product. Please note that
while we make every effort to keep references to third-party content accurate, the
information we provide here might change without notice as R and Rserve changes. For
the most up-to-date information, please consult the R and Rserve documentation and
support.

R is an open source software programming language and a software environment for statistical
computing and graphics. To extend the functionality of Tableau Prep Builder, you can create

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scripts in R to use in your flow that run through an Rserve server to produce output that you
can further work with in your flow.

For example, you might want to add statistical modeling data or forecasting data to the data
that you already have in your flow using a script in R, then use the power of Tableau Prep
Builder to clean the resulting data set for analysis.

To include R scripts in your flow, you need to configure a connection between Tableau Prep
Builder and an Rserve server. Then you can use R scripts to apply supported functions to data
from your flow using R expressions. After you enter the configuration details and point Tableau
Prep Builder to the file and function that you want to use, data is securely passed to the Rserve
server, the expressions are applied, and the results are returned as a table (R data.frame) that
you can clean or output as needed.

You can run flows that include script steps in Tableau Server as long as you have configured a
connection to your Rserve server. Running flows with script steps in Tableau Cloud, isn't
currently supported. To configure Tableau Server, see Configure Rserve Server for
Tableau Server below.

Prerequisites
To include R script steps in your flow, install R and configure a connection to an Rserve server.

Resources

l Download and Install R. Download and install the most current version of R for Linux,
Mac, or Windows.
l R Implementation notes (community post). Install and configure a connection to R and
Rserve for Windows.
l Install and configure Rserve: Instructions for general installation and configuration for all
platforms.

l Rserve for Windows (release notes): This topic covers limitations when installing
Rserve locally on Windows.

Configure Rserve Server for Tableau Server

Use the following instructions to configure a connection between your Rserve server and
Tableau Server.

l Version 2019.3 and later: You can run published flows that include script steps in
Tableau Server.

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l Version 2020.4.1 and later: You can create, edit, and run flows that include script steps
in Tableau Server.
l Tableau Cloud: Creating or running flows with script steps isn't currently supported.

1. Open the TSM command line.

2. Enter the following commands to set the host address, port values, and connect timeout:

tsm security maestro-rserve-ssl enable --connection-type

{maestro-rserve-secure/maestro-rserve} --rserve-host <Rserve
IP address or host name> --rserve-port <Rserve port> --
rserve-username <Rserve username> --rserve-password <Rserve
password> --rserve-connect-timeout-ms <RServe connect
timeout>
l Select {maestro-rserve-secure} to enable a secure connection or {maes-
tro-rserve} to enable an unsecured connection.
l If you select {maestro-rserve-secure}, specify the certificate file -cf<cer-
tificate file path> in the command line.
l Specify the --rserve-connect-timeout-ms <RServe connect
timeout> in milliseconds. For example --rserve-connect-timeout-ms
900000.

3. To disable the Rserve connection enter the following command

tsm security maestro-rserve-ssl disable

Additional Rserve configuration (optional)

You can create a file named Rserv.cfg to set default configuration values to customize Rserve
and place it in the /etc/Rserve.conf installation location. To improve stability with the
Rserve server and Tableau Prep Builder, you can add additional values to your Rserve
configuration. When you launch Rserve you can refer to this file to apply your configuration
options. For example:

l Windows: Rserve(args="--RS-conf C:\\folder\\Rserv.cfg")

l MacOS and Linux: Rserve(args=" --no-save --RS-conf ~/Docu-
ments/Rserv.cfg")

The following example shows some additional options you can include in your Rserve.conf
configuration file:

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# If your data includes characters other than ASCII, make it

explicit that data should be UTF8 encoded.
encoding utf8
# Disable interactive behavior for Rserve or Tableau Prep Builder
will stall when trying to run the script as it waits for an input
response.
interactive no

For information about setting up an Rserve.conf file, see the Advanced Rserve configuration
section in the R Implementation notes (community post).

Create your R script

When you create your script, include a function that specifies a data frame as an argument of
the function. This will call your data from Tableau Prep Builder. You will also need to return the
results in a data frame using supported data types.

For example:

postal_cluster <- function(df) {

out <- kmeans(cbind(df$Latitude, df$Longitude), 3, iter.max=10)
return(data.frame(Latitude=df$Latitude, Longitude=df$Longitude,
Cluster=out$cluster))
}

The following data types are supported:

Data type in Data type in R

Tableau Prep
Builder

String Standard UTF-8 string

Decimal Double

Int Integer

Bool Logical

Date String in ISO_DATE format “YYYY-MM-DD” with optional zone offset.

For example, “2011-12-03+01:00” is a valid date.

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DateTime String in ISO_DATE_TIME format “YYYY-MM-DDT:HH:mm:ss” with

optional zone offset. For example, “2011-12-03T10:15:30+01:00” is a
vslid date.

Note: Date and DateTime must always be returned as a valid string. Native Date
(DateTime) types in R aren't supported as returned values but can be used in the script.

If you want to return different fields than what you input, you'll need to include a
getOutputSchema function in your script that defines the output and data types. Otherwise, the
output will use the fields from the input data, which are taken from the step that is prior to the
script step in the flow.

Use the following syntax when specifying the data types for your fields in the getOutputSchema:

Function in R Resulting data type

prep_string () String

prep_decimal () Decimal

prep_int () Integer

prep_bool () Boolean

prep_date () Date

prep_datetime () DateTime

The following example shows the getOutputSchema function for the postal_cluster script:

getOutputSchema <- function() {

return (data.frame (
Latitude = prep_decimal (),
Longitude = prep_decimal (),
Cluster = prep_int ()));
}

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Connect to your Rserve server

Important: Starting in Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.3.3, you can configure your server
connection once from the top Help menu instead of setting up your connection per flow in the
Script step by clicking Connect to Rserve Server and entering your connection details. You
will need to reconfigure your connection using this new menu for any flows that were created in
an older version of Tableau Prep Builder that you open in version 2020.3.3.

1. Select Help > Settings and Performance > Manage Analytics Extension Con-
nection.

2. In the Select an Analytics Extension drop-down list, select Rserve.

3. Enter your credentials:

l Port 6311 is the default port for plaintext Rserve servers.

l Port 4912 is the default port for SSL-encrypted Rserve servers.

l If the server requires credentials, enter a Username and Password.

l If the server uses SSL encryption, select the Require SSL check box, then click
the Custom configuration file link to specify a certificate for the connection.

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Note: Tableau Prep Builder doesn't provide a way to test the connection. If
there is a problem with the connection an error message shows when you
try and run the flow.

Add a script to your flow

Start your Rserve server then complete the following steps:

1. Open Tableau Prep Builder click the Add connection button.

In web authoring, from the Home page, click Create > Flow or from the Explore page,
click New > Flow. Then click Connect to Data.

2. From the list of connectors, select the file type or server that hosts your data. If prompted,
enter the information needed to sign in and access your data.

3. Click the plus icon, and select Add Script from the context menu.

4. In the Script pane, under Connection type , select Rserve.

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5. In the File Name section, click Browse to select your script file.

6. Enter the Function Name then press Enter to run your script.

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Use Python scripts in your flow

Disclaimer: This topic includes information about a third-party product. Please note that
while we make every effort to keep references to third-party content accurate, the
information we provide here might change without notice as python changes. For the
most up-to-date information, please consult the python documentation and support.

Python is a widely used high-level programming language for general-purpose programming.

By sending Python commands to an external service through Tableau Prep Builder, you can
easily extend your data preparation options by performing actions like adding row numbers,
ranking fields, filling down fields and performing other cleaning operations that you might
otherwise do using calculated fields.

To include Python scripts in your flow, you need to configure a connection between Tableau
and a TabPy server. Then you can use Python scripts to apply supported functions to data from
your flow using a pandas dataframe. When you add a script step to your flow and specify the
configuration details, file, and function that you want to use, data is securely passed to the

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TabPy server, the expressions in the script are applied, and the results are returned as a table
that you can clean or output as needed.

You can run flows that include script steps in Tableau Server as long as you have configured a
connection to your TabPy server. Running flows with script steps in Tableau Cloud, isn't
currently supported. To configure Tableau Server, see Configure the Tableau Python
(TabPy) server for Tableau Server below.

For information about how to configure sites on Tableau Server with analytics extensions for
workbooks, see Configure Connections with Analytics Extensions.

Prerequisites
To include Python scripts in your flow, complete the following setup. Creating or running flows
with script steps in Tableau Cloud isn't currently supported.

1. Download and install Python. Download and install the most current version of Python
for Linux, Mac or Windows.

2. Download and install the Tableau Python server (TabPy). Follow the installation and
configuration instructions for installing TabPy. Tableau Prep Builder uses TabPy to pass
data from your flow through TabPy as the input, applies your script, then returns the
results back to the flow.
3. Install Pandas. Run pip3 install pandas. You must use a pandas data frame in
your scripts to integrate with Tableau Prep Builder.

Configure the Tableau Python (TabPy) server for Tableau Server

If you plan to publish, create, edit, and run flows that include script steps in Tableau Server,
you will need to configure a connection between your TabPy server and Tableau Server.

l Version 2019.3 and later: You can run published flows that include script steps in
Tableau Server.
l Version 2020.4.1 and later: You can create, edit, and run flows that include script
steps in Tableau Server.
l Tableau Cloud: Creating or running flows with script steps isn't currently supported.

1. Open the TSM command line/shell .

2. Enter the following commands to set the host address, port values and connect timeout:

tsm security maestro-tabpy-ssl enable --connection-type

{maestro-tabpy-secure/maestro-tabpy} --tabpy-host <TabPy IP

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address or host name> --tabpy-port <TabPy port> --tabpy-

username <TabPy username> --tabpy-password <TabPy password> -
-tabpy-connect-timeout-ms <TabPy connect timeout>
l Select {maestro-tabpy-secure} to enable a secure connection or {maes-
tro-tabpy} to enable an unsecured connection.
l If you select {maestro-tabpy-secure}, specify the certificate file -cf<cer-
tificate file path> in the command line.
l Specify the --tabpy-connect-timeout-ms <TabPy connect
timeout> in milliseconds. For example --tabpy-connect-timeout-ms
900000.

3. To disable the TabPy connection enter the following command

tsm security maestro-tabpy-ssl disable

Create your python script

When you create your script, include a function that specifies a pandas (pd.DataFrame) as an
argument of the function. This will call your data from Tableau Prep Builder. You will also need
to return the results in a pandas (pd.DataFrame) using supported data types.

For example to add encoding to a set of fields in a flow, you could write the following script:

def encode(input):
le = preprocessing.LabelEncoder()
Return pd.DataFrame({
'Opportunity Number' : input['Opportunity Number'],
'Supplies Subgroup Encoded' : le.fit_transform(input['Sup-
plies Subgroup']),
'Region Encoded' : le.fit_transform(input['Region']),
'Route To Market Encoded' : le.fit_transform(input['Route To
Market']),
'Opportunity Result Encoded' : le.fit_transform(input['Oppor-
tunity Result']),
'Competitor Type Encoded' : le.fit_transform(input['Com-
petitor Type']),
'Supplies Group Encoded' : le.fit_transform(input['Supplies

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Group']),
})

The following data types are supported:

Data type in Data type in Python

Tableau Prep
Builder

String Standard UTF-8 string

Decimal Double

Int Integer

Bool Boolean

Date String in ISO_DATE format “YYYY-MM-DD” with optional zone offset.

For example, “2011-12-03” is a valid date.

DateTime String in ISO_DATE_TIME format “YYYY-MM-DDT:HH:mm:ss” with

optional zone offset. For example, “2011-12-03T10:15:30+01:00” is a
vslid date.

Note: Date and DateTime must always be returned as a valid string.

If you want to return different fields than what you input, you'll need to include a get_output_
schema function in your script that defines the output and data types. Otherwise, the output will
use the fields from the input data, which are taken from the step that is prior to the script step in
the flow.

Use the following syntax when specifying the data types for your fields in the get_output_
schema:

Function in Python Resulting data type

prep_string() String

prep_decimal() Decimal

prep_int() Integer

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prep_bool() Boolean

prep_date() Date

prep_datetime() DateTime

The following example shows the get_output_schema function added to the field encoding
python script:

def get_output_schema():
return pd.DataFrame({
'Opportunity Number' : prep_int(),
'Supplies Subgroup Encoded' : prep_int(),
'Region Encoded' : prep_int(),
'Route To Market Encoded' : prep_int(),
'Opportunity Result Encoded' : prep_int(),
'Competitor Type Encoded' : prep_int(),
'Supplies Group Encoded' : prep_int()
})

Connect to your Tableau Python (TabPy) server

Important: Starting in Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.3.3, you can configure your server
connection once from the top Help menu instead of setting up your connection per flow in the
Script step by clicking Connect to Tableau Python (TabPy) Server and entering your
connection details. You will need to reconfigure your connection using this new menu for any
flows that were created in an older version of Tableau Prep Builder that you open in version
2020.3.3.

1. Select Help > Settings and Performance > Manage Analytics Extension Con-
nection.

2. In the Select an Analytics Extension drop-down list, select Tableau Python (TabPy)
Server.

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3. Enter your credentials:

l Port 9004 is the default port for TabPy.

l If the server requires credentials, enter a username and password.

l If the server uses SSL encryption, select the Require SSL check box, then click
the No custom configuration file specified... link to select a certificate for the
connection. This is your SSL server certificate file.

Note: Tableau Prep Builder doesn't provide a way to test the connection. If
there is a problem with the connection an error message shows.

Add a script to your flow

Start your TabPy server then complete the following steps:

Note: TabPy requires tornado package version 5.1.1 to run. If you receive the error
'tornado.web' has no attribute 'asynchronous' when trying to start TabPy, from the
command line run pip list to check the version of tornado that was installed. If you
have a different version installed, download the tornado package version 5.1.1. Then
run pip uninstall tornado to uninstall your current version, then run pip
install tornado==5.1.1 to install the required version.

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1. Open Tableau Prep Builder and click the Add connection button.

In web authoring, from the Home page, click Create > Flow or from the Explore page,
click New > Flow. Then click Connect to Data.

2. From the list of connectors, select the file type or server that hosts your data. If prompted,
enter the information needed to sign in and access your data.

3. Click the plus icon, and select Add Script from the context menu.

4. In the Script pane, in the Connection type section, select Tableau Python (TabPy)
Server.

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5. In the File Name section, click Browse to select your script file.

6. Enter the Function Name then press Enter to run your script.

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Aggregate, Join, or Union Data

Aggregate, join, or union your data to group or combine data for analysis.

Note: Starting in version 2020.4.1, you can now create and edit flows in Tableau Server
and Tableau Cloud. The content in this topic applies to all platforms, unless specifically
noted. For more information about authoring flows on the web, see Tableau Prep on
the Web in the Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud help.

Aggregate and group values

Sometimes you’ll need to adjust the granularity of some data, either to reduce the amount of
data produced from the flow, or to align data with other data you might want to join or union
together. For example, you might want to aggregate sales data by customer before joining a
sales table with a customer table.

If you need to adjust the granularity of your data, use the Aggregate option to create a step to
group and aggregate data. Whether data is aggregated or grouped depends on the data type
(string, number, or date).

1. In the Flow pane, click the plus icon, and select Aggregate. A new aggregation step
displays in the Flow pane and the Profile pane updates to show the aggregate and
group profile.

2. Drag fields from the left pane to the Grouped Fields pane (the fields that make the row)
or to the Aggregated Fields pane (the data that will be aggregated and presented at
the level of the grouped fields).

You can also:

l Drag and drop fields between the two panes.

l Search for fields in the list and select only the fields you want to include in your
aggregation.

l Double-click a field to add it to the left or right pane.

l Change the function of the field to automatically add it to the appropriate pane.

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l Click Add All or Remove All to bulk apply or remove fields.

l Apply certain cleaning operations to fields. For more information abut which
cleaning options are available, see About cleaning operations on page 215.

The following example would show the aggregated sum of profit and quantity, and
average discount by region and year of sale.

Fields are distributed between the Grouped Fields and Aggregated Fields columns
based on their data type. Click the group or aggregation type (for example, AVG or SUM)
headings to change the group or aggregation type.

In the data grids below the aggregation and group profile, you can see a sample of the
members of the group or aggregation.

Any cleaning operations that are made to the fields are tracked in the Changes pane.

Join your data

The data that you want to analyze is often made up of a collection of tables that are related by
specific fields. Joining is a method for combining the related data on those common fields. The
result of combining data using a join is a table that’s typically extended horizontally by adding
fields of data.

Joining is an operation you can do anywhere in the flow. Joining early in a flow can help you
understand your data sets and expose areas that need attention right away. 

Tableau Prep supports the following join types:

Join Type Description

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Left For each row, includes all values from the left table and corresponding
matches from the right table. When a value in the left table doesn't have a cor-
responding match in the right table, you see a null value in the join results.

lnner For each row, includes values that have matches in both tables.

Right For each row, includes all values from the right table and corresponding
matches from the left table. When a value in the right table doesn't have a cor-
responding match in the left table, you see a null value in the join results.

leftOnly For each row, includes only values from the left table that don't match any val-
ues from the right table. Field values from the right table show as null values in
the join results.

rightOnly For each row, includes only values from the right table that don't match any
values from the left table. Field values from the left table show as null values in
the join results.

notInner For each row, includes all of the values from the right and the left table that
don't match.

Full For each row, includes all values from both tables. When a value from either
table doesn't have a match with the other table, you see a null value in the join
results.

To create a join, do the following:

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1. Join two tables using one of the following methods:

l Add at least two tables to the Flow pane, then select and drag the related table to

the other table until the Join option displays.

l Click the icon and select Join from the menu, then manually add the other input
to the join and add the join clauses.

Note: If you connect to a table that has table relationships defined and
includes related fields, you can select Join and select from a list of related
tables. Tableau Prep creates the join based on the fields that make up the
relationship between the two tables.

For more information about connectors with table relationships, see Join
data in the Input step on page 136.

A new join step is added to the flow and the profile pane updates to show the join profile.

2. To review and configure the join, do the following:

a. Review the Summary of Join Results to see the number of fields included and
excluded as a result of the join type and join conditions.

b. Under Join Type, click in the Venn diagram to specify the type of join you want.

c. Under Applied Join Clauses, click the plus icon or, on the field chosen for the
default join condition, specify or edit the join clause. The fields you selected in the
join condition are the common fields between the tables in the join.

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d. You can also click the recommended join clauses shown under Join Clause
Recommendations to add the clause to the list of applied join clauses.

Inspect the results of the join

The summary in the join profile shows metadata about the join to help you validate that the join
includes the data you expect.

l Applied Join Clauses: By default, Tableau Prep defines the first join clause based on
common field names in the tables being joined. Add or remove join clauses as needed.

l Join Type: By default, when you create a join, Tableau Prep uses an inner join between

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the tables. Depending on the data that you connect to, you might be able to use left,
inner, right, leftOnly, rightOnly,notInner, or full joins.

l Summary of Join Results: The Summary of Join Results shows you the distribution of
values that are included and excluded from the tables in the join.

l Click each Included bar to isolate and see the data in the join profile included in
the join.

l Click each Excluded bar to isolate and see the data in the join profile that are
excluded from the join.

l Click any combination of the Included and Excluded bars to see a cumulative
perspective of the data.

l Join Clause Recommendations: Click the plus icon next to the recommended join
clause to add it to the Applied Join Clauses list.

l Join Clauses pane: In the Join Clauses pane, you can see the values in each field in
the join clause. The values that don't meet the criteria for the join clause are displayed in
red text.

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l Join Results pane: If you see values in the Join Results pane that you want to
change, you can edit the values in this pane.

Common join issues

If you don't see the results you expect after joining your data, you may need to do some
additional cleaning on your field values. The following issues will result in Tableau Prep reading
the values as not matching and exclude them from the join:

l Different capitalization: My Sales and my sales

l Different spelling: Hawaii and Hawai'i

l Mispelling or data entry errors: My Company Health and My Company Heath

l Name changes: John Smith and John Smith Jr.

l Abbreviations: My Company Limited and My Company Ltd

l Extra separators: Honolulu and Honolulu (Hawaii)

l Extra spaces: This includes extra space between characters, tabbed spaces or extra

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leading or trailing spaces

l Inconsistent use of periods: Returned, not needed. and Returned, not needed.

The good news is that if your field values have any of these issues, you can fix the field values
directly in the Join Clauses or work with excluded values by clicking in the Excluded bars in
the Summary of Join Results and use the cleaning operations in the profile card menu.

For more information about the different cleaning options available in the Join step, see About
cleaning operations on page 215.

Fix mismatched fields and more

You can fix mismatched fields right in the join clause. Double-click or right-click the value and
select Edit Value from the context menu on the field that you want to fix and enter a new value.
Your data changes are tracked and added to the Changes pane right in the Join step.

You can also select multiple values to keep, exclude or filter in the Join Clauses panes, or apply
other cleaning operations in the Join Results pane. Depending on which fields you change and
where they are in the join process, your change is applied either before or after the join to give
you the corrected results.

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For more information about cleaning fields see Apply cleaning operations on page 219.

Union your data

Union is a method for combining data by appending rows of one table onto another table. For
example, you might want to add new transactions in one table to a list of past transactions in
another table. Make sure the tables you union have the same number of fields, the same field
names, and the fields are the same data type.

Tip: To maximize performance a single union can have a maximum of 10 inputs. If you need to
union more than 10 files or tables, try unioning files in the Input step. For more information
about this type of union, see Union files and database tables in the Input step on
page 125.

Similar to a join, you can use the union operation anywhere in the flow.

To create a union, do the following:

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1. After you add at least two tables to the flow pane, select and drag a related table to the

other table until you see the Union option. You can also click the icon and select
Union from the menu. A new union step is added in the Flow pane, and the Profile pane
updates to show the union profile.

2. Add additional tables to the union by dragging tables toward the unioned tables until you
see the Add option.

3. In the union profile, review the metadata about the union. You can remove tables from
the union as well as see details about any mismatched fields.

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Inspect the results of the union

After you create a union, inspect the results of the union to validate that the data in the union is
what you expect. To validate your unioned data, check the following areas:

l Review the union metadata: The union profile shows some metadata about the
union. Here you can see the tables that make up the union, the resulting number of
fields and any mismatched fields.

l Review the colors for each field: Next to each field listed in the Union summary and
above each field in the union profile, is a set of colors. The colors correspond to each
table in the union.

If all table colors show for that field, then the union performed correctly for that field. A
missing table color indicates that you have mismatched fields.

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Mismatched fields are fields that might have similar data but are different in some way.
You can see the list of fields that don't match in the Union summary and the tables where
they came from. If you want to take a closer look at the data in the fields, select the Show
only mismatched fields check box to isolate the mismatched fields in the Union profile.

To fix these field, follow one of the suggestions in the Fix fields that don’t match below
section below.

Fix fields that don’t match

When tables in a union don’t match, the union produces extra fields. The extra fields are valid
data being excluded from their appropriate context.

To resolve a field mismatch issue, you must merge the mismatched fields together.

There are a number of reasons why fields might not match.

l Corresponding fields have different names: If corresponding fields between tables

have different names, you can use union recommendations, manually merge fields in the
Mismatched Fields list, or rename the field in the union profile to merge the
mismatched fields together.

To use union recommendations, do the following:

1. in the Mismatched Fields list, click on a mismatched field. If a suggested match

exists, the matching field is highlighted in yellow.

Suggested matches are based on fields with similar data types and field names.

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2. Hover on the highlighted field and click the plus button to merge the fields.

To manually merge fields in the Mismatched Fields list, do the following:

1. Select one or more fields in the list.

2. Right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) a selected field and if the merge is valid, the
Merge Fields menu option appears.

If you see No options available when you right-click the field, this is because the
fields are not eligible to merge. For example trying to merge two fields from the
same input.

3. Click Merge Fields to merge the selected fields.

To rename the field in the union profile pane, right-click the field name and click
Rename Field.

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l Corresponding fields have the same name but are a different type: By default,
when the name of corresponding fields match but the data type of the fields don’t,
Tableau Prep changes the data type of one of the fields so they are compatible with each
other. If Tableau Prep makes this change, it’s noted at the top of the merged field by the
Change Data Type icon.

In some cases, Tableau Prep might not pick the correct data type. If that happens and
you want to undo the merge, right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) the Change Data Type
icon and select Separate Inputs with Different Types.

You can then merge the fields again by first changing the data type of one of the fields
and then using the suggestions in Additional merge field options on the next page.

l Corresponding tables have different number of fields: To union tables, each table

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in the union must contain the same number of fields. If a union results in extra fields,
merge the field into an existing field.

Additional merge field options

In addition to the methods described in the above section for merging fields you can also use
one of the following methods to merge fields. You can merge fields in any step, except for the
Output step.

For information about how to merge fields in the same file, see Merge fields on page 231.

To merge fields, do one of the following:

l Drag and drop one field onto another. A Drop to merge fields indicator displays.

l Select multiple fields and right-click within the selection to open the context menu, and
then click Merge Fields.

l Select multiple fields, and then click Merge Fields on the context-sensitive toolbar.

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Add Einstein Discovery Predictions to

your flow
Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2021.1.3 and later and on the web in Tableau
Cloud and Tableau Server version 2021.2.0 and later.

Use Einstein Discovery-powered models to bulk score predictions for the data in your flow.
Predictions can help you make better informed decisions and take actions to improve your
business outcomes.

When applying these models, a new field for predicted outcomes (in the form of probability
scores or estimated averages) is automatically added to your flow. You can also add top
predictors and top improvements fields to your flow data by selecting these options when
applying your model. Top predictors show factors that contributed most significantly to the
prediction. Top improvements show suggested actions to take to improve the predicted
outcome.

For example, to predict employee retention, you could build a model using historical data
(where you already know the outcome) in Einstein Discovery, then apply that model to the data
set in your flow and generate the predicted outcome. Prediction results are applied at the row-
level, helping you dive deep into your analysis in Tableau.

If you need to apply multiple models to your data set, you can include multiple prediction steps
in your flow. Each prediction step applies a single prediction model to the flow. Starting in
version 2021.2, you can sign into multiple Einstein Discovery servers in a single flow to choose
the models you need. Prior versions restrict you to a single Einstein Discovery server per flow.

Note: You must have a Salesforce license and user account that is configured to access
Einstein Discovery to use this feature. See Prerequisites on the next page for more
information.

What is Einstein Discovery?

Einstein Discovery augments your business intelligence with statistical modeling and
supervised machine learning to identify, surface, and visualize insights into your business data.

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It quickly sifts through millions of rows of data to find important correlations, predict outcomes,
and suggest ways to improve those predicted outcomes.

For more information about Einstein Discovery, see Getting Started with Discovery, and
Explain, Predict, and Take Action with Einstein Discovery in Salesforce help. You can also
expand your knowledge with the Gain Insight with Einstein Discovery trail in Trailhead.

Note: Einstein Discovery in Tableau is powered by salesforce.com. Consult your

agreement with salesforce.com for applicable terms.

Prerequisites
To configure and use Einstein Discovery predictions in your flow, you need certain licenses,
access, and permissions in Salesforce and Tableau.

Salesforce Requirements

requirement description

Salesforce license One of the following licenses:

l Einstein Discovery in Tableau license

l Tableau CRM Plus license
l Einstein Predictions license

These licenses are available for an extra cost.

Salesforce user Account that is configured to access Einstein Discovery.

account If you use the Einstein Discovery in Tableau license, your user
account must have the View Einstein Discovery
Recommendations Via Connect API system permission
assigned to it.

If you use either the Tableau CRM Plus license or Einstein

Predictions license:

l To get predictions using already deployed Einstein Dis-

covery models, the account must have the View Ein-
stein Discovery Recommendations system
permission assigned to it.

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requirement description

l To build, deploy, and manage predictions in Einstein Dis-

covery, the account must have the Manage Einstein
Discovery permission assigned to it.

To configure user accounts, see Set Up Einstein Discovery in

Salesforce help.

Administrator settings Salesforce administrators will need to:

l Tableau Prep Extensions: Configure Salesforce to cre-

ate a connected app for Tableau Server (basic).
Required for Tableau Server only.

Tableau Prep Requirements

requirement description

Tableau Prep license Creator license.

and permissions As a creator you need to be able to sign into the Salesforce org
account to access prediction definitions and add models to your
flow.

Tableau user account In Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud version 2021.2 and later,
users can save Salesforce user account credentials along with
their Tableau user account.

For more information about connecting to Salesforce data see

Connect to Salesforce data on page 79.

Administrator settings Tableau Server administrators will need to configure Tableau

Server to integrate with Einstein Discovery for Tableau Prep.
For more information, see Configure Einstein Discovery
Integration in the Tableau Server help.

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Add prediction data to your flow

Note: In version 2021.1.4 and earlier, flows that include prediction steps can only be run
manually in Tableau Prep Builder.

To apply Einstein Discovery predictions to your flow, you will need:

l Access to a Salesforce org.

l Access to Tableau Prep Builder version 2021.1.3 or later.
l If authoring or running flows on the web, access to Tableau Cloud or Tableau Server ver-
sion 2021.2 or later that has been enabled for Einstein Discovery predictions.
l Einstein Discovery prediction models that are deployed in Salesforce.
l Source data in Tableau Prep with fields that match the model fields required by the Ein-
stein Discovery prediction model.

1. Open Tableau Prep and connect to a data source.

2. Apply any cleaning operations as needed.

3. Click the plus icon and select Prediction from the Add menu.

4. In the Prediction pane on the Settings tab, do one of the following, depending on your
version:

l Version 2021.2 and later: In the Connection drop-down, connect to your

Salesforce server or select your Salesforce server from the list if you already have
a connection established.

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l Version 2021.1.4 and earlier: Click Connect to Einstein Discovery.

When connecting for the first time, a web page opens, asking you to sign in to your
Salesforce account using your Salesforce credentials. After you sign in, a web page
opens asking if you want to let Tableau access your Salesforce data. Click Allow to
continue, and then close the resulting tab in your browser.

5. Click Select Prediction Definition. This opens the list of deployed models that you
have access to. The models are built and deployed in Salesforce using Einstein
Discovery. For more information about predictive models see, About Models in
Salesforce help.

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6. In the Prediction Definitions dialog, select the prediction definition that maps to your
data set. To generate predicted outcomes using your flow data, all fields in the model
must map to a corresponding flow field.

7. In the Options section, select up to 3 top predictors and improvements to include in

your flow data. This is supplemental data you can add to your flow.

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l Top predictors indicate which factors contributed the most to the predicted
outcome.

l Top improvements suggest actions to take to improve the predicted outcome.

8. In the Map Fields section, map your flow fields to your model fields.

l All model fields must be mapped to a corresponding flow field.

l Field names that match exactly are automatically mapped.

l You can't map the same flow field to multiple model fields.

l Model and flow field data types must match.

If your flow field is assigned to a different data type, you'll need to change it to
match the data type assigned to the model field.

To change the data type, in the Map Fields section, simply click the data type for
the flow field, then select the new data type in the menu. You can then change the
data type back in a subsequent cleaning step.

For more information about changing data types, see Review the data types
assigned to your data on page 158.

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9. To apply your settings and run the model against your data, click Apply. The prediction
results show in the profile pane and data grid.

If you change any settings, you can click Apply again to re-run the model with your
changes. If you leave the Prediction step before clicking Apply, the model won't run
and your changes will be lost.

Reviewing your results

After you apply the predictive model to your flow data you can generate your flow output and
use the new data source to analyze the predicted outcomes at the row level in Tableau. To
understand the results of the prediction model, let's look at an example.

In this topic, we applied the Employee Retention Prediction model to our employee data in
Tableau Prep to get a probability score that an employee will stay with the company.

This gave us the following results:

Let's look at what these results tell us for Employee 2:

Question Prediction Where is this?

How likely will Einstein Discovery predicts that there is an Prediction field
this employee 81.38% chance that they will stay.
stay?

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What factors The years with the current manager reduces Predictor 1 field (top
impact this res- the chance that this employee will stay by predictor)
ult? 2.2%.
Predictor 1 Impact
(percent impact of the top
predictor)

What can Increasing the employee's monthly rate Improvement 1 field (top
improve this between 4923 to 5725 increases the like- improvement)
predicted out- lihood that the employee stays by 3.86%.
Improvement 1 impact
come?
(percent impact of making
the suggested change)

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Save and Share Your Work

Note: Starting in version 2020.4, you can also create and edit flows in Tableau Server
and Tableau Cloud. The content in this topic applies to all platforms, unless specifically
noted.

At any point in your flow you can manually save your work, or let Tableau automatically do it for
you when creating or editing flows on the web. When working with flows on the web, there are a
few differences.

For more information about authoring flows on the web, see Tableau Prep on the Web in the
Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud help.

Tableau Prep Builder Tableau Prep on the web

l View a preview of the data in your flow in l Create and edit flows on the
Tableau Desktop. web.
l Include direct file connections in your flow input l Upload files for your flow
or package your files and publish the packaged inputs and connect to a vari-
flow to your server. ety of data sources.
l Output your flow to a file, published data source, l Output your flow to a pub-
or to a database (version 2020.3.1 and later). lished data source or to a
database.

To keep data fresh you can manually run your flows from Tableau Prep Builder or from the
command line. You can also run flows published on Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud manually
or on a schedule. For more information about running flows, see Publish a Flow to Tableau
Server or Tableau Cloud on page 428.

Save a flow
In Tableau Prep Builder, you can manually save your flow to back up your work before
performing any additional operations. Your flow is saved in the Tableau Prep flow (.tfl) file
format.

You can also package your local files (Excel, Text Files, and Tableau extracts) with your flow to
share with others, just like packaging a workbook for sharing in Tableau Desktop. Only local

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files can be packaged with a flow. Data from database connections, for example, aren't
included.

In web authoring, local files are automatically packaged with our flow. Direct file connections
aren't yet supported.

When you save a packaged flow, the flow is saved as a Packaged Tableau Flow File (.tflx).

l To manually save your flow, from the top menu, select File > Save.

l In Tableau Prep Builder, to package your data files with your flow, from the top menu, do
one of the following:

l Select File > Export Packaged Flow

l Select File > Save As. Then in the Save As dialog, select Packaged Tableau
Flow Files from the Save as type drop down menu.

Automatically save your flows on the web

Supported in Tableau Server version 2020.4 and later.

If you create or edit flows on the web, as soon as you make a change to the flow (connect to a
data source, add a step, and so on) your work is automatically saved every few seconds as a
draft so you won't lose your work.

You can only save flows to the server you are currently signed into. You can't create a draft
flow on one server and try and save or publish it to another server. If you want to publish the
flow to a different project on the server, use the File > Publish As menu option, then select
your project from the dialog.

Draft flows can only be seen by you until you publish them and make them available to anyone
who has permissions to access the project on your server. Flows in a draft status are tagged
with a Draft badge so you can easily find your flows that are in progress. If the flow has never
been published, a Never Published badge is shown next to the Draft badge.

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After a flow is published and you edit and republish the flow, a new version is created. You can

see a list of flow versions in the Revision History dialog. From the Explore page, click the
Actions menu and select Revision History.

For more information about managing revision history, see Work with Content Revisions in the
Tableau Desktop help.

Note: Autosave is enabled by default. It is possible, but not recommended, for

administrators to disable autosave on a site. To turn off autosave, use the Tableau
Server REST API method "Update Site" and set the flowAutoSaveEnabled attribute
to false. For more information, see Tableau Server REST API Site Methods: Update
Site.

Automatic file recovery

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.3.3 and later.

By default, Tableau Prep Builder automatically saves a draft of any open flows if the application
freezes or crashes. Draft flows are saved in your Recovered Flows folder in your My Tableau
Prep repository. The next time you open the application, a dialog is shown with a list of the
recovered flows to select from. You can open a recovered flow and continue where you left off,
or delete the recovered flow file if you don't need it.

Note: If you have recovered flows in your Recovered Flows folder, this dialog shows
every time you open the application until that folder is empty.

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If you don't want this feature enabled, as an Administrator, you can turn it off during install or
after install. For more information about how to turn off this feature, see Turn off file recovery
in the Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Deployment Guide.

View flow output in Tableau Desktop

Note: This option is not available on the web.

Sometimes when you’re cleaning your data you might want to check your progress by looking
at it in Tableau Desktop. When your flow opens in Tableau Desktop, Tableau Prep Builder
creates a permanent Tableau .hyper file and a Tableau data source (.tds) file. These files are
saved in your Tableau repository in the Datasources file so you can experiment with your
data at any time.

When you open the flow in Tableau Desktop, you can see the data sample that you are
working with in your flow with the operations applied to it, up to the step that you selected.

Note: While you can experiment with your data, Tableau only shows you a sample of
your data and you won't be able to save the workbook as a packaged workbook (.twbx).
When you are ready to work with your data in Tableau, create an output step in your flow
and save the output to a file or as a published data source, then connect to the full data
source in Tableau.

To view your data sample in Tableau Desktop do the following:

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1. Right-click the step where you want to view your data, and select Preview in Tableau
Desktop from the context menu.

2. Tableau Desktop opens on the Sheet tab.

Create data extract files and published data

sources
Important: Starting in Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.3.1, Tableau Data Extract (.tde) files
are no longer supported as a flow output type. To avoid flow run failures, convert flow outputs
from (.tde) files to Hyper Extract (.hyper) files. Flows published to Tableau Server or Tableau
Cloud must be downloaded to Tableau Prep Builder to change the file output type.

To create your flow output, run your flow. When you run your flow, your changes are applied to
your entire data set. Running the flow results in a Tableau Data Source (.tds) and a Tableau
Data Extract (.hyper) file.

Note: You can publish data extracts or published data sources to Tableau Server version
10.0 and later as well as to Tableau Cloud.

Tableau Prep Builder

You can create an extract file from your flow output to use in Tableau Desktop or to share your
data with third parties. Create an extract file in the following formats:

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l Hyper Extract (.hyper): This is the latest Tableau extract file type and can only be
consumed by Tableau Desktop or Tableau Server version 10.5 and later.

l Comma Separated Value (.csv): Save the extract to a .csv file to share your data with
third parties. The encoding of exported CSV file will be UTF-8 with BOM.
l Microsoft Excel (.xlsx): Starting in version 2021.1.2, you can output your flow data to
a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Legacy Microsoft Excel .xls file types are not supported.

Tableau Prep Builder and on the web

Publish your flow output as a published data source or output to a database.

l Save your flow output as a data source to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud to share
your data and provide centralized access to the data you have cleaned, shaped, and
combined.
l Save your flow output to a database to create, replace, or append the table data with
your clean, prepared flow data. For more information, see Save flow output data to
external databases on page 370.

Use incremental refresh when running your flow to save time and resources by refreshing only
new data instead of your full data set. For information about how to configure and run your flow
using incremental refresh, see Refresh Flow Data Using Incremental Refresh on
page 381.

Note: To publish Tableau Prep Builder output to Tableau Server, the Tableau Server
REST API must be enabled. For more information see Rest API Requirements in the
Tableau Rest API Help. To publish to a server that uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL)
encryption certificates, additional configuration steps are needed on the machine
running Tableau Prep Builder. For more information, see the Before you Install in the
Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder Deployment Guide.

Include parameters in your flow output

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder and on the web starting in version 2021.4

Include parameter values in your flow output file names, paths, table names, or custom SQL
scripts (version 2022.1.1 and later) to easily run your flows for different data sets. For more
information, see Create and Use Parameters in Flows on page 193.

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Create an extract to a file

Note: This output option is not available when creating or editing flows on the web.

1. Click the plus icon on a step and select Add Output.

If you have run the flow before, click the run flow button on the Output step. This runs
the flow and updates your output.

The Output pane opens and shows you a snapshot of your data.

2. In the left pane select File from the Save output to drop-down list. In prior versions,
select Save to file.

3. Click the Browse button, then in the Save Extract As dialog, enter a name for the file
and click Accept.

4. In the Output type field, select from the following output types:

l Tableau Data Extract (.hyper)

l Comma Separated Values (.csv)

5. (Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.2.1 and later) In the Write Options section, view the
default write option to write the new data to your files and make any changes as needed.
For more information, see Configure write options on page 386.

l Create table: This option creates a new table or replaces the existing table with
the new output.

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l Append to table: This option adds the new data to your existing table. If the
table doesn't already exist, a new table is created and subsequent runs will add
new rows to this table.

Note: Append to table isn't supported for .csv output types. For more
information about supported refresh combinations, see Flow refresh
options on page 382.

6. Click Run Flow to run the flow and generate the extract file.

Create an extract to a Microsoft Excel Worksheet

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2021.1.2 and later. This output option is not
available when creating or editing flows on the web.

When you output flow data to a Microsoft Excel worksheet you can create a new worksheet or
append or replace data in an existing worksheet. The following conditions apply:

l Only Microsoft Excel .xlsx file formats are supported.

l The worksheet rows begin at cell A1.
l When appending or replacing data, the first row is assumed to be headers.
l Header names are added when creating a new worksheet, but not when adding data to
an existing worksheet.
l Any formatting or formulas in existing worksheets aren't applied to the flow output.
l Writing to named tables or ranges is not currently supported.
l Incremental refresh is not currently supported.

Output flow data to a Microsoft Excel worksheet file

1. Click the plus icon on a step and select Add Output.

If you have run the flow before, click the run flow button on the Output step. This runs
the flow and updates your output.

The Output pane opens and shows you a snapshot of your data.

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2. In the left pane select File from the Save output to drop-down list.

3. Click the Browse button, then in the Save Extract As dialog, enter or select the file
name and click Accept.

4. In the Output type field, select Microsoft Excel (.xlsx).

5. In the Worksheet field, select the worksheet you want to write your results to, or enter a
new name in the field instead, then click on Create new table.

6. In the Write Options section, select one of the following write options:

l Create table: Creates or re-creates (if the file already exists) the worksheet with
your flow data.

l Append to table: Adds new rows to an existing worksheet. If the worksheet

doesn't exist, one is created and subsequent flow runs add rows to that worksheet.

l Replace data: Replaces all of the existing data except the first row in an existing
worksheet with the flow data.

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A field comparison shows you the fields in your flow that match the fields in your
worksheet, if it already exists. If the worksheet is new, then a one-to-one field
match is shown. Any fields that don't match are ignored.

7. Click Run Flow to run the flow and generate the Microsoft Excel extract file.

Create a published data source

1. Click the plus icon on a step and select Add Output.

Note: Tableau Prep Builder refreshes previously published data sources and
maintains any data modeling (for example calculated fields, number formatting,
and so on) that might be included in the data source. If the data source can’t be
refreshed, the data source, including data modeling, will be replaced instead.

2. The output pane opens and shows you a snapshot of your data.

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3. From the Save output to drop-down list, select Published data source (Publish as
data source in previous versions) . Complete the following fields:

l Server (Tableau Prep Builder only): Select the server where you want to publish
the data source and data extract. If you aren't signed in to a server you will be
prompted to sign in.

Note: Starting in Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.1.4, after you sign into
your server, Tableau Prep Builder remembers your server name and
credentials when you close the application. The next time you open the
application, you are already signed into your server.

On the Mac, you may be prompted to provide access to your Mac keychain so
Tableau Prep Builder can securely use SSL certificates to connect to your Tableau
Server or Tableau Cloud environment.

If you are outputting to Tableau Cloud include the pod your site is hosted on in the
"serverUrl". For example, "https://eu-west-1a.online.tableau.com" not
"https://online.tableau.com".

l Project: Select the project where you want to load the data source and extract.

l Name: Enter a file name.

l Description: Enter a description for the data source.

4. (Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.2.1 and later) In the Write Options section, view the

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default write option to write the new data to your files and make any changes as needed.
For more information, see Configure write options on page 386

l Create table: This option creates a new table or replaces the existing table with
the new output.

l Append to table: This option adds the new data to your existing table. If the
table doesn't already exist, a new table is created and subsequent runs will add
new rows to this table.
5. Click Run Flow to run the flow and publish the data source.

Save flow output data to external databases

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.3.1 and later and on Tableau Server and
Tableau Cloud starting in version 2020.4.

Important: This feature enables you to permanently delete and replace data in an external
database. Be sure that you have permissions to write to the database.
To prevent data loss, you can use the Custom SQL option to make a copy of your table data
and run it before writing the flow data to the table.

You can connect to data from any of the connectors that Tableau Prep Builder or the web
supports and output data to an external database. This enables you to add or update data in
your database with clean, prepped data from your flow each time the flow is run. This feature is
available for both incremental and full refresh options. For more information about how to
configure incremental refresh, see Refresh Flow Data Using Incremental Refresh on
page 381.

When you save your flow output to an external database, Tableau Prep does the following:

1. Generates the rows and runs any SQL commands against the database.
2. Writes the data to a temporary table (or staging area if outputting to Snowflake) in the
output database.
3. If the operation is successful, the data is moved from the temporary table (or your sta-
ging area for Snowflake) into the destination table.
4. Runs any SQL commands that you want to run after writing the data to the database.

If the SQL script fails, the flow will fail. However your data will still be loaded to your database
tables. You can try running the flow again or manually run your SQL script on your database to
apply it.

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Output options
You can select the following options when writing data to a database. If the table doesn't already
exist, it's created when the flow is first run.

l Append to table: This option adds data to an existing table. If the table doesn't exist, the
table is created when the flow is first run and data is added to that table with each sub-
sequent flow run.
l Create table: This option creates a new table with the data from your flow. If the table
already exists, the table and any existing data structure or properties defined for the table
is deleted and replaced with a new table that uses the flow data structure. Any fields that
exist in the flow are added to the new database table.
l Replace data: This option deletes the data in your existing table and replaces it with the
data in your flow, but preserves the structure and properties of the database table. If the
table doesn't exist, the table is created when the flow is first run and the table data is
replaced with each subsequent flow run.

Additional options
In addition to the write options, you can also include custom SQL scripts or add a new tables to
your database.

l Custom SQL scripts: Enter your custom SQL and select whether to run your script
before, after or both before and after data is written to the database tables. You can use
these scripts to create a copy of your database table before the flow data is written to the
table, add an index, add other table properties, and so on.

Note: Starting in version 2022.1.1, you can also insert parameters in your SQL
scripts. For more information, see Apply user parameters to output steps on
page 203.

l Add a new table: Add a new table with a unique name to the database instead of select-
ing one from the existing table list. If you want to apply a schema other than the default
schema (Microsoft SQL Server and PostgreSQL), you can specify it using the syntax
[schema name].[table name].

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Supported databases and database requirements

Tableau Prep supports writing flow data to tables in a select number of databases. Flows that
run on a schedule in Tableau Cloud can only write to these databases if they are cloud-hosted.

Some databases have data restrictions or requirements. Tableau Prep may also impose some
limits to maintain peak performance when writing data to the supported databases. The
following table lists the databases where you can save your flow data and any database
restrictions or requirements. Data that doesn't meet these requirements can result in errors
when running the flow.

Note Setting character limits for your fields is not yet supported. However, you can
create the tables in your database that include character limit constraints, then use the
Replace data option to replace your data but maintain the table's structure in your
database.

Database Requirements or restrictions

Amazon l Collation sequences aren't supported. See the Amazon Redshift

Redshift documentation for more information.
l Field names are converted to all lowercase.
l Up to 8192 characters can be written for text field values. Longer
values will be truncated.

Google l Tableau can write up to 2GB as output to the table.

BigQuery

Microsoft l Up to 3072 characters can be written for text field values. Longer
SQL Server values will be truncated.
l (Version: 2022.3.1) Flow outputs published to Tableau Server are
allowed write access to a Microsoft SQL Server database using Run
As credentials. See maestro.output.write_to_mssql_
using_runas in tsm configuration set Options.

MySQL l Up to 8192 characters can be written for text field values. Longer
values will be truncated.

Oracle l Field and table names can't exceed 30 characters.

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l Up to 1000 characters can be written for text field values. Longer

values will be truncated.
l Special characters in field names may cause errors.

Pivotal l Up to 8192 characters can be written for text field values. Longer
Greenplum values will be truncated.
Database

PostgreSQL l Up to 8192 characters can be written for text field values. Longer
values will be truncated.

SAP HANA l Up to 8192 characters can be written for text field values. Longer
values will be truncated.

Snowflake l Up to 8192 characters can be written for text field values. Longer
values will be truncated.

l Warehouse options must be set to auto-resume to enable Tableau

Prep to write data to the database warehouse. For more information,
see Auto-suspension and Auto-resumption in the Snowflake
documentation.

Teradata l Up to 1000 characters can be written for text field values. Longer
values will be truncated.

Vertica l Up to 8192 characters can be written for text field values. Longer
values will be truncated.

Save flow data to a database

Note: Writing flow output to a database using Windows Authentication isn't supported. If
you use this method of authentication, you'll need to change the connection
authentication to use the username and password.

You can embed your credentials for the database when publishing the flow. For more
information about embedding credentials, see the Databases section in Publish a flow
from Tableau Prep Builder on page 432

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1. Click the plus icon on a step and select Add Output.

2. From the Save output to drop-down list, select Database table.
3. In the Settings tab, enter the following information:

l In the Connection drop down list , select the database connector where you
want to write your flow output. Only supported connectors are shown. This can be
the same connector that you used for your flow input or a different connector. If
you select a different connector, you'll be prompted to sign in.

Important: Make sure you have write permission to the database you select.
Otherwise the flow might only partially process the data.

l In the Database drop-down list, select the database where you want to save your
flow output data.

l In the Table drop-down list, select the table where you want to save your flow
output data. Depending on the Write Option you select, a new table will be
created, the flow data will replace any existing data in the table, or flow data will be

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added to the existing table.

To create a new table in the database, enter a unique table name in the field
instead, then click on Create new table. When you run the flow for the first time,
no matter which write option you select, the table is created in the database using
the same schema as the flow.

4. The output pane shows you a snapshot of your data. A field comparison shows you the
fields in your flow that match the fields in your table, if the table already exists. If the table
is new, then a one-to-one field match is shown.

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If there are any field mismatches, a status note shows you any errors.
l No match: Field is ignored: Fields exist in the flow but not in the database. The
field won't be added to the database table unless you select the Create table
write option and perform a full refresh. Then the flow fields are added to the
database table and use the flow output schema.
l No match: Field will contain Null values: Fields exist in the database but not
in the flow. The flow passes a Null value to the database table for the field. If the
field does exist in the flow, but is mismatched because the field name is different,
you can navigate to a cleaning step and edit the field name to match the database
field name. For information about how to edit field name, see Apply cleaning
operations on page 224.
l Error: Field data types do not match: The data type assigned to a field in both
the flow and the database table you are writing your output to must match,
otherwise the flow will fail. You can navigate to a cleaning step and edit the field
data type to fix this. For more information about changing data types, see Review
the data types assigned to your data on page 158.
5. Select a write option. You can select a different option for full and incremental refresh
and the option is applied when you select your flow run method. For more information
about running our flow using incremental refresh, see Refresh Flow Data Using
Incremental Refresh on page 381.

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l Append to table: This option adds data to an existing table. If the table doesn't
exist, the table is created when the flow is first run and data is added to that table
with each subsequent flow run.
l Create table: This option creates a new table. If the table with the same name
already exists, the existing table is deleted and replaced with the new table. Any
existing data structure or properties defined for the table are also deleted and
replaced with the flow data structure. Any fields that exist in the flow are added to
the new database table.
l Replace data: This option deletes the data in your existing table and replaces it
with the data in your flow, but preserves the structure and properties of the
database table.

6. (optional) Click on the Custom SQL tab and enter your SQL script. You can enter a
script to run Before and After the data is written to the table.

7. Click Run Flow to run the flow and write your data to your selected database.

Save flow output data to Datasets in CRM

Analytics
Supported in Tableau Prep Builder and on the web starting in version 2022.3.

Note: CRM Analytics has several requirements and some limitations when integrating
data from external sources. To make sure that you can successfully write your flow

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output to CRM Analytics, see Considerations before integrating data into datasets in the
Salesforce help.

Clean your data using Tableau Prep and get better prediction results in CRM Analytics. Simply
connect to data from any of the connectors that Tableau Prep Builder or Tableau Prep on the
web supports. Then, apply transformations to clean your data and output your flow data
directly to Datasets in CRM Analytics that you have access to.

Flows that output data to CRM Analytics can't be run using the command line interface. You
can run flows manually using Tableau Prep Builder or using a schedule on the web with
Tableau Prep Conductor.

Prerequisites
To output flow data to CRM Analytics, check that you have the following licenses, access, and
permissions in Salesforce and Tableau.

Salesforce Requirements

requirement description

Salesforce license CRM Analytics Plus

This license is available for an extra cost. For more information,

see Learn About CRM Analytics Licenses and Permissions
Sets in the Salesforce help.

Salesforce You must be assigned to either of the following permission sets

Permissions in CRM Analytics Plus:

l CRM Analytics Plus Admin: Enables all permissions

required to administer the CRM Analytics platform and
Einstein Discovery, including permissions to create and
manage CRM Analytics templated apps and Apps.

l CRM Analytics Plus User: Enables all permissions

required to use the CRM Analytics platform, Einstein
Discovery, and CRM Analytics templated apps and Apps.

For more information, see Select and assign user permissions

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requirement description

sets in the Salesforce help.

Administrator settings Salesforce administrators will need to configure:

l Tableau Prep Extensions: Configure Salesforce to

create a connected app for Tableau Server (basic).
Required for Tableau Server only.

Tableau Prep Requirements

requirement description

Tableau Prep license Creator license.

and permissions As a creator you need to sign into your Salesforce org account
and authenticate before you can select Apps and Datasets to
output your flow data.

OAuth Data As a Server Administrator, configure Tableau Server with an

Connections OAuth client ID and secret on the connector. This is required to
run flows on Tableau Server.

For more information see Configure Tableau Server for

Salesforce.com Oauth in the Tableau Server help.

Save flow data to CRM Analytics

1. Click the plus icon on a step and select Add Output.

2. From the Save output to drop-down list, select CRM Analytics.

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3. In the Dataset section, connect to Salesforce.

Sign in to Salesforce and click Allow to give Tableau access to CRM Analytics Apps and
datasets or select an existing Salesforce connection

4. In the Name field, select an existing dataset name. This will overwrite and replace the
dataset with your flow output. Otherwise, type a new name and click Create new
dataset to create a new dataset in the selected CRM Analytics App.

Note: Dataset names cannot exceed 80 characters.

5. Below the Name field, verify that the App shown is the App you have permissions to
write to.

To change the App, click Browse Datasets, then select the App from the list, enter the
dataset name in the Name field, and click Accept.

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6. In the Write Options section, Full refresh and Create table are the only supported
options.

7. Click Run Flow to run the flow and write your data to the CRM Analytics dataset.

If your flow run is successful, you can verify the output results in CRM Analytics in the
Monitor tab of the data manager. For more information about this feature, see Monitor an
External Data Load in the Salesforce help.

Refresh Flow Data Using Incremental Refresh

Note: Starting in version 2020.4.1, you can now create and edit flows in Tableau Server
and Tableau Cloud. The content in this topic applies to all platforms, unless specifically
noted. For more information about authoring flows on the web, see Tableau Prep on the
Web in the Tableau Server help.

Starting in Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.2.1 and on the web, you can configure your flow
inputs and outputs to refresh incrementally so that only the new rows are retrieved and
processed when the flow runs, saving you time and resources.

For example, if your flow includes transaction data that updates daily, you can set up
incremental refresh to retrieve and process only the new transactions every day, then run a full
refresh weekly or monthly to refresh all of your flow data.

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Note: To run incremental refresh on flow inputs that use the Salesforce connector, you
must be using Tableau Prep Builder version 2021.1.2 or later. Incremental refresh is not
currently supported when writing flow outputs to Microsoft Excel or CRM Analytics.

To run your flow using incremental refresh, Tableau Prep needs the following information:

l The field that detects new rows in the input table.

l The field to use to compare the last processed values in the flow output with the values
in the input to determine which rows are new.
l How you want to write the new data to your tables. You can either add new data to your
existing tables, overwrite your table data with the new data, or starting in Tableau Prep
Builder version 2020.3.1 and on the web, replace data in an existing table.

Flow refresh options

Tableau Prep enables you to select how your data is refreshed and how your tables are
updated with the flow output. The following table describes the different options and their
benefits.

Refresh Com- Data Pro- Table Update Benefits

bination cessed

Full Refresh All Create or over- Refresh all the data on every flow run.
+ Create write the existing
Table table with the full
data set.

Full Refresh All Add new rows to Keep track of both new and existing data
+ Append to the existing table. on every flow run. Append to table isn't
Table available for .csv output types.

Full Refresh All Replace rows in Maintain your existing table schema
+ Replace the existing table. structure but replace all the data with
data every flow run.

Incremental New rows Create or over- Create a new table with only the new
Refresh + only write the existing rows as the complete data set.
Create table with only the

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Table new rows.

Incremental New rows Add the new rows Add only the new rows to the existing
Refresh + only to the existing table. Append to table isn't available
Append to table. for .csv output types.
Table

Incremental New rows Replace all rows Maintain your existing table schema
Refresh + only in the existing structure, but replace all the data with
Replace table with only the only the new rows, making this your com-
data new rows. plete data set.

Configure incremental refresh

To configure your flow to use incremental refresh, you need to specify settings on both the
Input steps and the Output steps where you want to use this option. In the Input step, specify
how Tableau Prep will find your new rows. In the Output step, specify how the new rows are
written to your table. When you run the flow, you can select either a full or incremental refresh
type.

Tip: After you configure your input and output steps for incremental refresh, you can preserve
your configurations and reuse them. Copy and paste the steps to use them elsewhere in your
current flow or in Tableau Prep Builder, use Save Steps as Flow to save the selected steps to
a local file or to your server to reuse the steps in other flows. For more information about
copying, pasting or reusing steps, see Copy steps, actions and fields on page 250.

1. In the flow pane, select the input step that you want to configure for incremental refresh.
2. In the Input pane on the Settings tab, under the Incremental Refresh (Set up Incre-
mental Refresh section in prior versions), set the following options:

l Select Enable incremental refresh (Enable in prior versions).

l Input field (Identify new rows using field in prior versions): Select the field that
you want to refresh in your input data. This field must be assigned a data type of
Number (whole), Date, or Date & Time. Currently, you can only select a single
field.

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Note: You can remove or rename this field later in the flow, as long as the
field you specify in the Output field (Field name in output in prior
versions) can be used to compare this field with the latest output to find new
rows.

l Output: Select the output that is related to your input and that includes the field
that will be used to compare rows.

l Output field (Field name in output in prior versions): Select the field to use to
compare the last processed values in the flow output with the values in the input to
find new rows. This field must have the same data type as the field you specified
in the Input field (Identify new rows using field in prior versions).

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Configure write options

To finish setting up incremental refresh, set your output Write Options to specify how the new
rows are written to your tables. All outputs that are related to the configured input step have a
default write option selected, but you can change it to a supported option.

You can output your rows to a file (Tableau Prep Builder only), a published data source or a
database. By default, outputs to local or published .hyper extracts are set to Append to table.
Outputs to .csv file types are set to Create table.

1. In the flow pane, select the output step that you want to configure for incremental
refresh.

2. In the Output pane, in the Write Options section, view the default write option and
make any changes as needed.
l Create table: This option creates a new table or replaces the existing table with
the new output.
l Append to table: This option adds the new data to your existing table. If the
table doesn't already exist, a new table is created when the flow is first run and
subsequent runs will add new rows to this table. Not available for .csv output
types. For more information about supported refresh combinations, see Flow
refresh options on page 382
l Replace data (Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.3.1 and later and on the web):
This option is available when you want to write your output back to an existing
table in a database. It replaces the data in the database table with the flow data,

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but maintains the table schema structure.

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Run your flow

You can run individual flows using incremental refresh in Tableau Prep Builder, on the web, or
from the command line. For information about running your flow from the command line, see
Run the flow with incremental refresh enabled on page 403.

If you have Data Management with Tableau Prep Conductor enabled, you can run your flow
using incremental refresh using a schedule on Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud. For
information about running your flow on a schedule, see Schedule Flow Tasks in the Tableau
Server help.

Note: In prior version, write options are set in Tableau Prep Builder and can't be
changed when running your flow in Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud. Starting in
Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud version 2020.4, you can edit the flow directly in the
web. For more information about using Tableau Prep On the web see see Tableau Prep
on the Web in the Tableau Server help.

Tableau Prep runs a full refresh for all outputs regardless of the run option you select if no
existing output is found. Subsequent flow runs use the incremental refresh process and
retrieve and process only the new rows unless incremental refresh configuration data is
missing or the existing output is removed.
To run the flow in Tableau Prep using incremental refresh, select Incremental refresh from
one of the following locations:

l From the top menu, click the drop-down option on the Run button.

l From the Output pane, click the drop-down option on the Run Flow button.

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l From the Flow pane, click the drop-down on the Run button next to the Output step.

If one input with incremental refresh enabled is associated with multiple outputs, those
outputs must be run together and must use the same refresh type. When you run your
refresh in Tableau Prep, a dialog shows letting you know that you must run both outputs
together.

Refresh flow output files from the command line

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder only.

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You can run your flow from the command line to refresh your flow output instead of running the
flow from Tableau Prep Builder. You can run one flow at a time using this method. This option
is available on both Windows and Mac machines where Tableau Prep Builder is installed.

Note: If you're using Login-based License Management (LBLM), make sure to

periodically open Tableau Prep. Otherwise the lease can expire, causing flows run via
the command line to fail. You can also contact your administrator to change your lease
duration to the maximum length. See Login -based License Management for more
information.

Connector limitations:

l JDBC or ODBC connectors: Flows that include these connectors can be run from the
command line starting in version 2019.2.3.
l Cloud connectors: Flows that include cloud connectors, such as Google BigQuery,
can't be run from the command line. Instead run the flow manually or run the flow on a
schedule in Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud using Tableau Prep Conductor. For more
information, see Keep Flow Data Fresh on page 422.
l Single Sign-on authentication: Running flows from the command line isn't supported
if you use single-sign-on authentication. You can run flows from Tableau Prep Builder
instead.
l Multi-factor authentication: The Tableau Prep Command Line Interface (CLI) does
not support Tableau with Multifactor authentication (MFA). For more information, see
this article in the Tableau Knowledge Base.

For Windows machines, you can also schedule this process using Windows Task Scheduler.
For more information, see Task Scheduler in the Microsoft online help.

When you run flows from the command line, Tableau Prep Builder refreshes all outputs for the
flow using the settings for the output steps specified in Tableau Prep Builder. For information
about how to specify your output locations, see Create data extract files and published
data sources on page 363. For information about setting your write options (version 2020.2.1
and later), see Configure write options on page 386.

Before running the flow

To run the flow from the command line, you'll need administrator privileges on the machine
where you are running the flow and you'll need the following information:

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l The path where Tableau Prep Builder is installed.

l If connecting to databases and publishing output files to a server or a database (version

2020.3.1 and later) - create a credentials .json file that includes all required credentials.

l The path where the Tableau Flow (.tfl) file is located.

Credentials .json file requirements

Note: Credentials .json files are not required if the flow connects to and outputs to local
files, files stored on a network share or input files that use Windows Authentication
(SSPI). For more information about Windows Authentication, see SSPI Model in the
Microsoft online help.

Tableau Prep Builder uses information from the flow file and from the credentials .json file to run
the flow when you have remote connections. For example, the database name for your remote
connections and the project name for your output files come from the flow, and the server name
and the sign in credentials come from the credentials .json file.

l If you plan to reuse the file, place it in a folder where it won't be overwritten by the
Tableau Prep Builder install process.
l If you are running a flow that includes any of the following, you must include a.json file
that includes the credentials that are required to connect.
l Connects to database files or published data sources.

l The output is published to a server or to a database (version 2020.3.1 and later).

l The flow includes script steps for Rserve or TabPy. The .json file must include the

credentials that are required to connect to these services. For more information,
refer to the array requirements for your version below.
l The credentials specified in your flow and the credentials included in your .json file must
match, otherwise the flow will fail to run.
l When you run the process, the hostname, port, and username are used to find the match-
ing connection in the Tableau flow file (.tfl) and updated before running the process. Port
ID and Site ID are optional if your connections don't require this information.

l If connecting to a published data source, include hostname, contentUrl, and port (80 for
http and 443 for https) in the input connections. The hostname is required to find the
matching connection in the Tableau flow file (.tfl), and the contentUrl and port are used to
establish the connection to the server.

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l If you connect to Tableau Cloud, include the port (80 or 443) in the input connections for
the pod that you are connecting to and In the Server connections URl make sure to
include the corresponding pod prefix along with online.tableau.com. For more inform-
ation about Tableau Cloud, see Tableau Bridge connections to Tableau Cloud in the
Tableau Cloud help.
l (version 2021.4.1 and later) If you include parameters in your flow, you can create and
include a parameters override .json file in the command line to change parameter val-
ues from the current default values. For more information, see Run flows that include
parameter values on the facing page.

Depending on your Tableau Prep Builder version, your credential information may be
formatted differently. Click on the tab below to view the credential format for your Tableau Prep
Builder version.

Version 2020.3.1 and later

Depending on your connections, include your server or database credentials or both. When
your flow connects to and outputs to the same server or database, you only need to include a
single block in the .json file. If you connect to a server or database that uses different
credentials, use a comma delimited array.

Server connections Database con- Rserver or Tableau

nections Python connections

Connection block name: Connection block Only include this array if

"tableauServerConnections" name: your flow includes script
"databaseConnection steps for R or TabPy.
Include the following data in the
s"
array: Connection block name:
Include the following "extensions"
l serverUrl (Server name) For
data in the array:
Tableau Cloud, include the cor- Include the following data
responding pod prefix along l hostname in the array:
with online.tableau.com. For (Server name)
l extensionName:
example "https://10az.on- l port (Port ID)
Specify "rSup-
line.tableau.com" l username
port" or
l contentUrl (Site ID. This l password
"pythonSup-
appears after /site/ in the URL
port"
for Tableau Server or Tableau
l regular: Include
Cloud. For example

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"https://my.server- "host"and "port".

/#/site/mysite" set "con- You can also
tentUrl": "mysite".)) include "username"
l port (Port ID) or "sslCertificate"
l username (content of your
l password public .pem file
encoded as base64
string) if applicable.
l sensitive: Include
"password" if you
use one. Otherwise
include a blank
array.

Note: ContentUrl is always required in the .json file for sever connections. If connecting
to a default site, for example "https://my.server/#/site/", set ContentUrl to blank. For
example "contentUrl": ""

Run flows that include parameter values

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2021.4.1 and later.

To run flows from the command line that include parameter values, you can create a
parameters override .json file that includes the parameter values that you want to use. These
values override the current (default) values defined for the parameters.

This is a separate file from your credentials.json file and includes your parameter names and
values.

Note: Starting in version 2022.1.1, parameter values no longer need to be enclosed in

quotes. In prior versions, all parameter names and values must include quotes.

Example:

{
"Parameter 1": Value 1,
"Number Parameter": 40,

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"Boolean Parameter": True

}

When you run the flow include -p --parameters and the name of your file in the command line.

Examples:

Windows

"\[Tableau Prep Builder install location]\Tableau Prep Builder

<version>\scripts"\tableau-prep-cli.bat -t "path\to\[your flow
file name].tfl" -p|--parameters parameters.override.json

Mac

/Applications/Tableau\ Prep\ Builder\ [Tableau Prep Builder ver-

sion].app/Contents/scripts/./tableau-prep-cli -t path/to/[your
flow file name].tfl -p|--parameters parameters.override.json

Examples
This section shows different examples of credentials files that you can create using the
credentials .json requirements.

Connecting to a server connection

This example shows a .json credentials file that connects to and outputs to a server connection
that uses the same credentials:

{
"tableauServerConnections":[
{
"serverUrl":"https://my.server",
"contentUrl": "mysite",
"port":443,
"username": "jsmith",
"password": "passw0rd$"
}
]
}

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Connecting to a server connection and output to a database connection

This example shows a .json credentials file that connects to a server connection and outputs to
a database connection:

{
"tableauServerConnections":[
{
"serverUrl":"https://my.server",
"contentUrl": "mysite",
"port":443,
"username": "jsmith",
"password": "passw0rd$"
}
],
"databaseConnections":[
{
"hostname":"example123.redshift.amazonaws.com",
"port":"5439",
"username":"jsmith",
"password":"p@s$w0rd!"
}
]
}

Flow includes Rserve and TabPy script connections and outputs to a database con-
nection
This example shows a .json credentials file that includes Rserve and Tabpy credentials and
outputs to a database connection:

{
"extensions": [
{
"extensionName": "rSupport",
"regular": {
"host": "localhost",
"port": "9000",

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"username": "jsmith"
},
"sensitive": {
"password": "pwd"
}
},
{
"extensionName": "pythonSupport",
"regular": {
"host": "localhost",
"port": "9000"
},
"sensitive": {
}
}
],
"databaseConnections":[
{
"hostname":"example123.redshift.amazonaws.com",
"port": "5439",
"username": "jsmith",
"password": "p@s$w0rd!"
},
{
"hostname":"mysql.mydb.tsi.lan",
"port": "3306",
"username": "jsmith",
"password": "mspa$$w0rd"
}
]
}

Connecting to and outputting to different database connections

This example shows a .json credentials file that connects to and outputs to different database
connections:

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{
"databaseConnections":[
{
"hostname":"example123.redshift.amazonaws.com",
"port": "5439",
"username": "jsmith",
"password": "p@s$w0rd!"
},
{
"hostname":"mysql.mydb.tsi.lan",
"port": "3306",
"username": "jsmith",
"password": "mspa$$w0rd"
}
]
}

Version 2020.2.3 and earlier

Enter an array for your input and output connections.

Note: If using Tableau Prep Builder version 2018.2.2 through 2018.3.1, always include
the "inputConnections" and "outputConnections" arrays even if the flow doesn't have
remote connections for inputs or outputs. Just leave those arrays blank. If you are using
Tableau Prep Builder version 2018.3.2 and later you don't need to include the blank
arrays.

Input connections Output connections Rserver or Tableau

Python connections

l hostname l serverUrl Only include this array if

(Server l contentUrl (Site ID. This your flow includes script
name) appears after /site/ in the URL steps for R or TabPy that
l contentUrl for Tableau Server or Tableau require a password.
(Always Cloud. For example

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required for "https://my.server/#/site/mysite" l extensionName: Spe-

published set "contentUrl": "mys- cify "rSupport" or
data sources. ite".) "pythonSupport"
See Output l username l credentials: Include
connections l password "password" .
for descrip-
tion.)
l port (Port ID)
l username
l password

Examples
This section shows two different examples of credentials files that you can create using the
credentials .json requirements.

Connecting to a published data source

This example shows a .json credentials file that connects to a published data source and
outputs data to a server that includes a Site ID

Note: If the inputConnection or outputConnection uses the Default site, for example
"https://my.server/#/site/", set ContentUrl to blank. For example "contentUrl": ""

{
"inputConnections":[
{
"hostname":"https://my.server",
"contentUrl": "mysite",
"port":443,
"username": "jsmith",
"password": "passw0rd$"
}
],
"outputConnections":[
{

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"serverUrl":"https://my.server",
"contentUrl":"mysite",
"username":"jsmith",
"password":"passw0rd$"
}
]
}

Connecting to two databases

This example shows a .json credentials file that connects to MySQL and Oracle and outputs
data to a server that includes a Site ID.

{
"inputConnections":[
{
"hostname":"mysql.example.lan",
"port":1234,
"username": "jsmith",
"password": "passw0rd"
},
{
"hostname":"Oracle.example.lan",
"port":5678,
"username": "jsmith",
"password": "passw0rd"
}
],
"outputConnections":[
{
"serverUrl":"http://my.server",
"contentUrl":"mysite",
"username":"jsmith",
"password":"passw0rd$"
}
]
}

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Flow includes script steps for Rserve and TabPy and connects to a database
This example shows a .json credentials file that includes the password for Rserve and TabPy
services and connects to MySQL.

{
"inputConnections":[
{
"hostname":"mysql.example.lan",
"port":1234,
"username": "jsmith",
"password": "passw0rd"
}
],
"extensions":[
{
"extensionName":"rSupport",
"credentials":{
"password":"pwd",
}
},
{
"extensionName" : "pythonSupport",
"credentials": {
"password": "pwd"
}
}
]
}

Tips for creating your credentials file

To avoid errors when running the flow, make sure your credentials file follows these guidelines:

l If using Tableau Prep Builder version 2018.2.2 through 2018.3.1, always include the
"inputConnections" and "outputConnections" arrays even if the flow doesn't have
remote connections for inputs or outputs. Just leave those arrays blank.

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If you are using Tableau Prep Builder version 2018.3.2 and later you don't need to
include the blank array.

l No remote input connection? Include this syntax at the top of the .json file

{
"inputConnections":[
],

l No remote output connection? Include this syntax at the bottom of the .json file

"outputConnections":[
]
}

l No port ID for your input connection or the port is specified as part of the server name.

If there is no port ID for your connection, don't include the "port":xxxx, reference in
the .json file, not even "port": "". If the port ID is included in the server name, include
the port ID in the host name. For example "hostname":
"mssql.example.lan,1234"

l When referencing the "serverUrl": don't include a "/" at the end of the address. For
example, use this "serverUrl": "http://server" not this "serverUrl":
"http://server/".

l If you have multiple input or output connections include the credentials for each one in
the file.
l If connecting to published data sources, make sure to include the hostname and con-
tentUrl in the input connections.

Run the flow

Important: The examples below include the name change for "Tableau Prep" version 2019.1.2
to "Tableau Prep Builder". If you are using an earlier version of the product use "Tableau Prep"
instead.

1. Open the command prompt or terminal command prompt (MacOS) as an Administrator.

2. Run one of the following commands using the syntax shown below.

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l The flow connects to local files or files stored on a network share and publishes to
local files, files stored on a network share or uses Windows authentication:

Note: If connecting to or outputting to files stored on a network share, use

the UNC format for the path: \\server\path\file name. It can't be password
protected.

Windows

"\[Tableau Prep Builder install location]\Tableau Prep

Builder <version>\scripts"\tableau-prep-cli.bat -t
"path\to\[your flow file name].tfl"

Mac

/Applications/Tableau\ Prep\ Builder\ [Tableau Prep

Builder version].app/Contents/scripts/./tableau-prep-cli
-t path/to/[your flow file name].tfl

l The flow connects to databases or publishes to a server:

Windows

"\[Tableau Prep Builder install location]\Tableau Prep

Builder <version>\scripts"\tableau-prep-cli.bat -c
"path\to\[your credential file name].json" -t "path\to\
[your flow file name].tfl"

Mac

/Applications/Tableau\ Prep\ Builder\ [Tableau Prep

Builder version].app/Contents/scripts/./tableau-prep-cli
-c path/to/[your credential file name].json -t path/to/
[your flow file name].tfl

l The flow file or credentials file is stored on a network share (use the UNC format
for the path: \\server\path\file name):

Windows

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"\[Tableau Prep Builder install location]\Tableau Prep

Builder <version>\scripts"\tableau-prep-cli.bat -c
"\server\path\[your credential file name].json" -t
"\server\path\[your flow file name].tfl"

Mac: Map the network share to /Volumes in Finder so that it is persistent, then use
/Volumes/.../[your file] to specify the path:

/Applications/Tableau\ Prep\ Builder\ [Tableau Prep

Builder version].app/Contents/scripts/./tableau-prep-cli
-c /Volumes/.../[your credential file name].json -t
path/to/[your flow file name].tfl

For common errors and resolutions see Common errors when using the command line to
run flows on page 505.

Run the flow with incremental refresh enabled

Supported in Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.2.1 and later, and on the web starting in
version 2020.4. Incremental refresh is not currently supported when writing flow outputs to
Microsoft Excel.

If you don't have Tableau Prep Conductor enabled on your server to schedule your flow runs,
you can run your flow using incremental refresh from the command line. Simply include the
parameter --incrementalRefresh in your command line as shown in the example below.

Windows

"\[Tableau Prep Builder install location]\Tableau Prep Builder

<version>\scripts"\tableau-prep-cli.bat --incrementalRefresh -t
"path\to\[your flow file name].tfl"

Mac

/Applications/Tableau\ Prep\ Builder\ [Tableau Prep Builder ver-

sion].app/Contents/scripts/./tableau-prep-cli --incre-
mentalRefresh -t path/to/[your flow file name].tfl

If the input steps in your flow have incremental refresh enabled and the incremental refresh
parameters are properly configured, Tableau Prep Builder will do the following:

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l All inputs in the flow that have incremental refresh enabled will run all corresponding out-
puts using incremental refresh.
l If no input in the flow has incremental refresh enabled, all outputs will be run using full
refresh. A message will show the refresh method details.
l If some inputs in the flow have incremental refresh enabled, the corresponding outputs
will run using incremental refresh. The other outputs will be run using full refresh and a
message will show the refresh method details.

For more information about configuring flows to use incremental refresh, see Refresh Flow
Data Using Incremental Refresh on page 381

Command options
If you want to view the help options, include -h in the command line.

Command Des- Notes

options crip-
tion

-c , --con- The Requires the path to where the credentials file is located.
nections con-
<arg> nec-
tion
path
to
the
cre-
den-
tials
file.

-d, -- Deb- Include this option to view more information to help debug a problem
debug ug with refreshing the flow. Log files are stored in: My Tableau Prep
the Builder Repository\Command Line Repository\Logs
flow
pro-
ces-
s.

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-dsv, -- Dis- When running flows using the command line on the MacOS, a dialog
dis- able may show asking for the keychain user and password. Starting with
ableSslV- SSL Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.3.2, you can pass in this addi-
alid- val- tional parameter to disable this keychain dialog. For example:
ation ida- /Applications/Tableau\ Prep\ Builder\ [Tableau
tion Prep Builder ver-
(Ma- sion].app/Contents/scripts/./tableau-prep-cli -
cO- dsv -c path/to/[your credential file name].json
S) -t path/to/[your flow file name].tfl

-h, -- Vie- The help option or a syntax error shows the following information:
help w
usage: tableau-prep-cli [-c <arg>] [-d] [-h]
the
[-t <arg>]
help
for -c,--connections <arg> Path to a file
syn-
with all connection information
tax
opti- -d,--debug This option is
ons. for debugging

-dsv,--disableSslValidation Disable SSL val-

idation

-h,--help Print usage mes-

sage

-inc,--incrementalRefresh Run incremental

refresh for all outputs that are configured to
support it

-t,--tflFile <arg> The Tableau Prep

Builder flow file

-inc, -- Run Include this option to run incremental refresh for all inputs that are
incre- incr- configured to use it. Incremental refresh enables Tableau Prep
men- em- Builder to retrieve and process only new rows instead of all rows in a
talRe- ent- flow.

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fresh al The incremental refresh configuration settings on the input steps

refr- determine which flow outputs can be run incrementally. All other
esh outputs will be run using a full refresh and a message will show the
for refresh method details.
all
For more information about running flows using incremental refresh,
out-
see Refresh Flow Data Using Incremental Refresh on
puts
page 381.
that
are
con-
figu-
red
to
use
it.

-t, -- The Requires the path to where the .tfl flow file is located.
tflFile .tfl
<arg> flow
file

-p, -- The Include this file if you want to override the current (default) parameter
para- par- values applied to your flow. For more information about using flow
meters am- parameters, see Create and Use Parameters in Flows on
eter- page 193
s
ove-
rrid-
e
.jso-
n
file

Syntax examples
The command lines below show four different examples for running a flow using the following
criteria:

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l Tableau Prep Builder version: 2022.1.1

Important: The examples below include the name change for Tableau Prep version
2019.1.2 to Tableau Prep Builder. If you are using an earlier version of the product use
"Tableau Prep" instead.

l Flow name: Flow1.tfl

l Flow location: C:\Users\jsmith\Documents\My Tableau Prep Builder Repository\Flows

l Credentials file name: Flow 1.json

l Credentials file location: C:\Users\jsmith\Desktop\Flow credentials

l Credentials file location stored on a network share: \tsi.lan\files\Flow credentials

The flow connects to and publishes to local files

Windows

"\Program Files\Tableau\Tableau Prep Builder 2022.1.1\scripts"\t-

ableau-prep-cli.bat -t "\C:\Users\jsmith\Documents\My Tableau
Prep Builder Repository\Flows\Flow1.tfl"

Mac

/Applications/Tableau\ Prep\ Builder\ 2022.1.1.ap-

p/Contents/scripts/./tableau-prep-cli -t /User-
s/jsmith/Documents/My\ Tableau\ Prep\ Builder\
Repository/Flows.Flow1.tfl

The flow connects to and publishes to local files and uses the short form for incre-
mental refresh
Windows

"\Program Files\Tableau\Tableau Prep Builder 2022.1.1\scripts"\t-

ableau-prep-cli.bat -inc -t "\C:\Users\jsmith\Documents\My
Tableau Prep Builder Repository\Flows\Flow1.tfl"

Mac

/Applications/Tableau\ Prep\ Builder\ 2022.1.1.ap-

p/Contents/scripts/./tableau-prep-cli -inc -t

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/Users/jsmith/Documents/My\ Tableau\ Prep\ Builder\ Repos-

itory/Flows.Flow1.tfl

The flow connects to databases and publishes to a server

Windows

"\Program Files\Tableau\Tableau Prep Builder 2022.1.1\scripts"\t-

ableau-prep-cli.bat -c "\C:\Users\jsmith\Desktop\Flow cre-
dentials\Flow1.json" -t "\C:\Users\jsmith\Documents\My Tableau
Prep Builder Repository\Flows\Flow1.tfl"

Mac

/Applications/Tableau\ Prep\ Builder\ 2022.1.1.ap-

p/Contents/scripts/./tableau-prep-cli -c /User-
s/jsmith/Desktop/Flow\ credentials/Flow1.json -t
/Users/jsmith/Documents/My\ Tableau\ Prep\ Builder\ Repos-
itory/Flows.Flow1.tfl

The flow publishes to a server and the credentials file is stored on a network share
Windows

"\Program Files\Tableau\Tableau Prep Builder 2022.1.1\scripts"\t-

ableau-prep-cli.bat -c "\\tsi.lan\files\Flow cre-
dentials\Flow1.json" -t "\C:\Users\jsmith\Documents\My Tableau
Prep Builder Repository\Flows\Flow1.tfl"

Mac

/Applications/Tableau\ Prep\ Builder\ 2022.1.1.ap-

p/Contents/scripts/./tableau-prep-cli -c /Volumes/files/Flow\ cre-
dentials/Flow1.json -t /Users/jsmith/Documents/My\ Tableau\ Prep\
Builder\ Repository/Flows.Flow1.tfl

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Version Compatibility with Tableau

Prep
If new features or connectors are introduced in a new version of Tableau Prep Builder and you
are working in an older version, compatibility may be an issue if you try to open a flow.

Note: Starting in version 2020.4, you can create and edit flows directly on Tableau
Server and Tableau Cloud. Flows created on the web will always be compatible with the
server version you are using. For more information about authoring flows on the web,
see Tableau Prep on the Web in the Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud help.

Similarly, if you publish flows to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud to schedule them to run using
Tableau Prep Conductor and your flows include new features or connectors that aren't
supported in your version of Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud, you can run into compatibility
errors that might prevent you from scheduling and running your flows.

Version number format

Starting in Tableau Prep Builder version 2022.3, the release version numbering scheme is now
aligned with Tableau Desktop and Tableau Server. In prior versions, the version numbers for
Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder had different formats. For example:

The maintenance releases for Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder didn't follow the
same sequence.

Release Upgrade Example First Maintenance Release Example

Prep Builder 2022.1.1 2022.1.2

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Release Upgrade Example First Maintenance Release Example

Desktop 2022.1 2022.1.1

Finding your version

Note: To download a specific version of Tableau Prep Builder, open the Downloads
page and select Tableau Prep Builder from the list on the left side of the page.

Tableau Prep Builder

To find the release version for your product, open Tableau Prep Builder, then in the top menu
do one of the following:

l Windows: In the top menu, click Help > About Tableau Prep Builder or About
Tableau Prep, depending on your version.
l Mac: In the top menu, click Tableau Prep Builder > About Tableau Prep Builder or
Tableau Prep > About Tableau Prep, depending on your version.

The release number displays in the lower left corner of the dialog.

Tableau Server

Tableau Prep Conductor was introduced as part of Data Management in Tableau Server
version 2019.1. To schedule flows to run on Tableau Server, you must be using Tableau
Server version 2019.1 or later and Tableau Prep Conductor must be enabled.

To find your version of Tableau Server, open Tableau Server in your web browser. In the top

menu bar click the information icon in the top right corner and select About Tableau

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Server. A dialog opens that tells you which version of Tableau Server you are using. For
information about how to enable Tableau Prep Conductor, see Step 2: Configure Flow Settings
for your Server in the Tableau Server help.

Tableau Cloud

Tableau Prep Conductor was introduced as part of Data Management in Tableau Cloud version
2019.3. To schedule flows to run on Tableau Cloud, you must be using Tableau Cloud version
2019.3 or later and Tableau Prep Conductor must be enabled.

To find your version, open Tableau Cloud in your web browser. In the top menu bar click the
information icon in the top right corner and select About Tableau Cloud. A dialog opens that
tells you which version of Tableau Cloud you are using. For information about enabling Tableau
Prep Conductor, see Tableau Prep Conductor in the Tableau Cloud help.

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Compatibility between different versions of

Tableau Prep Builder
Generally, a new version of Tableau Prep Builder can open flows created in an older version.
However, compatibility issues can occur when you try to open a flow between newer and older
versions of Tableau Prep Builder or even when opening flows in the same version of Tableau
Prep Builder using different computers.

For example:

l The flow includes input connectors or features that aren't supported in the version
where the flow is opened.
l The machine that you use to open the flow doesn't have the required input connectors
installed or has a driver version for the connector that isn't compatible. Tableau Prep
Builder requires 64-bit drivers to be installed to work with flow input connectors.

If compatibility is an issue, when you try to open the flow, the flow may open but contains errors
or the flow won't open at all and you receive an error message. In the example below, the flow
won't open and an error message displays and lists the incompatible features and options for
resolving the issue.

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Fix compatibility issues with Tableau Prep Builder

To fix compatibility issues, try one of the following:

l Upgrade to the latest version of Tableau Prep Builder.

Click the update button on the bottom of the Discover pane to download the latest version
of the product and follow the instructions to Install Tableau Prep Builder in the Tableau
Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder Deployment Guide. If you don't have access to the
update button on the Discover pane, instructions about how to download the latest
version of the product are included in the Install Tableau Prep Builder topic.
l Make sure your computer is compatible with Tableau Prep Builder. For example, make
sure that you have the 64-bit drivers installed for the connectors used by the flow. To
install drivers, see the Driver Download page.
l Open a copy of the flow that has the incompatible features removed.

Compatibility between different versions of

Tableau Prep Builder and Tableau Server
Publishing from a newer version of Tableau Prep Builder to an older version of Tableau Server
can result in compatibility issues. For example, new features added in Tableau Prep Builder
version 2021.3.1 may not be compatible with Tableau Server version 2021.2 but would be
compatible with Tableau Server version 2021.4 and any later major versions of Tableau Server,
such as version 2022.3.

In Tableau Server, Tableau Prep Conductor detects the features that are included in a flow
when it has been published. If it finds features that it doesn't support, the flow can still be
published to Tableau Server, but the flow can't be run, scheduled, or added to a task. Tableau
Cloud is updated automatically on a regular basis, so is generally compatible with all versions of
Tableau Prep Builder.

If you have an older version of Tableau Server, you can still run incompatible flows manually in
Tableau Prep Builder or using the command line. For more information about using this
process, see, Refresh flow output files from the command line.

Detect incompatible features

Depending on the version of Tableau Prep Builder you are using, you can spot incompatible
features in different ways.

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Tableau Prep Builder (version 2020.1.1 and later)

Sign into Tableau Server, and Tableau Prep Builder will detect and disable incompatible
features for you. Any features that aren't compatible will show as grayed out. If you want to still
use the feature and run the flow manually or from the command line, you can enable it from the
menu.

Note: Starting in Tableau Prep Builder version 2020.1.4, once you sign into your server,
Tableau Prep Builder remembers your server name and credentials when you close the
application so that the next time you open the application you are already logged into
your server.

1. Hover over the disabled feature to see if it's disabled because it isn't compatible with
your server version, then click the Use Features button. This option is available in the
Flow pane and from the menus in the Profile pane, Results pane and data grid.

Note: Features can be disabled for other reasons, such as data updates being
paused or if the option isn't available for a particular step or data type.

2. The selected feature is applied and all incompatible features are enabled and available
to use. Incompatible features are flagged with a warning so that you can easily find and
remove them if you want to run the flow using a schedule in your version of Tableau
Server.

To disable this feature entirely and enable all incompatible features, do the following:

1. From the top menu, select Help > Settings and Performance > Disable
Incompatible Features.

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2. Select Disable incompatible features to clear the check mark next to this option. To
enable the feature again, select Disable incompatible features. This option should be
enabled by default.

Tableau Prep Builder (version 2019.3.1 and later)

As you build your flow, Tableau Prep Builder can detect incompatible features as you add them
and flags these features with an alert icon. You must be signed into your server to see these
alerts. This alert system helps you quickly identify incompatible features in your flow so you can
decide whether to keep the feature in your flow or remove it.

Hover over alerts in the Flow pane to view information about the incompatible feature, or use
the alert center to see more details. In the alert center, click the View in Flow link to navigate
directly to the step, annotation, field or change that triggered the warning.

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Tableau Prep Builder (all versions)

If you publish a flow with incompatible features, the following message is displayed and lists the
features that aren't supported in the version of Tableau Server that you are signed into. In
Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.2.3 and earlier, this is the only way to see which features
are incompatible in your flow.

Note: The error message lists the Tableau Prep Builder version when the feature was
introduced. Tableau Prep Builder doesn't release features in maintenance versions, so
for the feature to be compatible, Tableau Server must be running the next major release
version. In the example below, the Duplicate Fields feature was introduced in Tableau
Prep Builder version 2019.2.3 so it won't be compatible with the 2019.2.3 Tableau
Server maintenance release version. Instead it would be compatible with the next major
release for Tableau Server, version 2019.3.

If you continue to publish the flow, publishing will complete successfully. However, when you
open the flow in Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud, you will see the following message:

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To schedule and run the flow in Tableau Server, you can do one of the following:

l Look for the latest major release of Tableau Server that is compatible with the version of
Tableau Prep Builder that you are using. For example, if you are using features
introduced in Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.2.3, to run the flow in Tableau Server,
you would need the server version to be 2020.3 or later.

Tableau Cloud is updated automatically on a regular basis, usually every quarter. Test
your flow first, to make sure it is compatible with your current version of Tableau Cloud
before publishing.

l Before publishing the flow, remove the incompatible features from the flow, then publish
the flow.

l If you already published your flow to Tableau Server, try editing the flow directly on the
server (version 2019.4 and later), download the flow and remove the features, or create
the flow in an older version of Tableau Prep Builder using only the features available in
that version.

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Note: To download a specific version of Tableau Prep Builder, open the

Downloads page and select Tableau Prep Builder from the list on the left side
of the page.

Fixing compatibility issues

If the flow is already published to Tableau Server, try the steps below to remove the
incompatible features using your current version of Tableau Prep Builder. After you remove
the features and no longer see the version incompatibility message or warnings, republish
your flow to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud and schedule it using the Tableau Prep
Conductor.

Note: Tableau Prep Conductor is part of Data Management. It must be enabled in

Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud to run flows using the scheduling functionality. For
more information about Data Management, see Tableau Data Management. For more
information about enabling Tableau Prep Conductor in Tableau Server or Tableau
Cloud, see Step 2: Configure Flow Settings for your Server in the Tableau Server help
or Tableau Prep Conductor in the Tableau Cloud help.

Identify incompatible features

If you are working in Tableau Server, it doesn't currently list the incompatible features in your
flow. To identify the list of features to remove from the flow, you need to open the flow in
Tableau Prep Builder then find and remove them in your flow.

1. Open your flow. If you are in Tableau Prep Conductor, from the More actions menu,
click Download to download and open the flow in Tableau Prep Builder or simply open
the flow in Tableau Prep Builder.
2. If you downloaded the flow, click on the downloaded flow to open it.

3. Depending on your version, do one of the following:

l Version 2019.3.1 and later: From the top menu select Server >Sign In. Make
sure you select the same server that is incompatible with the flow. Any
incompatible steps, annotations, fields, or changes should be marked with an
alert icon.

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In the top right corner of the flow pane, click Alert to view the details for each
incompatible feature. Click View in Flow to navigate to the incompatible feature to
take action.

l Version 2019.2.3 and earlier: From the top menu select Server >Publish Flow.
If you need to sign into the server again, make sure you select the same server
that is incompatible with the flow. A warning dialog opens that lists the features that
are not compatible with your server version. Note the features so you can identify
and remove them from the flow. Then click Cancel to close the dialog.

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4. From the top menu, click File > Save As to save a copy of your flow. Use the options in
the following sections to remove incompatible features from your flow.

Remove incompatible features from the flow

You can use various methods to find and remove features from your flow. This section shows
some options to help you resolve incompatibility errors.

Incompatible data sources

If the data source isn't compatible, for example a new connector was added that isn't yet
supported in Tableau Prep Conductor, you'll need to connect to a data source that is
supported.

To change your data connection see Replace your data source on page 123.

Incompatible features
To remove incompatible features you'll need to find the steps where the features were used
and remove them. You can follow the instructions in Identify incompatible features on
page 418 to locate the incompatible features.

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1. If the feature is a step type, in the Flow pane click on the step where the feature is used.
Right-click or Ctrl-click (MacOS) on the step and select Remove.

2. If the feature is a cleaning operation, in the Flow pane click on the step where the feature
is used. You can hover over the annotations in the Flow pane or in the Profile or
Results panes to see a list of changes.

Note: In Tableau Prep Builder version 2019.1.3 and later you can hover on the
icon that represents the change you are looking for over a step in the Flow pane or
in the profile card then select the annotation from the list of changes. The change
is highlighted in the Changes pane, Profile or Resultspane and data grid.

3. Open the Changes pane if needed, and select the change that matches the feature you
need to remove. Click on the change to select it and click Remove to delete it from the
flow.

4. Repeat these steps to replace any other features. Then save your flow and republish it.

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Keep Flow Data Fresh

Note: The content in this topic is focused on running flows on a schedule, which requires
the Data Management with Tableau Prep Conductor enabled. Starting in version
2020.4.1, the Data Management isn't required to create and edit flows in Tableau
Server and Tableau Cloud and to run your flows manually.

You’ve built your flow and cleaned your data, but now you want to share your data set with
others and you want to keep that data fresh. You can manually run your flows in Tableau Prep
Builder and on the web and publish an extract to Tableau Server, but now there’s a better way.

Meet Tableau Prep Conductor, part of Data Management, and available in Tableau Server
starting in version 2019.1 and in Tableau Cloud. If you add this option to your Tableau Server
or Tableau Cloud installation, you can use Tableau Prep Conductor to run your flows on a
schedule to keep your flow data fresh.

For information about how to configure Tableau Prep Conductor, see Tableau Prep Conductor
content in the Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud help.

And starting in version 2021.3, you can run up to 20 flows on a schedule, one after the other
using the new Linked Tasks option. For more information about running flows using linked
tasks, see Schedule linked tasks in the Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud help.

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Note:If Tableau Catalog is installed, you can also see data quality warnings about your
flow input data and view the upstream and downstream impact of fields in your flow on
the new Lineage tab. For more information about Tableau Catalog, see About Tableau
Catalog in the Tableau Server help.

With Tableau Prep Conductor you can do the following:

l Configure your Server or Site to use Tableau Prep Conductor

l Enable or disable Tableau Prep Conductor for individual sites

l Set up email notifications for flow failures for flows that are run either on-demand
or using a schedule

l Configure flow timeout settings

l Publish a flow from Tableau Prep Builder to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud. Starting in
version 2020.4.1, the Data Management is not required to publish flows to the web.

l Upload data files or connect directly to your files (Tableau Prep Builder only) or
databases. If connecting to databases, you can either embed the database
credentials or require a user prompt.

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Note: If you connect to data files through a direct connection or publish

your flow output to a file share, the files need to be in a location that
Tableau Server can access. This option is not available for flows created on
the web. For more information see Step 4: Safe list Input and Output
locations in the Tableau Server help.

l Select from a project hierarchy when publishing your flows

l Enter tags and a description to help others find your flow

l Manage the flow

l Set permissions

l Move the flow to a different project

l Change the flow owner

l Add or edit tags

l View the version history and select from the list to restore the flow to a previous
version

l Mark a flow as a favorite and add it to your favorites list

l Edit an input connection and update credentials

l View data sources created from a flow and link back to the flow that created it

l Create schedules to run your flows or run your schedules on demand

l Add scheduled tasks to run the flow and select which flow outputs to update
l Add scheduled linked tasks to run multiple flows one after the other

l Run the flow on demand without a schedule

l Monitor the flow

l Set up email alert notifications

l View errors

l Monitor and restart flows that have been suspended

l View run history

l Use Admin views

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Run your Flow

Important: Starting in version 2020.4.1, Data Management is no longer required to run flows
manually on the web. It is only required (with Tableau Prep Conductor enabled) if you plan to
run your flows on a schedule.

To generate your flow output you need to run your flow. When you run the flow, all of your data
(not just the data sample you might be working with) is run through your flow steps. All of your
cleaning operations are applied to your full data set, resulting in a tidy, clean data set that you
can now use to analyze your data.

Note: Starting in version 2021.4.1, when you run flows that include parameters, you'll be
prompted to enter parameter values. You must enter required parameter values. You
can also enter any optional parameter values or accept the current (default) value for the
parameter. For more information about using parameters in flows, see Run flows with
parameters on page 211.

Flow run options

Run your flows manually, from the command line, using Tableau Server REST API flow
methods, or using a schedule.

l Manual: Run your flows manually any time in Tableau Prep Builder and on the web. The
Data Management isn't required. Flows on the web must be published before they can be
run. For more information, see Publishing flows in the Tableau Server or Tableau
Cloud help.
l Command Line interface: If you don't have the Data Management you can run flows
one at a time using the command line interface. For more information, see Refresh flow
output files from the command line on page 389.
l REST API: Use the Flow and Flow Task REST API methods in Tableau Server to run
flows. The Data Management is required. For more information, see Flow Methods in the
Tableau REST API help.

l Using a schedule: In Tableau Server and Tableau Cloud you can schedule single flows
to run or run multiple flows one after the other using linked tasks. Your server must
include Data Management with Tableau Prep Conductor enabled.

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For more information, see Tableau Prep Conductor in the Tableau Server or Tableau
Cloud help. For information about scheduling your flow to run automatically, see
Schedule a Flow Task in the Tableau Server help.

Run flows manually

When you run flows manually, you can run one flow at a time. You can run the whole flow or run
the flow for a selected output.

If running flows in web authoring (version 2020.4 and later) the flow must be published to the
server to run it, and you can't run another flow until the first flow is finished, even from a
separate tab. For more information, see Publish a Flow to Tableau Server or Tableau
Cloud on page 428.

In Tableau Cloud, the number of flow runs you can perform in a day is also limited by the site
administrator. For more information, see Tableau Cloud Site Capacity in the Tableau Cloud
help.

1. In Tableau Prep Builder or on your server, open your flow.

2. Do one of the following:

l From the top menu, click Run to run the entire flow, or click the drop down
arrow to select a flow output in the list.

l On the server, from the Explore page, right-click or Cmd-click (MacOS) More
actions and select Run Now from the menu. This will run your entire flow.

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l Click on an Output step in your flow, then in the Output pane, click Run Flow.

If the flow isn't open on the web you will need to click Edit Flow to open your flow in
editing mode, then either click Publish to publish the flow, or accept the prompt to
publish the flow, then click Run Flow.

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Publish a Flow to Tableau Server or Tableau

Cloud
Important: Starting in version 2020.4.1, Data Management is no longer required to publish
your flows to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud, or run flows manually on the web. It is only
required (with Tableau Prep Conductor enabled) if you plan to run your flows on a schedule.

Publish your flows to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud to share them with others or
automatically run them on a schedule and refresh the flow output using Tableau Prep
Conductor. You can also manually run individual flows on the server. Flows created or edited
on the web (version 2020.4 and later) must first be published before they can be run.

For information about publishing flows on the web, see Publishing flows in the Tableau
Server or Tableau Cloud help. For information about running flows, see Run your Flow on
page 425.

Before you publish

To make sure that you can run your flow, check the following:

1. Verify that there are no errors in the flow.

Flows that contain errors will fail when you try to run them in Tableau Server or Tableau
Cloud. Errors in the flow are identified by a red exclamation mark and a red dot with an
Errors indicator in the upper right corner of the canvas.

2. Verify that your flow doesn't include input connectors or features that aren't compatible
with your version of Tableau Server. Flows created on the web are always compatible

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with the server version they are created on.

You can still publish flows from Tableau Prep Builder that include connectors or features
that aren't yet supported in your version of Tableau Server, but you can't schedule them
to run.

For example, the SAP HANA connector was introduced in Tableau Prep Builder version
2019.1.4 but this connector isn't supported until Tableau Server version 2019.2 for
Tableau Prep Conductor. When you publish the flow, you would see a message similar to
the following:

Note: To schedule flows to run on Tableau Server, you must be using Tableau
Server version 2019.1 or later and Tableau Prep Conductor must be enabled.

To run your flow in Tableau Server, you need to take the appropriate actions to make the
flow compatible. For more information about working with incompatible flows, see
Version Compatibility with Tableau Prep on page 409.

3. Flows that include input or output steps with connections to a network share require safe
listing. Tableau Cloud doesn't support this option and files must be packaged with the
flow on publish.

Note: Currently, flows that are created on the web can only output to a published
data source or a database.

Tableau Prep Builder

Flow input and output steps that point to files stored in a network share (UNC path) aren’t
permitted unless the file and path is accessible by the server and are included in your
organization's safe list. If you publish the flow without adding the file location to your safe

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list, the flow will publish, but you will get an error when you try and run the flow manually
or using a schedule in Tableau Server.

If the files aren't stored in a safe listed location, you will see a warning message when
you publish the flow.

Click the "list" link in the message to see a list of allowed locations. Move your files to one
of the locations in the list, and make sure that your flow points to these new locations.

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In Tableau Server, to configure the allowed network paths, use the tsm command options
described in Step 4: Safe list Input and Output locations in the Tableau Server help.

If you don't want to move your files to a safe listed location, you will need to package the
input files with the flow and publish the flow output to Tableau Server as a published data
source. For more information about setting these options, see Publish a flow from
Tableau Prep Builder on the next page in this topic.

4. (Tableau Prep Builder only) If your flow output steps are set to Publish as a data
source, all flow output steps must point to the same server or site where the flow is
published. They can point to different projects on that server or site, but only one server
or site can be selected.

To set the publishing location for your output steps, do the following:

a. In the flow pane, select the output step.

b. In the publishing pane, select Publish as a data source.

c. Select the server or site and the project where you want to publish the flow. Sign in
to the server or site if needed.

d. Enter a name and description for each output.

The output file name should be distinctive enough so that the person running the
flow can easily identify which output files to refresh. The file name shows on the
Overview and Connections page for the flow in Tableau Server or Tableau
Cloud.

e. Save your flow.

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For more information about how to configure output steps for publishing, see
Create data extract files and published data sources on page 363.

Publish a flow from Tableau Prep Builder

Note: When you publish a flow, you are automatically assigned as the default flow
owner. If the flow connects to a published data source, the server uses the flow owner to
connect to the published data source. Only the Site or Server Administrator can change
the flow owner, and only to themselves.

1. Open your flow in Tableau Prep Builder.

2. From the top menu select Server > Publish Flow.

3. Complete the fields for your platform. Then click Publish. Tableau Server or Tableau
Cloud opens automatically in your default browser on the flow Overview page.

Tableau Server

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1. In the Publish to Tableau Server dialog, complete the following fields:

l Project: Click the drop-down option to select your project from the project hier-

archy. This should be the same project that the output files are published to.
l Name: Enter a name for your flow. This name shows on the server on the Flow
pages. If you want to overwrite an existing flow, click the drop-down option to select
a name from the list.
l Description (optional): Enter a description for the flow.
l Tags (optional): Click Add to type in one or more tags to identify your flow so
users can easily find it. Tags can also be added after publishing in the Flow pages
in Tableau Server.

2. Click Edit in the Connections section to edit connections settings or change

authentication.

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Files
By default, file input connections are packaged with the flow. Packaged files aren't
refreshed when the flow is run in Tableau Server. All files must have the same setting,
either Upload or Direct Connection.

Direct Connection

To retrieve the most current data when refreshing the output files, select Direct
Connection if Tableau Server can connect to the file location and the location is
included in your organization's safe list.

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Files stored in a network share

If your input or output steps point to files stored in a network share (UNC path) and the
location isn't included in your organization's safe list, you will see a warning message.
Click the link in the message to see a list of safe listed locations, move your files and point
your input and output steps to the new file location. For more information, see Step 3 in
Before you publish on page 428.

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For information about how to add locations to your organization's safe list, see Step 4:
Safe list Input and Output locations in the Tableau Server help.

Parameters in the input file path

Starting in version 2022.1.1, you can schedule and run flows on the web that include
parameters in the input file path. This requires a direct file connection.

If your files are packaged with your flow or you are using an earlier version of Tableau
Prep, any parameters included in the file paths are changed to the current (default)

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value and the file path is made static. For more information about using parameters in
flows, see Apply parameters to input steps on page 201.

Databases
If your flow connects to one or more databases, select one of the following authentication
types to use to connect to the flow input data sources.

l Server Run As Account: The server’s Run As User account will authenticate
all users.
l Prompt User: You must edit the connection in Tableau Server and enter the data-
base credentials before running the flow.

l Embedded Password: The credentials you used to connect to the data will be
saved with the connection and used when the flow is run on a schedule. If you
open the flow to edit it, you'll need to re-enter your credentials.

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Add Credentials (version 2020.1.1 and later)

If you connect to cloud connectors, you can add your credentials directly from the
Publish Flow dialog to embed them in the flow.

1. Click Edit in the Connections section, or click Edit credentials from the
warning message. Then click Add credentials from the Authentication
drop-down menu.

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2. In the confirmation dialog, click Continue. Tableau Prep Builder

automatically opens the Account Settings page for the server you are signed
into.

3. Add your credentials, then navigate back to Tableau Prep Builder.

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4. In the Finish adding credentials dialog, click Done.

5. Click Edit in the Connections section and verify that your credentials were
added and embedded in your flow.

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Tableau Cloud
1. In the Publish to Tableau Cloud dialog, complete the following fields:
l Project: Click the drop-down option to select your project from the project hier-

archy. This should be the same project that the output files are published to.
l Name: Enter a name for your flow. This name shows on the server on the Flow
pages. If you want to overwrite an existing flow, click the drop-down option to select
a name from the list.
l Description (optional): Enter a description for the flow.

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l Tags (optional): Click Add to type in one or more tags to identify your flow so
users can easily find it. Tags can also be added after publishing in the Flow pages
in Tableau Server.

2. Click Edit in the Connections section to edit connections settings or change

authentication.

Files
Tableau Cloud doesn't support direct file connections for input step data and you must
package your files with the flow. Packaged files aren't refreshed when the flow is run in
Tableau Cloud.

Note: Scheduling and running flows that include parameters in the input file path
isn't currently supported in Tableau Cloud because this requires a direct file

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connection. When you publish the flow, any parameters included in the file paths
are changed to the current (default) value and the file path is made static.

As an alternative, you can run flows with parameters in the file path in Tableau
Prep Builder or using the command line. For more information about using
parameters in flows, see Apply parameters to input steps on page 201.

Databases
To keep data fresh when publishing flows to Tableau Cloud, you can only connect directly
to cloud-hosted data sources. When connecting to on-premises data sources, you must
convert the data sources to a published data source and Tableau Cloud can use a
Tableau Bridge client to connect to your data if Tableau Bridge is configured for the data
source.

For more information about direct connections supported by Tableau Cloud, see Allow
Direct Connections to Data Hosted on a Cloud Platform.

For more information about using a Tableau Bridge, see Allow your Publishers to
Maintain Live Connections to On Premises Data.

If your flow connects to a cloud-based data source that supports a direct connection,
select one of the following authentication types to use to connect to the flow input data
sources.

l Prompt User: You must edit the connection in Tableau Cloud and enter the
database credentials before running the flow.

l Embedded Password: The credentials you used to connect to the data will be
saved with the connection and used when the flow is run on a schedule. If you
open the flow to edit it, you'll need to re-enter your credentials.

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l Select the Publish Data Source radio button for on-premises data sources.
Tableau Cloud can't connect directly to these data sources to refresh your data.
Selecting this option converts the data source input connection to a published
data source when you publish the flow to Tableau Cloud.

If Tableau Bridge is configured for the data source and the data source is
supported by Tableau Cloud, the data can be refreshed when the flow is run. See
Allow Direct Connections to Data Hosted on a Cloud Platform for more
information.
l To replace the on-premises data source connections for the flow in Tableau Prep
Builder with the published data source, select Update flow inputs to use pub-
lished data sources in the More options section before publishing your flow.

If you don't select the check box, the flow in Tableau Prep Builder remains
connected to the local on-premises data source and the flow in Tableau Prep
Builder can become out of sync with the published version of the flow. To continue
working with your flow, you would need to download the flow from Tableau Cloud
to edit it, then republish it.

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Add Credentials (version 2020.1.1 and later)

If you connect to cloud connectors, you can add your credentials directly from the
Publish Flow dialog to embed them in the flow..

1. Click Edit in the Connections section, or click Edit credentials from the warning
message. Then click Add credentials from the Authentication drop-down
menu.

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2. In the confirmation dialog, click Continue. Tableau Prep Builder automatically

opens the Account Settings page for the server you are signed into.

3. Add your credentials, then navigate back to Tableau Prep Builder.

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4. In the Finish adding credentials dialog, click Done.

5. Click Edit in the Connections section and verify that your credentials were added
and embedded in your flow.

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Who can do this

l Server Administrator, Site Administrator Creator, and Creator allow full connecting and
publishing access.
l Creator can perform web authoring tasks.
l Explorer (can publish)

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Day in the Life Scenarios

What does it mean to shape data? How does that impact what visualizations can be built and
what analysis can be performed? In the tutorials below, we explore scenarios for analysis and
visualization, identify the data limitations holding us back, then see how Tableau Prep can help
us shape the data to reach our intended outcome.

Download the data sets and follow along with these day in the life scenarios using Tableau Prep
and Tableau Desktop. Learn how to apply the features and functions in Tableau Prep to get
your data ready for analysis in Tableau Desktop.

Give us your feedback. We are just starting to build this section of the online help. If
there are specific scenarios you'd love to see here, please let us know. Use the feedback
bar at the top of the page to tell us more.

To complete the tasks in these tutorials, you need Tableau Prep and Tableau Desktop installed,
and you'll need to download and save the data to your computer.

For information about how to install Tableau Prep and Tableau Desktop, see Install Tableau
Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder from the User Interface in the Tableau Desktop and Tableau
Prep Deployment guide. Otherwise you can download the Tableau Prep and Tableau Desktop
free trials.

Hospital Bed Use with Tableau Prep

Reaching capacity in a hospital is problematic but so is an overabundance of resources. It's
important to understand hospital beds from the perspective of the bed as a resource. However,
the data is often stored from the perspective of a patient. How can we take data that captures
when patients are in beds and determine the bed usage?

Note: To complete the tasks in these tutorials, you need Tableau Prep and optionally
Tableau Desktop installed:

To install Tableau Prep and Tableau Desktop see the Tableau Desktop and Tableau
Prep Deployment guide. Otherwise you can download the Tableau Prep and Tableau
Desktop free trials.

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You will also need to download three data files. It is recommended to save them in your
My Tableau Prep Repository > Datasources folder.
- Beds.xlsx
- Hours.xlsx
- Patient Beds.xlsx

The Data
For our four beds, A, B, C, and D, we track which patient was in the bed and their start and end
time there. The data looks like this:

Preliminary Analysis
If we bring this data into Tableau Desktop, we can create a Gantt chart to show when patients
are in beds.

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This is a useful visual. We can see that there are only small gaps in use for beds A and B, but
bed C is very under-used. Bed D's patient has no end time, but we could address that with some
calculations. This gives us a visual overview of how the beds are used.

However, what if we wanted to count the hours when a bed was empty? Or compare open bed
time before and after a new policy is put in place? There's no easy way to do that with the data
as it's currently structured.

Desired Data Structure

By creating some very basic data sets and combining them in Tableau Prep, we can modify this
data set into a form that will allow us to perform deeper analysis and create even more useful
visualizations.

Before we jump into Tableau Prep, let's step back and think about what we need to create to
answer the question, "How many hours was each bed empty?"

We need to be able to look at each bed for each hour, and know whether or not there was a
patient in the bed. Right now, the data is solely when a patient was in the bed; we haven't given
Tableau information about the empty hours.

To create that full matrix of all beds and all hours, we'll create two new data sets. One is simply a
list of beds (A, B, C, D) and the other is a list of hours (1, 2, 3, …, 23, 24). By performing a cross
join (joining every row in one data set with every row in the other data set) we'll wind up with
every possible combination of beds and hours.

TheBeds.xlsx data set The Hours.xlsx data set And the cross joined results
looks like this: looks like this: look like this: 

Next, we'll bring in the Patient Beds information, labeling each bed-hour combination as
having a specific patient or not. We wind up with a data set that has a row for each bed-hour,

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and if a patient was in the bed, their number and start and end times. Null values indicate the
bed was unoccupied.

With the data in this structure, we can perform analyses like this, which enables us to
investigate unoccupied beds as easily as patient beds.

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Restructuring the Data

So how do we get there with Tableau Prep? We'll build out the flow in two parts, first building the
Bed Hours matrix, then combining it with the Patient Beds data. Make sure you've downloaded
all three Excel files (Beds.xlsx, Hours.xlsx, and Patient Beds.xlsx) to follow along.

Bed Hour Matrix

First, we'll connect to the Beds.xlsx file.

1. Open Tableau Prep.

2. From the start screen, click Connect to Data.

3. On the Connections pane, click Microsoft Excel. Navigate to where you saved
Beds.xlsx and click Open.

4. The Beds sheet should automatically be brought out to the Flow pane.

Tip: For more information about connecting to data, see Connect to Data on page 77.

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Next, we need to create a field we can use to do the cross join with the Hours data set. We'll
add a calculation that is simply the value 1.

5. In the Flow pane, select Beds and click the suggested Clean Step.

6. With the Clean step we just added, the Profile pane will come up. Click Create
Calculated Field in the toolbar.

7. Name the field Cross Join and enter the value 1.

8. The Data grid should update show the current state of the data.

Now we'll repeat the process with the Hours data set.

Click for directions

9. On the Connections pane, click the Add connection button to add another data
connection.

10. Choose Microsoft Excel and then select the Hours.xlsx file and click Open.

11. In the Flow pane, select Hours and click the suggested Clean Step to add it to the
flow.

12. From the toolbar in the Profile pane, create a calculated field named Cross Join and
enter the value 1.

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Both data sets now have a shared field, Cross Join, and can be joined.

13. Join the two cleaning steps by dragging Clean 2 onto Clean 1 and dropping it on the
Join option.

14. In the Join Profile below, the join configurations should populate automatically.

l Because we named both fields Cross Join, Tableau Prep automatically identifies
them as the shared field and creates the appropriate Applied Join Clauses.

l The default Join Type is inner, which is what we want.

l This join will match all rows from Beds with all rows from Hours, as seen in the
Data grid.

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A. Join clause

B. Join type

C. Data grid results

Tip: For more information about joins, see Join your data on page 335.

We no longer need the Cross Join fields, so we can remove them.

15. In the Flow pane, select Join 1, click the plus icon, and select Add Clean Step.

16. Select the fields Cross Join-1 and Cross Join, and click Remove Fields.

17. Double click on the Clean 3 label and rename that step Bed Hour Matrix.

We now have the Bed Hour Matrix data set that contains all beds and all hours and have
finished the first part of building our data set.

Patient Bed Use

Part two is bringing in the patient bed usage. To start, we'll connect to the data.

1. On the Connections pane, click the Add connection button to add another data
connection.

2. Choose Microsoft Excel and then select the Patient Beds.xlsx file, and click Open.

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3. In the Flow pane, select Patient Beds, then click the suggested Clean Step to add it to
the flow.

Because the Bed Hour Matrix file is based on hour but Patient Beds is based on actual time, we
need to pull the hour out of the Patient Beds start and end times. Additionally, for the end time,
we want to ensure that if a patent is still in the bed at the end of the day (midnight, hour 24) we
indicate that the bed is occupied even though there's no end time in the data set. We'll add a
calculated field in this new step.

4. In the toolbar, click Create Calculated Field.

5. Name the field Start Hour. For the calculation, enter DATEPART('hour',[Start
Time]).

This takes the hour of the start time and pulls it out. Therefore, "1/1/18 9:35 AM"
becomes simply "9".

6. Create another calculated field named End Hour. For the calculation, enter IFNULL
(DATEPART('hour',[End Time]), 24).

The DATEPART portion takes the hour of the end time. The IFNULL portion will assign
an end time of 24 (midnight) to any missing end time.

Now we're ready to join patient bed usage to the Bed Hour Matrix. This is a bit more complex
join than we did previously. An inner join would only return values present in both data sets.
Because we want to make sure we keep all the bed-hour slots, regardless of whether or not a
patient was in the bed, we'll need to do a left join. This will result in a lot of nulls, but that's
appropriate.

We also need to match when a bed-hour slot is taken by a patient (or patients). So in addition to
matching the bed the patient is in we also need to consider the time. The Bed Hour Matrix data
set just has an Hour field, and the Patient Beds data set has Start Hour and End Hour. We'll
use some basic logic to determine if a patient should be assigned to a given bed-hour slot: A
patient is considered in a bed if their start hour is less than or equal to (<=) the bed-hour slot
AND their end hour is greater than or equal to (>=) the bed-hour slot.

Therefore, three join clauses are needed to appropriately match these two data sets together.

9. Join the Clean 3 step with the Bed Hour Matrix step.

10. In the Applied Join Clauses area, the default should be Hour = End Hour. Click the
join clause to change the operator from "= " to "<= ".

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11. Click the plus button in the upper right corner of the Applied Join Clauses area to
add another join clause. Set it to be Hour >= Start Hour

12. Add a third join clause for Bed = Hospital Bed.

13. In the Join Type section, click the unshaded area of the graphic next to Bed Hour
Matrix to change the join type to a Left join.

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Note: If you drag the Bed Hour Matrix to Clean 3 instead of the other way around, the
desired results can be obtained by using a right join instead of a left join. The order of
dragging the steps matters for the orientation of the join. The join clauses will also be in
reverse order—be sure to preserve the correct logic of comparing the hours.

Our data is now joined, but we should clean up some artifacts from the join and make sure the
fields are tidy. We no longer need Start Hour and End Hour. Hospital Bed and Bed are also
redundant. Finally, a value of null in the Patient field really means the bed is unoccupied.

14. In the Flow pane, add a cleaning step so we can tidy up the joined data.

15. Ctrl+click (Command+click on Mac) to multi select the fields End Hour, Start Hour, and
Hospital Bed, then click Remove Fields in the toolbar.

16. On the Patient field profile card, double click the null value and type Unoccupied.

We now have a data structure with a row for every bed-hour; if there was a patient in bed during
that hour, we have the patient information as well. All that remains to do is add an output step
and generate the data set itself.

17. In the Flow pane, select Clean 4, click the plus icon, and select Add Output.

18. In the Output pane, change the Output type to .csv then click Browse.

19. Enter Bed Hour Patient Matrix for the name and choose the desired location before
clicking Accept to save.

20. Click theRun Flow button at the bottom of the pane to generate your output. Click Done
in the status dialog to close the dialog.

Tip: For more information about outputs and running a flow, see Save and Share Your
Work on page 359.

The final flow should look like this:

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Analysis in Tableau Desktop

To install Tableau Desktop before continuing with this tutorial, you can download the free trial.

Now that we have the data set in the desired structure, we can perform deeper analysis than
with the original data.

1. Open Tableau Desktop. In the Connect pane, select Text file, navigate to the Bed
Hour Patient Matrix.csv file, and click Open.

2. On the Data source tab, the data should appear in the canvas by default. Click to
Sheet 1.

3. In the Data pane, drag Hour above the line separating Measures and Dimensions to
make it a discrete dimension.

4. Drag Bed to the Rows shelf and Hour to the Columns shelf.

5. Drag Patient to the Color shelf.

Formatting is optional, but may help make the visual more readable.

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6. Click on the Color shelf and select Edit Colors.

7. In the area to the left, select Unoccupied. From the drop down on the right, choose the
Seattle Grays color palette.

8. Select the fourth, lightest gray, and click OK.

9. Click the Color shelf again, then click the Border dropdown. Choose the second gray
option at the far right.

10. In the toolbar, from the Size dropdown, change from Standard to Fit Width.

11. Click the Format menu and then Borders.

12. For Row Divider, click the Pane dropdown and choose a very light gray.

13. Adjust the Level slider to the second tick mark.

14. Repeat with the Column Divider. Set the Pane color to be light gray and the Level to
the second tick mark.

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15. Double click the sheet tab at the bottom and rename it Bed Use by Hour.

This view lets us quickly see when a given bed was occupied or open.

But we can go further and count the number of hours each bed was unoccupied.

16. Click the new sheet tab icon at the bottom to open a clean sheet.

17. Drag Patient to Rows.

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18. Drag Hour to Columns. Right click the Hour pill to open the menu. Choose Measure >
Count.

19. Drag another copy of the Patient field from the Data pane to the Color shelf.

20. Right click on the axis and select Edit Axis. Change the title to Hours and close the
dialog.

21. Rename the sheet tab Bed Hours by Patient.

This view lets us identify how many unoccupied bed hours we had, something we couldn't do
with the original data set. What other charts or dashboards can you create? Give it a try now
that your data is in the right structure.

Recap and Resources

To build this data structure using Tableau Prep, we needed to perform the following actions:

1. Build a data set for each aspect we want to analyze, in this case, Beds and Hours.

2. Cross join those data sets to create a Bed Hour Matrix data set with every possible
combination of beds and hours.

3. Join the Bed Hour Matrix with the Patient Bed data, making sure the join keeps all
bed-slot hours and the join clauses appropriately match patient bed data with the bed-
hour slots.

We used the following calculations to create fields we could join on. The second and third pull
out the hour information from the original datetime fields.

l Cross Join = 1

l This simply assigns the value 1 to every row

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l Start Hour = DATEPART('hour',[Start Time])

l This takes the hour of the start time and pulls it out. Therefore, "1/1/18 9:35 AM"
becomes simply "9".

l End Hour = IFNULL(DATEPART('hour',[End Time]), 24)

l We could use DATEPART('hour',[End Time]), as we did for Start Time.

This takes the hour of the end time and pulls it out. Therefore, "1/1/18 4:34 PM"
becomes simply "4".

l But we want to indicate that the patient bed that is still occupied (no end time) is in
use, not empty. To do so, we'll assign an end time of 24 (midnight) to any missing
end time using the IFNULL function. If the first argument DATEPART('hour',
[End Time]) is null, the calculation will return "24" instead.

Note: Want to check your work? Download the Tableau Prep packaged flow file
(Hospital Beds.tflx) and the Tableau Desktop packaged workbook file (Hospital
Beds.twbx).

Resources: Need more training? Take an in-person training course. Curious about the
features we covered? Check out the other topics in the Tableau Prep online help.
Looking for additional resources? The Master Tableau Prep with this list of learning
resources blog post is for you.

Finding the Second Date with Tableau Prep

A common need in analytics is to determine the date a second event happens, such as when a
customer made a second purchase—thereby becoming a repeat customer—or when a driver
gets a second traffic violation. Finding the date of a first event is easy, it's simply the minimum
date. Finding the second date is trickier.

In this two-part tutorial, we'll shape traffic infraction data and answer the following questions:

1. What was the length of time in days between the first and second infraction for each
driver?

2. Compare the fine amounts for the first and second infractions. Are they correlated?

3. Which driver paid the most overall? Who paid the least?

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4. How many drivers had multiple infraction types?

5. What was the average fine amount for drivers who never attended traffic school?

In the first stage, we'll use Tableau Prep Builder to restructure the data for our analysis. In the
second stage, Analysis with the Second Date in Tableau Desktop on page 477, we'll
move on to analysis in Tableau Desktop.

The goal of this tutorial is to present various concepts in the context of a real-life scenario and
work through options—not prescriptively establishing which is best. At the end, you should have
a better sense of how data structure impacts calculations and analysis, as well as greater
familiarity with various aspects of Tableau Prep and calculations in Tableau Desktop.

Note: To complete the tasks in this tutorial, you need Tableau Prep Builder (installed or
via the browser) and the data downloaded. For the second portion, you'll also need
Tableau Desktop installed.

The data set is Traffic Violations.xlsx. It is recommended to save it in your My Tableau

Prep Repository > Datasources folder.

To install Tableau Prep Builder and Tableau Desktop before continuing with this tutorial, see the
Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Deployment guide. Otherwise you can download the
Tableau Prep and Tableau Desktop free trials.

The Data
For this example, we're looking at traffic infraction data. Each infraction is a row. The driver,
date, type of infraction, if the driver was required to attend traffic school, and fine amount are
recorded.

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Desired Data Structure

The data is currently structured such that each infraction is a row. A driver with multiple
infractions appears on multiple rows, and there's no easy way to tell which was their first or
second infraction.

To investigate our repeat offenders, we want a data set that separates out the first and second
infraction dates, and the information associated with each of those infractions, and each row is
a driver.

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Restructuring the Data

So how do we get there with Tableau Prep? We'll build out the flow in stages, beginning with
pulling out the first infraction date, then the second, then shaping the final data set as desired.
Make sure you've downloaded the Excel file (Traffic Violations.xlsx) to follow along.

Initial Aggregation for 1st Infraction Date

First, we'll connect to the Traffic Violations.xlsx file.

1. Open Tableau Prep Builder.

2. From the start screen, click Connect to Data.

3. In the Connections pane, click Microsoft Excel. Navigate to where you saved Traffic
Violations.xlsx and click Open.

4. The Infractions sheet should automatically be brought out to the Flow Pane.

For more information about connecting to data, see Connect to Data on page 77.

Next, we need to identify the first infraction date per driver. We'll use an Aggregate step to do
this, creating a mini data set of Driver ID and Minimum Infraction Date.

When using an Aggregate step in Tableau Prep, any field that should define what makes a row
is a Grouped Field. (For us, that's Driver ID.) Any field that will be aggregated and presented at
the level of the grouped fields is an Aggregated Field. (For us, that's Infraction Date).

5. In the Flow pane, select Infractions, click the plus icon, and select Aggregate.

6. Drag Driver ID to the Grouped Fields drop area.

7. Drag Infraction Date to the Aggregated Fields area. The default aggregation is CNT
(count). Click CNT and change the aggregation to Minimum.

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This identifies the smallest (earliest) date, which is the first infraction date per driver.

For more information about aggregations, see Clean and Shape Data on page 215.

8. In the Flow pane, select Aggregate 1, click the plus icon, and select Clean Step so
we can clean up the output of the aggregation.

9. In the Profile pane, double-click on the field name Infraction Date and change it to 1st
Infraction Date.

At this stage, the flow and profile pane should look like this:

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From the Profile pane in this Clean step, we can see that our data now consists of 39 rows and
only 2 fields. Any field not used for grouping or aggregation is lost. But we want to be able to
keep some of the original information. We could either add those fields to the grouping or
aggregation (but doing so would change the level of detail or require the fields to be
aggregated), or join this mini data set back to the original (essentially adding a new column to
the original data for 1st Infraction Date). Let's do the join.

10. In the Flow pane, select Infractions, click the plus icon, and select Clean Step.

Make sure you hover over the Infractions step directly, not the line between it and the
Aggregation step. If the new Clean step is inserted between the two rather than
branching, use the Undo arrow in the tool bar and try again. The menu should say Add

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not Insert.

This branches your flow with all the original data. We'll join the results of the aggregation to this
copy of the full data. By joining on Driver ID, we're adding the minimum date from our
aggregation into the original data.

11. Select step Clean 2 and drag it on top of step Clean 1, and drop it on Join.

12. The default join configuration should be correct: an inner join on Driver ID = Driver ID.

For more information about joins, see Join your data on page 335.

Because some fields may be duplicated during a join—such as the fields in the join clause—it's
often a good idea to clean up extraneous fields after performing a join.

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13. In the Flow pane, select Join 1, click the plus icon, and select Clean Step.

14. In the Profile pane, right-click or Ctrl -click (MacOS) the card for Driver ID-1, and select
Remove .

15. To change the field order, drag the 1st Infraction Date card between Driver ID and
Infraction Date where you see the black line appear.

At this stage, the flow should look like this:

Looking at the data grid below, we can see our new, combined data set. We have the
minimum—that is, first—infraction date for each driver added to each row in the data set.

Second Aggregation for 2nd Infraction Date

We need to also determine the second infraction date. To do this, we want to filter out any row
where the infraction date is equal to the minimum—thus removing the first date. We can then
take the minimum of the remaining dates using another aggregate step, leaving us with the
second infraction date, which we'll rename for clarity.

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Note: Because we'll want to use the data as it currently is in Clean 3 later on in the flow,
we'll add another Clean step to get the second infraction date. This will leave the current
state of the data in Clean 3 available later on.

16. In the Flow pane, select Clean 3, click the plus icon, and select Clean Step.

17. On the toolbar in the Profile pane, choose Filter Values. Create a filter [Infraction
Date] != [1st Infraction Date].

18. Remove the field 1st Infraction Date.

19. In the Flow pane, select Clean 4, click the plus icon, and select Aggregate.

20. Drag Driver ID to the Grouped Fields drop area. Drag Infraction Date to the
Aggregated Fields area and change the aggregation to Minimum.

21. In the Flow pane, select Aggregate 2, click the plus icon, and select Clean Step.
Rename Infraction Date to 2nd Infraction Date.

At this stage, the flow should look like this:

We now have our second infraction date identified for each driver. To get all the other
information associated with each infraction (type, fine, traffic school) we again need to join this
back to the entire data set.

22. Select Clean 5 and drag it on top of Clean 3, dropping it on Join.

23. Again, the default join configuration should be correct: an inner join on Driver ID =
Driver ID.

24. In the Flow pane, select Join 2, click the plus icon, and select Clean Step. Delete
the fields Driver ID-1 and 1st Infraction Date as they are no longer needed.

At this stage, the flow should look like this:

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Create full data sets for the 1st and 2nd infractions
Before we go any further, let's step back and think about everything we have and how we want
to bring it all together. Our desired end state is a data set that looks like this, with a column for
Driver ID, then columns for date, type, traffic school, and fine amount for the 1st and 2nd
infractions.

How do we get there from here?

In the step Clean 3, we have our compete data set with a column that repeats the first infraction
date for each driver.

We want to eliminate all the rows for a driver that aren't the first infraction, building a data set of
only first infractions. That is, we only want to keep the information for a given driver when 1st

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Infraction Date = Infraction Date. Once we've filtered to keep only the row of the first
infraction, we can remove the Infraction Date field and tidy up field names.

Similarly, after the second aggregation and join, we have our complete data set with a column
for the second infraction date.

We can perform a similar filter of 2nd Infraction Date = Infraction Date to keep only the row
of information for each driver's 2nd infraction. Again, we can also remove the now-redundant
Infraction Date and tidy up field names.

We'll start with the first infraction data set.

25. In the Flow pane, select Clean 3, click the plus icon, and select Clean Step.

Like in step 10 above, we want to add a branch for the new clean step, not insert it
between Clean 3 and Clean 4.

26. With this new Clean step selected, in the Profile pane, click Filter Values in the
toolbar. Create a filter [1st Infraction Date] = [Infraction Date].

27. Remove the field Infraction Date.

28. Rename the Infraction Type, Traffic School, and Fine Amount fields to start with
"1st".

29. Double-click on the name Clean 7 under the step in the Flow pane and rename it
Robust 1st.

Now for the second infraction data set.

30. In the Flow pane, select Clean 6, after the last join.

31. Click Filter Values in the toolbar. Create a filter [2nd Infraction Date] =
[Infraction Date].

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32. Remove the field Infraction Date.

33. Rename the Infraction Type, Traffic School, and Fine Amount fields to start with
"2nd".

34. Double-click on the name Clean 6 under the step in the Flow pane and rename it
Robust 2nd.

At this stage, the flow should look like this:

Create the complete data set

Now that we have these two tidy data sets with complete information for the first and second
infractions per driver, we can join them back together on Driver ID and wind up with our desired
data structure.

35. Select Robust 2nd and drag it on top of Robust 1st, dropping it on Join.

36. The default join clause should be correct as Driver ID = Driver ID.

37. Because we don't want to drop drivers who didn't have a second infraction, we need to
make this a left join. In the Join Type area, click the unshaded area of the diagram next
to Robust 1st, turning it into a Left join.

38. In the Flow pane, select Join 3, click the plus icon, and select Clean Step. Remove
the field duplicateDriver ID-1.

The data is in the desired state, so we can create an output and proceed to analysis.

39. In the Flow pane, select the newly added Clean 6, click the plus icon, and select Add
Output.

40. In the Output pane, change the Output type to .csv then click Browse. Enter Driver
Infractions for the name and choose the desired location before clicking Accept to
save.

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41. Click theRun Flow button at the bottom of the pane to generate your output. Click
Done in the status dialog to close the dialog.

Tip: For more information about outputs and running a flow, see Save and Share
Your Work on page 359.

The final flow should look like this:

Note: You can download the completed flow file to check your work: Driver
Infractions.tflx

Recap
For the first stage of this tutorial, our goal was to take our original data set and prepare it for
analysis involving the first and second infraction dates. The process consists of three phases: 

Identify the first and second infraction dates:

1. Create an aggregation that keeps Driver ID and MIN Infraction Date. Join this with the
original data set to create an "intermediate data set" that has the first (minimum)
infraction date repeated for every row.

2. On a new step, filter out all rows where the 1st Infraction Date is the same as the
Infraction Date. From that filtered data set, create an aggregation that keeps Driver
ID and MIN Infraction date. Join this with the intermediate data set from the first step.
This identifies the second infraction date.

Build out clean data sets for the first and second infractions:

3. Go back and create a branch from the intermediate data set and filter to keep only rows
where the 1st Infraction Date is the same as the Infraction Date. This builds a data
set for just the first infraction. Tidy it up by removing any unnecessary fields and rename

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all the desired fields (except Driver ID) to indicate they're for the first infraction. This is
the Robust 1st data set.

4. Tidy the data set for the second infraction date. Clean the join results from step 2 by
filtering to keep only rows where the 2nd Infraction Date is the same as the Infraction
Date. Remove any unnecessary fields and rename all the desired fields (except Driver
ID) to indicate they're for the second infraction. This is the Robust 2nd data set.

Combine the first and second infraction data into one data set:

5. Join the Robust 1st and Robust 2nd data sets, making sure to keep all records from
Robust 1st to prevent losing any drivers without a second infraction.

Next, we want to explore how this data can be analyzed in Tableau Desktop.

Continue to Analysis with the Second Date in Tableau Desktop

below.

Note: Special Thanks to Ann Jackson's Workout Wednesday topic Do Customers Spend
More on Their First or Second Purchase? and Andy Kriebel's Tableau Prep Tip
Returning the First and Second Purchase Dates that provided the initial inspiration for
this tutorial. Clicking these links will take you away from the Tableau website. Tableau
cannot take responsibility for the accuracy or freshness of pages maintained by external
providers. Contact the owners if you have questions regarding their content.

Analysis with the Second Date in Tableau

Desktop
This is the second stage of the tutorial and assumes the first stage, Finding the Second Date
with Tableau Prep on page 464, has been completed.

In the first stage, we took our original data set and shaped it to answer the following questions:

1. What was the length of time in days between the first and second infraction for each
driver?

2. Compare the fine amounts for the first and second infractions. Are they correlated?

3. Which driver paid the most overall? Who paid the least?

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4. How many drivers had multiple infraction types?

5. What was the average fine amount for drivers who never attended traffic school?

As we now explore these questions, it becomes clear that there are some pros and cons to the
first data structure we created. We'll go back into Tableau Prep Builder and do some additional
reshaping, then see how that impacts the same analysis in Tableau Desktop. Finally, we'll look
at a Tableau Desktop-only approach to the analysis using Level of Detail (LOD) expressions
with the original data.

The goal of this tutorial is to present various concepts in the context of a real-life scenario and
work through options—not prescriptively establishing which is best. At the end, you should
have a better sense of how data structure impacts calculations and analysis, as well as greater
familiarity with various aspects of Tableau Prep and calculations in Tableau Desktop.

Note: To complete the tasks in this tutorial, you need Tableau Prep Builder
and optionally Tableau Desktop installed and the data downloaded.

To install Tableau Prep and Tableau Desktop before continuing with this tutorial, see
the Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Deployment guide. Otherwise you can
download the Tableau Prep and Tableau Desktop free trials.

The data set is the output from Driver Infractions.tflx, as built in the first stage.

Analysis in Tableau Desktop

Now that we have our data configured, we'll bring it into Tableau Desktop. We can easily
answer some questions, but others involve a few (or a lot of) calculations. Try your hand at the
questions below; you can expand each one for basic information about how to proceed if you
get stuck.

Note: You can download the workbook Driver Infractions.twbx to look at the solutions in
context. Remember that there may be alternative ways to interpret the analysis or
pursue answers.

1. What was the length of time in days between the first and

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second infraction for each driver?

A. To answer this question in Tableau Desktop, we'll use the DATEDIFF function. This
function takes three arguments—the date part, the start date, and the end date. Since we
want to know the days between these events, we'll use the date part 'day'. Our start and
end dates are in the data set as 1st Infraction Date and 2nd Infraction Date.

B. The calculation is:

Time Between Infractions = DATEDIFF('day', [1st Infraction Date],

[2nd Infraction Date])

C. We can plot that against Driver ID as a bar chart. Note that seven drivers had no second
infraction, so there are seven nulls.

2. Compare the fine amounts for the first and second

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infractions. Are they correlated?

A. To answer this question in Tableau Desktop, we'll create a scatter plot of 1st Fine
Amount and 2nd Fine Amount. By bringing Driver ID to the Detail shelf on the
Marks card, we can create a mark for each driver.

B. To add a trend line, use the Analytics tab in the left-hand pane and bring out a linear
trend line. Hovering over the trend line, we can see the R-squared value is practically
zero, and the p-value is far above any cutoff for significance. We can determine that
there is no correlation between first and second fine amount.

If we were to use this scatter plot in a dashboard, the trend line should be removed.

3. Which driver paid the most overall? Who paid the least?
When we want to go deeper in our analysis, we may need to create some calculations.

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A. To answer this in Tableau Desktop, we need to add the fines for both infractions into a
single field. Because some drivers may not have had a second infraction, we need to use
the zero null ZN function to turn any nulls for 2nd Fine Amount into zeros. Failing to do
this will result in nulls if there isn't a second fine.

B. The calculation is:

Total Amount Paid = [1st Fine Amount] + ZN([2nd Fine Amount])

C. We can plot Total Amount Paid against Driver ID and sort the bar chart.

4. How many drivers had multiple infraction types?

A. To answer this in Tableau Desktop, we need to do a fancier IF calculation, comparing if

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the first and second infraction types are the same. If they are, we want to assign the
value "1". If they are not the same, we'll assign "2". Since we only care about multiple
infraction types, any other result, such as a null second infraction type, will be assigned
"1".

B. The calculation is:

Number of Infraction Types =

IF [1st Infraction Type]=[2nd Infraction Type] THEN 1

ELSEIF [1st Infraction Type]!= [2nd Infraction Type] THEN 2
ELSE 1 END

C. We can then plot Number of Infraction Types against Driver ID and sort the bar
chart.

5. What was the average fine amount for drivers who never

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attended traffic school?

A. To answer this in Tableau Desktop, we cannot simply divide the total fine amount by two,
since some drivers only had one infraction. We also can't calculate the average fine per
driver and take the average of those values, because averaging averages can lead to
inconsistencies. Instead, we need to calculate the total amount paid by drivers who never
attended traffic school, then divide by the total number of infractions associated with
those fines.

1. First, we need to determine if each driver had a second infraction. We can

leverage the fact the information in all the "2nd" fields will be null if there was no
second infraction and start building the calculation:

IFNULL([2nd Infraction Type], 'no')

This will return an infraction type if it exists, or "no" if there was no second
infraction.

2. Next, we need to turn this information into the number of infractions, 1 or 2. If the
result of our IFNULL calculation is "no", then the driver should be marked as
having one fine. Any other result should be marked as having two fines. The
calculation is:

Number of Infractions =

IF IFNULL([2nd Infraction Type], 'no') = 'no' THEN 1

ELSE 2
END

3. Now we need to consider the total fine amount. Similarly to question 3 above, we'll
add the first and second fine amounts, with a ZN function around the second.
However, because we want this to be computed at the level of the entire data set,
it's a best practice to specify the aggregations, SUM, in the calculation itself. The
calculation is: 

SUM([1st Fine Amount]) + SUM( ZN([2nd Fine Amount]) )

4. To bring it all together, we'll take this total fine amount and divide it by our new
Number of Infractions calculated field to determine the average fine amount:

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Average Fine = ( SUM([1st Fine Amount]) + SUM( ZN([2nd Fine

Amount]) ) ) / SUM([Number of Infractions])

B. We also need to filter out drivers who ever attended traffic school—but that information
is also stored across two fields.

1. Tableau is very efficient at numerical calculations. We'll phrase this with numbers
to help performance as much as we can. To combine these two fields, we'll create
a calculation for each one that says "Yes = 1" and "No = 0" (null should also = 0,
for drivers with no second infraction). By summing the outcome of these
calculations, any driver with an overall value of 0 never went to traffic school (and
a value of 1 or 2 represents how many times they went). We can then filter to keep
only drivers with a value of 0.

2. This time, we'll use a CASE statement instead of IF. They function very similarly
but have different syntax. The start of the calculation should look like this:

CASE [1st Traffic School]

WHEN 'Yes' THEN 1
WHEN 'No' THEN
ELSE 0
END

3. And then we'll do the same thing for 2nd Traffic School. We can add both pieces in
the same calculation by wrapping each case statement in parentheses and
adding a plus between them. Removing some of the line breaks, it looks like this:

Number of Traffic School Attendances =

(CASE [1st Traffic School] WHEN 'Yes' THEN 1 WHEN 'No'

THEN 0 ELSE 0 END)
+
(CASE [2nd Traffic School] WHEN 'Yes' THEN 1 WHEN 'No'
THEN 0 ELSE 0 END)

4. If we drag Number of Traffic School Attendances to the Dimensions area of

the Data pane (above the line), the values 0–2 will become discrete.

5. Now if we filter on Number of Traffic School Attendances, we can select just

the 0 and know we're getting drivers who have never attended traffic school.

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C. To answer the original question, we'll simply bring Average Fine to the Textshelf on the
Marks card.

Because we built the aggregations into the calculation, the aggregation on the pill will be
AGG and we cannot change it. This is as expected.

Go Further—Pivoted Data
While the data we've been working with is well structured to address questions specifically
around first and second infractions, it isn't the standard structure recommended for use with
Tableau Desktop. The more our analysis diverges from basic questions around the infraction
dates, the more complicated our calculations become to combine the relevant information into
useable form.

Usually, when data is stored with multiple columns for the same type of data (such as two
columns for date, two columns for fine amount, etc.) and unique information is stored in the field
name (such as whether it's the first or second infraction), this is an indication the data should be
pivoted.

Performing a multiple pivot in Tableau Prep Builder can handle this nicely. We can work from
the end of the Driver Infraction Tableau Prep flow created in the previous tutorial Finding the
Second Date with Tableau Prep on page 464.

Tip: Make sure you're back in Tableau Prep for these next steps.

1. From the final clean step, add a Pivot step that pivots by every duplicated field. Use the

plus icon in the upper right corner of the Pivoted Fields area to add more Pivot

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Values. Each set of fields (such as 1st and 2nd Fine Amounts) should be pivoted
together.

For more information about pivoting, see Clean and Shape Data on page 215.

2. In the Pivoted Fields area, under the Pivot1 Names column, double click each value
and rename them to 1st and 2nd.

The results can be tidied by removing null dates as well as renaming and reordering fields.

3. Add a cleaning step after the pivot. In the Infraction Date column, right-click on the null
bar and choose Exclude.

4. Double-click the field name Pivot1 Names and rename it Infraction Number.

5. Drag fields as appropriate to reorder them as below:

6. From the new, pivoted data, create an output named Pivoted Driver Infractions and
bring it into Tableau Desktop. (Don't forget to run the flow after adding the Output step.)

Now we can look at our five questions again with this pivoted data structure; you can expand
each one for basic information about how to proceed if you get stuck.

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Note: You can download the completed flow file Pivoted Driver Infractions.tflx to check
your work, or download the workbook Pivoted Driver Infractions.twbx to look at the
solutions in context. Remember that there may be alternative ways to interpret the
analysis or pursue answers.

1. What was the length of time in days between the first and
second infraction for each driver?
A. To answer this in Tableau Desktop, as we did with the first data set, we'll use the
DATEDIFF function. This function requires a start date and an end date. This
information is present in our data, but all in one field. We need to pull it out into two fields.

1. Create two preliminary calculated fields:

1st Infraction Date = IF [Infraction Number] = "1st" THEN

[Infraction Date] END

2nd Infraction Date = IF [Infraction Number] = "2nd" THEN

[Infraction Date] END

2. Because we want to make sure both of these values are available to be compared
for each driver, we need to fix them to the level of Driver ID.

Note: Don't believe me? Try to do a DATEDIFF calculation with these two

fields as they are: Time Between Infractions = DATEDIFF('day',
[1st Infraction Date], [2nd Infraction Date])
You'll get null results everywhere, because Tableau is trying to compare
across a data structure that looks like this:

Here, the row that knows what the first date is doesn't know what the second

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date is, and vice versa. To get around this, we'll use a FIXED Level of Detail
expression to force these first and second dates to be related by Driver ID.

Edit each calculation as follows:

1st Infraction Date = { FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN ( IF

[Infraction Number] = "1st" THEN [Infraction Date] END )
}

2nd Infraction Date = { FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN ( IF

[Infraction Number] = "2nd" THEN [Infraction Date] END )
}

Note: The original IF calculation must be aggregated when embedded in

an LOD expression. We can use any basic aggregation that will preserve
the date value (so aggregations like SUM, AVG, or MIN work, but not CNT
or CNTD).

Note: These calculations can also be created in Tableau Prep Builder. For

more information on LOD expressions in Prep, see Create Level of
Detail, Rank, and Tile Calculations on page 263.

3. Now we can create the DATEDIFF calculation as follows:

Time Between Infractions = DATEDIFF('day', [1st Infraction

Date], [2nd Infraction Date])

l If we want to look at weeks or months, simply modify the date part

(currently 'day').

l It would also be possible to create a single calculation for the entire thing by
placing the FIXED calcs inside the DATEDIFF directly: 

DATEDIFF ( 'day',

{ FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN ( IF [Infraction Number]

= "1st" THEN [Infraction Date] END ) },

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{ FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN ( IF [Infraction Number] =

"2nd" THEN [Infraction Date] END ) }

4. Plot Time Between Infractions on Columns and Driver ID on Rows.

The results will be identical to the outcome with the unpivoted data structure.

2. Compare the fine amounts for the first and second infrac-
tions. Are they correlated?
A. To answer this in Tableau Desktop, we'll use very similar logic to the previous question.
We'll use Infraction Number to identify if a given row is the first or second infraction,
then pull out the fine amount accordingly.

1. If all we want to do is make a scatter plot, we can skip the LOD portion and just use
the IF calculation:

1st Fine Amount = IF [Infraction Number] = "1st" THEN [Fine

Amount] END

2nd Fine Amount = IF [Infraction Number] = "2nd" THEN [Fine

Amount] END

2. However, if we wanted to compare and see the difference in amount between the
first and second fines for a single driver, we'd run into the same null issue as with
the dates. It can't hurt to wrap these calculations in a FIXED LOD, so it might be
good just to do so from the start:

1st Fine Amount = { FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN ( IF [Infraction

Number] = "1st" THEN [Fine Amount] END ) }

2nd Fine Amount = { FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN ( IF [Infraction

Number] = "2nd" THEN [Fine Amount] END ) }

These calculations can also be created in Tableau Prep Builder. For more
information on LOD expressions in Prep, see Create Level of Detail, Rank, and
Tile Calculations on page 263.

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3. Create a scatterplot with 1st Fine Amount on Columns and 2nd Fine Amount
on Rows and bring out a linear trend line as before.

The results will be identical to the outcome with the unpivoted data structure.

3. Which driver paid the most overall? Who paid the least?
A. To answer this question in Tableau Desktop, the pivoted data structure is ideal. All we
need to do is bring out Driver ID and Fine Amount into a bar chart. The default
aggregation is already SUM, so the total amount paid by the driver will automatically be
plotted.

The results will be identical to the outcome with the unpivoted data structure.

4. How many drivers had multiple infraction types?

A. To answer this question in Tableau Desktop, the pivoted data structure is ideal. All we
need to do is bring out Driver ID and a Count Distinct of Infraction Type as a bar
chart, and we'll have our answer.

The results will be identical to the outcome with the unpivoted data structure.

5. What was the average fine amount for drivers who never
attended traffic school?
A. To answer this in Tableau Desktop, we cannot simply divide the total fine amount by two,
since some drivers only had one infraction. We also can't calculate the average fine per
driver and take the average of those values, because averaging averages can lead to
inconsistencies. Instead, we need to calculate the total amount paid by drivers who
never attended traffic school, then divide by the total number of infractions associated
with those fines.

1. First, we need to determine if each driver had a second infraction. We can

leverage the fact 2nd Infraction Date will be null if there was no second
infraction and start building the calculation:

IFNULL(STR([2nd Infraction Date]), 'no')

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This will return the date of the second infraction if it exists, or "no" if there was no
second infraction.

Note: The STR portion of this calculation is necessary because

IFNULL needs consistency of data type in its arguments. Because we
want to return the string "no" for null values, we need to convert the date to a
string as well.

2. Next, we need to turn this information into the number of infractions, 1 or 2. If the
result of our IFNULL calculation is "no", then the driver should be marked as
having one fine. Any other result should be marked as having two fines. The
calculation is:

Number of Infractions =

IF IFNULL(STR([2nd Infraction Date]), 'no')= 'no' THEN 1

ELSE 2
END

3. Now we need to consider the average fine amount. We already have a single field
for Fine Amount. All we need to do is divide that by our new Number of
Infractions field, wrapping both in SUM: 

Average Fine = (SUM([Fine Amount]) / SUM([Number of

Infractions])

B. We also need to filter out drivers who attended traffic school. It looks like we could use the
Traffic School field and filter on Traffic School = no. However, this would filter on
infractions not associated with traffic school, not drivers who never went to traffic school.
If a driver went to traffic school for one infraction but not the other, we don't want either
infraction to be considered here—that driver has been to traffic school and therefore
doesn't fit the parameters of the question.

What we want to do is filter out any driver who attended traffic school. In terms of the
data, we want to filter out any driver who has a "Yes" for Traffic School on any row,
regardless of which infraction it's associated with. Let's build our calculation in stages,
using a simple view to help keep track of what's happening:

1. First, we want to know if a driver has a "Yes" for Traffic School. Drag Driver ID to
Rows and Traffic School to Columns. We'll get a text table with placeholder

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"Abc" text indicating the relevant values for each driver.

2. Next, we want to build a calculation that will identify if the value of Traffic School
is "Yes". The first stage of the calculation is:

Attended Traffic School = CONTAINS([Traffic School), 'Yes')

If we bring Attended Traffic School to the Color shelf on the Marks card, we
see it accurately labels "False" for every mark in the "No" column, and "True" for
every mark in the "Yes" column.

3. However, what we really want is this information at the level of the driver, not the
infraction. An LOD expression is a natural fit when trying to compute a result at a
different level of detail than the basic structure of the data. We'll make this a
FIXED LOD expression. But, as we know, the aggregate expression portion of
an LOD must be aggregated. Previously, we've used MIN. Will that work
here? We'll modify the calculation to be: 

Attended Traffic School = { FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN( CONTAINS

([Traffic School], 'Yes'))}

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With that change applied in the view, we see the opposite of what we want. Any
driver that has a "No" is marked as "False" across the board. Instead, we want to
carry the "Yes" as a "True" for every record for that driver. What is MIN doing here?
It's picking the first response alphabetically, that is, "No".

4. What if we changed it to MAX? Would that take the last response

alphabetically? We'll modify the calculation to be: 

Attended Traffic School = { FIXED [Driver ID] : MAX ( CONTAINS

( [Traffic School], 'Yes') ) }

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And here we have it: if a driver has "Yes" anywhere in the data, they are marked
as "True" for having attended traffic school, even on the infraction that didn't
involve traffic school.

5. If we bring Attended Traffic School to the Filter shelf and select only "False",
we'll be left with only drivers who never attended traffic school.

C. To answer the original question, with our filter in place we'll simply bring Average Fine
to the Textshelf on the Marks card. Because we built the aggregations into the
calculation, the aggregation on the field will be AGG and we cannot change it. This is as
expected.

The results will be identical to the outcome with the unpivoted data structure.

The benefits of pivoted data

We could stick with the original data structure from the tutorial if we know we'd only need to
answer questions that are easy to answer with that structure. However, the pivoted data format
is more flexible. Even though it requires some calculations, once they're in place the resulting
data set is well suited to answer broader questions.

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Go Further Still—Calculations Only

What if you don't have access to Tableau Prep Builder? Are you out of luck entirely if you're
stuck with the original data? Not at all!

Tableau Desktop and LOD expressions can answer all of our analytical questions. If we connect
to the original Traffic Violations.xlsx, it looks very similar to the pivoted data set—just without
the crucial Infraction Number field. We'll need to mimic the outcome of the aggregation steps
via LOD expressions.

Note: You can download the workbook LOD Driver Infractions.twbx to look at the
solutions in context. Remember that there may be alternative ways to interpret the
analysis or pursue answers.

1. What was the length of time in days between the first and
second infraction for each driver?
A. To answer this in Tableau Desktop, we'll again use the DATEDIFF function. This
function requires a start date and an end date. This information is present in our data, but
all in one field. We need to pull it out into two fields. Because we want to make sure both
of these values are available to be compared for each driver, we need to fix them to the
level of Driver ID.

1. To find the first infraction date, we use the calculation:

1st Infraction = { FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN ( [Infraction Date]

) }

2. We'll do the second infraction date in stages.

a. To start, we need to look at just the dates that are larger than the first date:

IF [Infraction Date] > [1st Infraction] THEN

[Infraction Date] END

b. But this will give us every infraction after the first, and we only want the
second. So we want the smallest of these dates. Wrap the whole thing in
MIN:

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MIN( IF [Infraction] : [1st Infraction] THEN

[Infraction Date] END )

c. We also want to recalculate the second infraction date for each driver.
That's where LOD expressions come in. We'll fix this to the level of Driver
ID:

2nd Infraction = { FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN ( IF

[Infraction Date] > [1st Infraction] THEN
[Infraction Date] END ) }

3. And we can now create the DATEDIFF calculation:

Time Between Infractions = DATEDIFF('day', [1st Infraction],

[2nd Infraction])

The results will be identical to the outcomes with the other two data structures.

2. Compare the fine amounts for the first and second infrac-
tions. Are they correlated?
A. To answer this in Tableau Desktop, we'll use similar logic to the pivoted data version of
this question. We'll use the 1st Infraction and 2nd Infraction fields we created for
question I to identify if a given row is the first or second infraction, then pull out the fine
amount accordingly.

1. If all we want to do is make a scatter plot, we can skip the LOD portion and just use
an IF calculation:

1st Fine Amount = IF [1st Infraction] = [Infraction Date]

THEN [Fine Amount] END

2nd Fine Amount = IF [2nd Infraction] = [Infraction Date]

THEN [Fine Amount] END

2. However, if we want to compare and see the difference in amount between the
first and second fines for a single driver, we'd run into issues with nulls, as in the
first data structure. It can't hurt to wrap these calculations in a FIXED LOD, so it
might be good just to do so from the start:

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1st Fine Amount = { FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN ( IF [1st

Infraction] = [Infraction Date] THEN [Fine Amount] END )
}

2nd Fine Amount = {FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN( IF

[2ndInfraction] = [Infraction Date] THEN [Fine Amount]
END ) }

The results will be identical to the outcomes with the other two data structures.

3. Which driver paid the most overall? Who paid the least?
A. To answer this in Tableau Desktop, we need to first realize something about the LOD-
only method. Both methods using Tableau Prep filter out records that are not the first or
second infraction for a driver. The LOD method in Tableau Desktop keeps all records.
This means that if we were to create a viz of SUM(Amount Paid) by Driver ID, the
Tableau Desktop-only version will show higher amounts for drivers with more than two
infractions. To get a Total Amount Paid value from the complete data that matches the
other methods, instead of using the original Fine Amount field, we instead need to sum
the first and second fines like we did with the first data structure.

B. Using the fields we created for question 2, we'll add the two fine amounts. ZN is
necessary to prevent a null result for any drivers who only had one infraction. The
calculation is: 

Total Amount Paid = [1st Fine Amount] + ZN([2nd Fine Amount])

The results will be identical to the outcomes with the other two data structures.

4. How many drivers had multiple infraction types?

A. To answer this question in Tableau Desktop, we can't simply bring out Driver ID and a
Count Distinct of Infraction Type. Because this data set has infractions beyond the
second, some drivers may have more than two infraction types. To match the results with
the other methods, we need to limit the scope to just the first two infractions.

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B. We can to pull out the 1st and 2nd infraction types, wrap them in LOD expressions to
make them FIXED to the driver, then use an IF calculation to count the types:

1. 1st Infraction Type = { FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN ( IF [1st

Infraction] = [Infraction Date] THEN [Infraction Type]
END ) }

2. 2nd Infraction Type = { FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN ( IF [2nd

Infraction] = [Infraction Date] THEN [Infraction Type]
END ) }

3. Number of Infraction Types =

IF [1st Infraction Type] = [2nd Infraction Type] THEN 1

ELSEIF [1st Infraction Type] != [2nd Infraction Type]
THEN 2
ELSE 1 END

Note: It's also possible to create many of these calculations as a single field
by nesting the initial calculations directly in the larger calculation. Here, the
combined calculation would look like this:
IF
{FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN(IF [1st Infraction]=
[Infraction Date] THEN [Infraction Type] END)}
=
{FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN(IF [2nd Infraction]=
[Infraction Date] THEN [Infraction Type] END)}
THEN 1

ELSEIF
{FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN(IF [1st Infraction]=
[Infraction Date] THEN [Infraction Type] END)}
!=
{FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN(IF [2nd Infraction]=
[Infraction Date] THEN [Infraction Type] END)}
THEN 2

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ELSE 1
END

Which is a bit harder to make sense of, but works if preferred. (Note that line
breaks and some spaces do not impact how a calculation is interpreted by
Tableau.)

C. We can then plot Number of Infraction Types against Driver ID and sort the bar chart.

The results will be identical to the outcomes with the other two data structures.

5. What was the average fine amount for drivers who never
attended traffic school?
A. To answer this in Tableau Desktop, we cannot simply divide the total fine amount by two,
since some drivers only had one infraction. We also can't calculate the average fine per
driver and take the average of those values, because averaging averages can lead to
inconsistencies. Instead, we need to calculate the total amount paid by drivers who never
attended traffic school, then divide by the total number of infractions associated with
those fines.

1. First, we need to determine if each driver had a second infraction. We can

leverage the fact the information in all the "2nd" fields will be null if there was no
second infraction and start building the calculation:

IFNULL([2nd Infraction Type], 'no')

This will return an infraction type if it exists, or "no" if there was no second
infraction.

2. Next, we need to turn this information into the number of infractions, 1 or 2. If the
result of our IFNULL calculation is "no", then the driver should be marked as
having one fine. Any other result should be marked as having two fines. The
calculation is:

Number of Infractions =

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IF IFNULL([2nd Infraction Type], 'no') = 'no' THEN 1

ELSE 2
END

3. For the Total Amount Paid, we can use the calculation from question 3. To bring it
all together, we'll take this total fine amount and divide it by our new Number of
Infractions calculated field to determine the average fine amount:

Average Fine = SUM([Total Amount Paid]) / SUM([Number of

Infractions])

B. We also need to filter out drivers who attended traffic school. Because this data set
contains some drivers with a third or fourth infraction, we can't use the same method as
the pivoted data structure. Instead, we'll follow the same method as the unpivoted data,
summarized here:

1. First, we need to built two calculations identifying if the first and second infractions
involved traffic school or not: 

1st Traffic School = { FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN (IF [1st

Infraction] = [Infraction Date] THEN [Traffic School]
END ) }

2nd Traffic School = { FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN (IF [2nd

Infraction] = [Infraction Date] THEN [Traffic School]
END ) }

2. Then we'll add those values to get the overall number of traffic school
attendances: 

Number of Traffic School Attendances =

(CASE [1st Traffic School] WHEN 'Yes' THEN 1 WHEN 'No'

THEN 0 ELSE 0 END)
+
(CASE [2nd Traffic School] WHEN 'Yes' THEN 1 WHEN 'No'
THEN 0 ELSE 0 END)

3. If we drag Number of Traffic School Attendances to the Dimensions area of

the Data pane, the values 0–2 become discrete.

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4. Now if we filter on Number of Traffic School Attendances, we can select just

the 0 and know we're getting drivers who have never attended traffic school.

C. To answer the original question, we'll simply bring Average Fine to the Textshelf on the
Marks card. Because we built the aggregations into the calculation, the aggregation on
the field will be AGG and we cannot change it. This is as expected.

The results will be identical to the outcomes with the other two data structures.

It's important to remember that this solution has a lot of nested calculations and LOD
expressions. Depending on the size of the data set and the complexity of the data, performance
could be an issue.

Reflection on Methods
So which route should you go? That's entirely up to you and the tools at your disposal.

l If you want to steer clear of LODs, there's a data-shaping solution, though calculations
might be necessary for some analysis (Analysis in Tableau Desktop on page 478).

l If you can shape the data and are comfortable with calculations—including LODs—the
middle-of-the-road option provides the best flexibility (Go Further—Pivoted Data on
page 485).

l If you're comfortable with LODs, there's minimal impact on performance, and/or you
don't have access to Tableau Prep, solving this with LODs alone is a viable option (Go
Further Still—Calculations Only on page 495).

At the very least, it's valuable to understand how aggregation in Tableau Prep and Level of
Detail expressions in Tableau Desktop are interrelated and impact data analysis. As with most
things in Tableau, there's more than one way to do anything. Exploring all the various options
can help bring concepts together and let you pick the best solution for you.

Calculations used:

Driver Infractions
l Time Between Infractions = DATEDIFF('day', [1st Infraction Date],
[2nd Infraction Date])

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l Total Amount Paid =[1st Fine Amount] + ZN([2nd Fine Amount])

l Number of Infraction Types = IF [1st Infraction Type]=[2nd

Infraction Type] THEN 1 ELSEIF [1st Infraction Type]!= [2nd
Infraction Type] THEN 2 ELSE 1 END

l Number of Infractions = IF IFNULL([2nd Infraction Type], 'no') =

'no' THEN 1 ELSE 2 END

l Average Fine = ( SUM([1st Fine Amount]) + SUM( ZN([2nd Fine

Amount]) ) ) / SUM([Number of Infractions])

l Number of Traffic School Attendances = (CASE [1st Traffic School]

WHEN 'Yes' THEN 1 WHEN 'No' THEN 0 ELSE 0 END) + (CASE [2nd
Traffic School] WHEN 'Yes' THEN 1 WHEN 'No' THEN 0 ELSE 0
END)

Pivoted Driver Infractions

l 1st Infraction = {FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN(IF [Infraction Number]
= "1st" THEN [Infraction Date] END)}

l 2nd Infraction = {FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN(IF [Infraction Number]

= "2nd" THEN [Infraction Date] END)}

l Time Between Infractions = DATEDIFF('day', [1st Infraction], [2nd

Infraction])

l 1st Fine Amount = {FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN( IF [Infraction

Number] = "1st" THEN [Fine Amount] END ) }

l Number of Infractions = IF IFNULL(STR([2nd Infraction]), 'no')=

'no' THEN 1 ELSE 2 END

l Average Fine = SUM([Fine Amount])/SUM([Number of Infractions])

l Attended Traffic School = { FIXED [Driver ID] : MAX( CONTAINS

([Traffic School], 'Yes'))}

LOD Driver Infractions

l 1st Infraction = {FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN([Infraction Date])}

l 2nd Infraction = { FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN( IF [Infraction Date]

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> [1st Infraction] THEN [Infraction Date] END ) }

l Time Between Infractions = DATEDIFF('day', [1st Infraction], [2nd

Infraction])

l 1st Fine Amount = {FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN( IF [1st Infraction] =

[Infraction Date] THEN [Fine Amount] END ) }

l 2nd Fine Amount = {FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN( IF [2nd Infraction]

= [Infraction Date] THEN [Fine Amount] END ) }

l Total Amount Paid = [1st Fine Amount] + ZN([2nd Fine Amount])

l 1st Infraction Type = {FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN( IF [1st Infraction]

= [Infraction Date] THEN [Infraction Type] END ) }

l 2nd Infraction Type = {FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN( IF [2nd

Infraction] = [Infraction Date] THEN [Infraction Type] END )
}

l Number of Infraction Types = IF [1st Infraction Type]=[2nd

Infraction Type] THEN 1 ELSEIF [1st Infraction Type]!= [2nd
Infraction Type] THEN 2 ELSE 1 END

l Number of Infractions = IF IFNULL([2nd Infraction Type], 'no') =

'no' THEN 1 ELSE 2 END

l Average Fine = SUM ([Total Amount Paid]) / SUM([Number of

Infractions])

l 1st Traffic School = {FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN (IF [1st Infraction]
= [Infraction Date] THEN [Traffic School] END ) }

l 2nd Traffic School = {FIXED [Driver ID] : MIN (IF [2nd Infraction]
= [Infraction Date] THEN [Traffic School] END ) }

l Number of Traffic School Attendances = (CASE [1st Traffic School]

WHEN 'Yes' THEN 1 WHEN 'No' THEN 0 ELSE 0 END) + (CASE [2nd
Traffic School] WHEN 'Yes' THEN 1 WHEN 'No' THEN 0 ELSE 0
END)

Note: Special Thanks to Ann Jackson's Workout Wednesday topic Do Customers Spend
More on Their First or Second Purchase? and Andy Kriebel's Tableau Prep Tip

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Returning the First and Second Purchase Dates that provided the initial inspiration for
this tutorial. Clicking these links will take you away from the Tableau website. Tableau
cannot take responsibility for the accuracy or freshness of pages maintained by external
providers. Contact the owners if you have questions regarding their content.

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Troubleshoot Tableau Prep Builder

This article lists problems you might encounter when using Tableau Prep Builder and
suggestions for how to resolve them.

Running LogShark
LogShark is a free open source command line utility that you can use to extract information from
Prep log files to troubleshoot and gain insight about errors and usage. Using the LogShark
Prep.twbx plugin, you can generate workbooks with an error and flow dashboard to help you
analyze and visualize Prep issues.

LogShark requires that the Prep log files that you process are compressed (zipped) files. To
find the Prep log files, navigate to the My Tableau Prep Repository folder. The location is
/Users/<username>/Documents/My Tableau Prep Repository.

For information about installing and running LogShark, see Get your Computer Set Up for
LogShark.

Common errors when using the command line

to run flows
You can run flows from the command line to refresh your output files programmatically instead
of opening Tableau Prep Builder to run each flow manually. While this process helps build
efficiency in your flow process, if your syntax is incorrect, or you are missing credentials for your
connections or output locations, you will receive errors when running this process.

The following table describes common errors and how to resolve them. For information about
how to run flows from the command line, see Refresh flow output files from the command
line on page 389.

Error Cause How to fix it

"Missing arguments" One of the Use “tableau-prep-

required com- cli -help” to see a
mand line argu- list of the argu-

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ments is miss- ments for the com-

ing. mand line.

"Unable to read the connections file." There are Check the syntax
errors in the syn- for the input con-
tax or format in nections in the .json
the cre- file. For more
dentials.json file information and
for the input con- examples, see
nections. Refresh flow out-
put files from the
command line on
page 389.

"There are errors in the flow. Unable to run the There are Check that the .json
flow. missing file has the
credentials in credentials for all
Check that the credentials .json file includes all
the connections, and
required credentials. Open the flow in Tableau
credentials.json open the flow file in
Prep Builder to view error details."
file for the input Tableau Prep
connections or Builder to see if
the flow has there are any errors
errors. in the flow.

If the flow has

errors, you must fix
them and republish
the flow to Tableau
Server, then try
running the process
again.

"Could not find match for <hostname of inputCon- The cre- Make sure the
nections >" dentials.json file credentials.json file
is missing an includes the correct
entry for the credentials for the
hostname hostname (server

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(server name). name).

For more
information and
examples, see
Refresh flow
output files from
the command line
on page 389

"We don't have credentials of all connections in tfl/t- The cre- Make sure
flx file. The following connection(s) were not found: dentials.json file credentials.json file
<hostname of inputConnections>" is missing or includes the correct
has incorrect credentials for the
credentials for hostname (server
the hostname name) listed in the
(server name) error message.
shown in the
For more
error message.
information and
examples, see
Refresh flow
output files from
the command line
on page 389.

"Error signing in server <serverUrl> as a user The cre- Make sure the
<userName>. Please check the credentials." dentials.json file credentials.json file
has the incor- includes all the
rect credentials correct credentials
for Tableau and elements for
Server. the output
connection.

For more
information and
examples, see
Refresh flow

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output files from

the command line
on page 389

"Could not sign in successfully as <userName> to The cre- Make sure the
server <serverUrl>(<contentUrl>)" dentials.json file credentials.json file
has the incor- includes all the
rect credentials correct credentials
for Tableau and elements for
Server. the output
connection.

For more
information and
examples, see
Refresh flow
output files from
the command line
on page 389

"We don't have credentials for Tableau Server to The cre- Make sure the the
publish extract for one or more output nodes in tfl/t- dentials.json file path to the
flx file." was not passed credentials.json file
in as a com- is included in the
mand line argu- command line and
ment or it is verify that the
missing the cre- credentials.json file
dentials for the includes all the
output con- correct credentials
nection. and elements for
the output
connection.

For more
information and
examples, see
Refresh flow

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output files from

the command line
on page 389

"Loom rest api server not started" The installation Make sure that
or environment Tableau Prep
setup is incor- Builder is installed
rect. correctly and that
you are running the
command as an
Administrator.

For information
about how to install
Tableau Prep
Builder, see Install
Tableau Desktop or
Tableau Prep
Builder from the
User Interface.

"Error. Flow file does not exist." The path to the Make sure that the
flow file is incor- correct path to the
rect. flow file is included
in the command
line.

"Error. Connections file does not exist." The path to the Make sure that the
credentials.json correct path to the
file is incorrect. credentials.json file
is included in the
command line.

"Could not find match for You must spe- Include a cre-
<mapr01:5181>,<mapr02:5181>,<mapr03:5181>" cify a specific dentials.json file in
Port ID when the command line
connecting to that specifies "port":

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Apache Drill 31010 for the input

using credentials.
ZooKeeper .

Error: "These features were found that prevent

this version of the application from using this
file"
If you open a flow that was created in version 2018.2.1 or later in an earlier version of Tableau
Prep Builder, you may see the following error:

Flows that include features that are not supported in earlier releases will result in this
incompatibility error. To resolve the error, open the flow in the later version, and save a copy of
the flow without the indicated features. In the above example, remove the null filter from the
field where it is applied.

Then open the copy that has the feature removed in the earlier version of Tableau Prep
Builder.

Error: "You are using Server version: null..."

when signing in to an SSL-enabled Tableau
Server using Tableau Prep
When you sign in to an SSL-enabled Tableau Server from Tableau Prep Builder, you must
have a root certificate installed on the computer where Tableau Prep Builder is installed. If the

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certificate is not installed, you might see the following error:

You are using Server version: null but the minimum compatible version is:
10.0. Please upgrade to a compatible version

If you see this error, work with your IT department or system administrator to install the required
root certificate on the computer where Tableau Prep Builder is installed. For more information,
see System requirements in the Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder Deployment
Guide.

Maintain Licenses for Tableau Desktop and

Tableau Prep
Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder can be licensed under a term license model. When
you purchase a new Tableau Server or a new Tableau Cloud subscription however, product
keys are no longer issued for Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder. Instead, you use login-
based license management to activate and sign in to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud. For
more information, see Activate Tableau using Login-based License Management.

Term licenses must be renewed and the product key refreshed to continue providing
uninterrupted service. You can continuously renew the term license as each specified period
expires. If you don't renew your term license and the term expires, Tableau will stop working
and you will no longer have access to the software. For more information about renewing your
license, see How to Renew your Tableau Licenses.

Note: Trial licenses for Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep expire after a set period of
time, usually 14 days. After the trial period expires, you'll need to purchase a license to
continue using the product.

View data about your license

After you install Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep open the application and then navigate to
Help > Manage Product Keys from the top menu to see information about the type of license
you have and when it expires.

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You can also activate or deactivate a product key or refresh a maintenance product key from
this dialog if you are not using the Virtual Desktop (ATR) option.

Note: Tableau offers term licenses that provide a range of capabilities. The type of
license that you have is displayed in the Product field. For more information about the
different type of user-based licenses that are available, see User-based licenses in the
Tableau Server help.

Existing Tableau Desktop users may have a perpetual (permanent) license. Perpetual
licenses don't expire and their License Expires field in the Manage Product Keys
dialog box displays "Permanent". However, to get access to product updates and
technical support you must purchase Support and Maintenance services. These
services must be renewed to continue receiving the service. Perpetual (permanent)
licenses are no longer available for Tableau Desktop.

Use the following buttons to take action on your product key:

l Refresh (Non-login-based license management and non-Virtual Desktop only): Click

the Refresh button to refresh a maintenance license that is expiring, then close and
restart Tableau Desktop. If the Maintenance Expires date doesn't update, check with
your license administrator as the key or maintenance agreement may have changed.

A product key whose License Expires value is listed as "Permanent," as shown in the
Manage Product Keys dialog box above, is a legacy product key. You can refresh a
Permanent product key at any time as long as the maintenance end date listed in the
Tableau Customer Portal is higher than the date reflected in the Desktop Manage
Product Keys dialog box.

If the product key has reached its expiration date (non-permanent product keys), you
cannot refresh the product key. Visit the Tableau Customer Portal to obtain an updated
subscription product key and perform a new activation. If the product key has not

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reached its expiration date, you can refresh the product key. When you refresh a product
key that has not yet expired, only the "License Expires" value will change and not the
product key. The product key will change when it reaches its expiration date.

To refresh a maintenance key from the command line see Refresh the product key in the
Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Deployment guide.

Note: You cannot refresh the product key if Tableau Desktop is offline. If you are
activating Tableau Desktop in offline mode, you must obtain and activate a new
key from the Tableau Customer Portal.

l Deactivate (Non-login-based license management and non-Virtual Desktop only):

Select a product key in the list then click Deactivate to deactivate the product key.
Deactivate a product key if you need to move the product key to another computer or
when you no longer need the product key on this computer.

For more information about deactivating a product key, see Move or Deactivate Product
Keys in the Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Deployment guide.

l Activate: After Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep is installed, click Activate to open the
activation dialog and enter your product key. If you get an error and can't activate
Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep using your product key, contact Tableau Support.

For more information about activating a product key, see Activate and Register your
Product in the Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Deployment guide.

Automatically refresh product keys using zero downtime licens-

ing
Beginning in Tableau version 2021.1, internet-connected Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep
Builder users may not have to manually refresh product keys. Term licenses are automatically
refreshed without requiring any action starting 14 days before subscription expiration if the user
is signed onto Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder. Permanent product keys are not
automatically refreshed and must be refreshed manually using the Manage Product Keys
menu option.

Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder will attempt to silently refresh an active product key
and will warn users 14 days before their license is set to expire if the silent refresh was
unsuccessful. Tableau will attempt to refresh a product key three times (at 14 days, 2 days, and
1 day before license expiration) to reflect license end date extensions as a result of your

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subscription renewal. The product key is not refreshed unless a Tableau Desktop user signs
onto Tableau Desktop during those times. For users who do not sign onto Tableau Desktop
every day, you must refresh their product keys using the Manage Product Keys menu
option.

Track Tableau Desktop license usage and expiration data

If you want to track and view license usage and expiration data for Tableau Desktop in Tableau
Server you must configure Tableau Desktop to send license data to Tableau Server on a set
interval, and then enable reporting on Tableau Server.

This enables server administrators to access two reports:

l Desktop License Usage: This report lets server administrators see usage data for
Tableau Desktop licenses in your organization.

l Desktop License Expiration: This report gives server administrators information

about which Tableau Desktop licenses in your organization have expired or need
maintenance renewal.

If Tableau Desktop and Tableau Server are configured for license reporting, when signed in to
Tableau Server as an Administrator, you will see these two reports listed on the Server Status
page in the Analysis section.

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If you don't see these reports listed, then Tableau Desktop and Tableau Server may not be
configured for Tableau Desktop usage reporting.

For information about how to configure Tableau Desktop and Tableau Server for usage
reporting, see Manage Tableau Desktop License Usage in the Tableau Desktop and Tableau
Prep Deployment guide.

Additional resources
For more information about managing your license refer to the following topics:

l To find your product key and activate Tableau Desktop or Tableau Prep Builder, see
Where's my product key.

l To deactivate a product key or move it to another computer, see Move or Deactivate

Tableau Desktop.

l To learn more about product keys for non-persistent virtual desktops or for computers
that are regularly re-imaged, see Configure Virtual Desktop Support.

l To learn more about product key management for Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud, see
Licensing Overview (Linux | Windows)

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l To learn more about the license renewal process or to renew a license, see How to
Renew your Tableau Licenses.

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