What is Tableau?
Tableau is the fastest-growing platform for visual analytics on the market. It allows users to simplify raw data into a format that’s easy to access and understand by those working at any level of an organization. Even non-technical Tableau users can create customized dashboards and worksheets with the help of this versatile tool. It’s relied on by teachers, students, Data Scientists, Analysts, executives, and business owners for their end-to-end analytics needs. This is why Tableau is considered to be the leading analytics platform for business intelligence.
Currently, Tableau offers a complete and integrated platform for data analytics. It provides its customers with the necessary resources to help them thrive in a data-driven culture. Some of Tableau’s most remarkable features include its capacity for data blending, real-time analysis, and data collaboration. Because Tableau does not require programming skills or technical expertise to operate, users of all backgrounds can easily work with this software. It can be installed directly onto one’s hardware from a web download and be operational in just twenty minutes.
The Tableau product suite is used by many companies, like Skype, Wells Fargo, Nike, and Coca-Cola, for their data visualization needs. In fact, thousands of companies and organizations use Tableau for their data analytic and visualization needs.
What is Tableau Public?
In 2010, Tableau Public launched with the goal of socializing data on the web. This free online product was designed to be used by anyone, from seasoned Data Scientists to novices working with data for the first time. It was also intended to spur conversations around data, making this normally dry and technical topic fun and useful for people around the world.
Tableau Public Server users have the necessary tools to simplify data into a format that’s accessible and understandable. Data collaboration is streamlined when using Tableau Public Server because it provides cloud-supported capabilities and real-time analytics. This online platform allows users to save their visualizations to Tableau’s public cloud, where they can be accessed by anyone. Since the workbooks created in Tableau Public cannot be saved locally, this platform is geared toward those who wish to share their data.
Currently, there are more than 1.5 million Tableau Public authors who contribute to the process of democratizing data around the globe. Over 3 million data visualizations are stored on Tableau Public, in topics ranging from politics to sports. Users can search galleries of visualizations made by community members, as well as perform keyword searches for topics using hashtags. Data enthusiasts from all backgrounds, such as those working in journalism, the nonprofit sector, the government, and academia, rely on Tableau Public to create and share their work.
This article will take a deeper look at some of Tableau Public’s most popular and helpful features, as well as a few drawbacks of using this platform.
Tableau Public Features
Tableau Public provides users with many helpful features, such as:
- Tableau Public makes it easy to create stunning visualizations and share them with a larger community. Because of the sheer number of visualizations available on this platform, it is a go-to for Data Analysts.
- It is free to use and requires no startup fee.
- Tableau Public’s interface is considered to be user-friendly and intuitive. The drag-and-drop feature helps users execute complicated data visualizations without extensive knowledge of coding.
- Its mobile app is available on Android and iOS platforms, which helps users stay connected with their data even when they are traveling.
- Tableau Public Server’s community forum is comprised of Tableau users and partners who share their knowledge on how to use the software. This forum also provides a valuable source of training programs and guides to help new users.
- Once Data Analysts create data visualizations, they can then publish them to the web, or choose to publish them to PDF.
- Over the past few years, Tableau Public has incorporated additional browser-based features into the platform. Tableau 2021.1 introduced a variety of new features to Tableau Desktop:
- Better search options: It’s now easier than ever before to search through millions of author profiles and visualizations on Tableau Public, thanks to the improved search algorithm. This platform’s improved grid layout makes scanning large sets of results much easier and faster.
- Improved web authoring: Web authoring beta allows Tableau Public users to create innovative data visualizations directly from their browsers. Users can format parameters, legends, layouts, and filters directly from their browser.
- Additional dashboard extensions: Data visualizations can be customized right from your browser with the help of Parameter Actions, Semiotic Hierarchy, Data Updater, and Data-Driven Parameter extensions. The “Show me More” extension allows users to easily create Sankey diagrams and radar charts; Brush Filter was designed to help users create a brush filter pertaining to the data so that it can be analyzed over various time periods; the Drill Down Tree allows users to analyze data in the form of a drill-down tree so that they can have a visual representation of various measures and dimensions; Process Mining provides a means for analyzing process data in a series of nodes so that outliers and bottlenecks can be highlighted. To learn more about the various dashboard extensions available on Tableau Public, visit the Extension Gallery.
Drawbacks of Using Tableau Public
Although many users have a very positive and productive experience working with Tableau Public, there are a few drawbacks of this application to be aware of as well:
- In order to import data into Tableau Public, files must be filtered, and columns must be consistent and not have extra space.
- Tableau Public offers limited space for importing data. It can be expensive to upgrade the software.
- Security is a consideration when using Tableau Public since workbooks that are published on this server can be accessed by anyone who has an internet connection.
- Account holders can only save 10 gigabytes of content when using Tableau Public.
- Tableau Public does not offer automation options. This means that real-time changes in data are not
- Work can only be saved to the web when working with Tableau Public.
- When the data volume becomes large, slow rendering can occur.
Hands-On Data Visualization & Tableau Classes
Do you want to learn how to create stunning and engaging data visualizations, maps, charts, and graphs using the fastest-growing visualization platform on the market? If so, Noble Desktop’s Tableau classes provide a great option. These small group courses are available in-person in NYC, as well as in the live online format. Tableau courses teach students skills like how to spot the most optimal datasets to connect to, as well as how to analyze, filter, structure, and visually represent data.
In addition, a variety of live online Tableau courses are also currently available from top training providers. These interactive classes are taught in real-time and provide all learners with access to an instructor who is live and ready to provide feedback and answer questions. Courses range from seven hours to five days in duration and cost $299-$2,199.
Those who are interested in finding nearby Tableau classes can use Noble’s Tableau Classes Near Me tool. This handy tool provides an easy way to locate and browse more than three dozen of the best Tableau classes currently offered in the in-person and live online formats so that all interested learners can find the course that works best for them. In addition, for those searching for a data visualization class nearby, Noble’s Data Visualization Classes Near Me tool makes it easy to locate and learn more about over 200 courses currently offered in the in-person and live online formats. Class lengths vary from three hours to five months and cost from $119 to $12,995.