Connect To and Transform Data24% of the exam
Connectors for files and relational databases
Pick the connector a source needs (Text File, Excel, PDF File, a native database connector or the ODBC fallback), fix delimited files with Text file properties, scan the right PDF pages, and choose Initial SQL or Custom SQL on a relational connection, including parameters and duplicate-column errors.
Connect to data sources: Identify data source; Determine live connection vs. extract; Connect to extracts; Connect to files; Connect to relational databases; Connect to published data sources from a Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud site; Replace the connected data source with another data source for an existing chart or sheet.
~7 min read · 7 practice questions ·
What the exam expects
- Identify the data source and pick its connector, using Other Databases (ODBC) only when nothing native is listed.
- Connect to files correctly: set Text file properties (separator, text qualifier, character set, locale), connect to Excel tables and named ranges, and scan the right PDF pages.
- Connect to relational databases and choose Initial SQL (session setup, per-user security) or Custom SQL (a query used as a table), including parameters and duplicate column names.
- Live versus extract, extracts, published data sources and Replace Data Source are taught in Live connections, extracts and published data sources (basics: the Desktop Foundations units Live connections and extracts and Saved data sources and multiple connections).
Key terms:
- Native connector: a connector built for one file or database type.
- Text file properties: settings that tell Tableau how to parse a delimited file.
- Initial SQL: a command sent to the database when a connection is made.
- Custom SQL: a single SELECT query Tableau uses as a table.
- TableauServerUser: an Initial SQL parameter holding the signed-in server user's name.
Key facts
Text File extensions
- Detail
- .txt, .csv, .tab, .tsv
Excel connector
- Detail
- .xls and .xlsx; a .csv uses Text File
Locale setting
- Detail
- Tells Tableau which decimal and thousands separator to use
PDF page numbers
- Detail
- First page of the file is page 1; use the reader's number
PDF wildcard union
- Detail
- Scoped to the pages scanned in the first file
ODBC
- Detail
- Only when no native connector is listed
TableauServerUser
- Detail
- Returns an empty string if the user isn't signed in to Tableau Server
Custom SQL shape
- Detail
- One SELECT statement, wrapped by Tableau
Custom SQL parameters
- Detail
- Literal values only, not table names
Sources for this section (6)
- Text Filehelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Excelhelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- PDF Filehelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Other Databases (ODBC)help.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Run Initial SQLhelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Connect to a Custom SQL Queryhelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Why does a table that spans two PDF pages arrive as several tables?
- When does Initial SQL run?
- Why do slow or failing Custom SQL queries often trace to Tableau itself?
The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.
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