Connect To and Transform Data24% of the exam
Cleaning data with Data Interpreter, pivot and split
Name the data quality problem (completeness, consistency, accuracy), then fix it in Tableau Desktop: Data Interpreter and found tables for messy files, Pivot for crosstabs (or custom SQL elsewhere), automatic versus custom split, and Data pane folders.
Prepare data for analysis: Assess data quality (completeness, consistency, accuracy); Perform cleaning operations; Organize data fields into folders; Use multiple data sources (establish relationships, create joins, union tables); Prepare data by using Data Interpreter, pivot, and split; Create extract and data source filters.
~8 min read · 11 practice questions ·
What the exam expects
- Classify a data problem as completeness, consistency or accuracy.
- Clean a messy file with Data Interpreter and fix a found table's range.
- Pivot crosstab columns into rows, or use custom SQL where Pivot is missing.
- Choose automatic Split or Custom Split, and predict the type and limits of the fields they create.
- Organize the Data pane into folders. Relationships, joins, unions, and extract and data source filters are taught in Relationships, joins, unions and data source filters (basics: the Desktop Foundations units Relationships versus joins in the data model and Join types and unions in the physical layer).
Key terms:
- Completeness: the degree to which all required data is known.
- Consistency: data agreeing within one dataset and across datasets.
- Found table: a sub-table Data Interpreter detects inside a sheet.
- Pivot Field Names / Values: the two columns a pivot creates from headers and values.
- Custom split: a split where you set the separator and occurrences.
Key facts
Completeness
- Detail
- The degree to which all required data is known
Data Interpreter sources
- Detail
- Excel (.xls, .xlsx), Text (.csv), PDF, Google Sheets
Wrong found-table range
- Detail
- Edit Found Table on the table's drop-down arrow
Grid Pivot sources
- Detail
- Excel, text file, Google Sheets, .pdf; others use custom SQL
After a pivot
- Detail
- Original columns are replaced; old references turn red
Custom split type
- Detail
- Always string
Split fields
- Detail
- Can't be join keys or pivoted; SQL Server allows four
Field in two folders
- Detail
- Not possible; duplicate the field
Folder order
- Detail
- Alphabetical; a leading number forces order
Sources for this section (5)
- Guide To Data Cleaningwww.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Clean Data with Data Interpreterhelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Pivot Data from Columns to Rowshelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Split a Field into Multiple Fieldshelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Organize and Customize Fields in the Data Panehelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Why might the Use Data Interpreter option be missing for a file?
- When do you write a SPLIT calculation instead of using the Split menu?
- Why can't a split field serve as a join key?
The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.
Keep reading with the Tableau Data Analyst pack
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