Sharing Insights25% of the exam
Packaged workbooks and publishing to Server or Cloud
How a .twb differs from a packaged .twbx, what a .twbx carries and what must be extracted first, and how the Publish Workbook dialog controls which sheets viewers see, tab navigation and the data source authentication a scheduled extract refresh needs.
View and share workbook data: Share a workbook (for example, twbx as a PDF or an image, publish to Tableau Server); View and export underlying data; Export to Microsoft PowerPoint.
~7 min read · 4 practice questions ·
What the exam expects
- Choose between saving a workbook (.twb) and a packaged workbook (.twbx) given who will open it and what data they can reach.
- Predict which resources a .twbx includes on its own and which data sources must be extracted or copied locally first.
- Publish a workbook to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud and use the Publish Workbook dialog to hide sheets, show sheets as tabs and set data source authentication.
- Know that PDF, image, PowerPoint and View Data exports are other ways to share; their mechanics are in the neighbouring unit.
Key terms:
- .twb: a regular workbook file that stores links to its data sources and images, not copies.
- .twbx (packaged workbook): the workbook plus copies of local file data sources, background images and other referenced files, no longer linked to the originals.
- Publish Workbook dialog: the Server > Publish Workbook dialog that sets project, name, permissions, data sources and sheet options.
- Embed password / Allow refresh access: the authentication choices that let a published extract refresh on a schedule.
Key facts
Default save extension
- Detail
- .twb, in My Tableau Repository\Workbooks
Packaged workbook
- Detail
- .twbx; copies local file data and background images
Who can open a .twbx
- Detail
- Tableau Desktop or Tableau Reader users
Packaged automatically
- Detail
- Background images, custom geocoding, custom shapes, Excel, Access, text, .hyper
Database source (SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL)
- Detail
- Extract Data before saving as .twbx
Published Tableau Server data source
- Detail
- Create Local Copy, extract, Replace Data Source
.twbx privacy
- Detail
- Stored in plain text; all data readable
Sheets published by default
- Detail
- All sheets; clear sheets in the Sheets section to hide them
Hidden sheets
- Detail
- Not a security measure
Scheduled extract refresh
- Detail
- Requires Embed password or Allow refresh access
Include External Files
- Detail
- Packages local files on publish; a static snapshot
- Why does a .twb opened on another computer still show changes made to the data?
- Why should sensitive filter values not be left in a .twbx you share?
- Why is hiding worksheets when publishing not a way to protect them?
- What does Show Sheets as Tabs change for viewers?
The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.
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