How to create Drill Down Tables with Parameter Actions in Tableau – Skill Pill Video

Drill Down Tables with Parameter Actions in Tableau Software

We always expect the analyzes we build to give us access to the information we need to make the right decisions. Data Analytics has the role of highlighting trends, patterns, and perspectives regarding our business activity. With the help of data, we can quickly identify which aspects we can improve and which actions we need to focus on. Tableau Software allows users to build analyzes with complex data, which reveal to end users all the information they need, in an interactive and easy to access way. In the following we will discuss about Drill Down Tables with Parameter Actions. Let’s take a look at what this analysis means, how it can be built and what are the most common situations in which it is used.

Drill Down Tables with Parameter Actions allow users to explore data on multiple levels of detail, depending on what they are looking for. The role of parameters in an analysis or dashboard is to provide interactivity to end users in exploring the data and information they are looking for. The use of parameters also offers flexibility in choosing the data to be viewed, data that are not available in the analyzed set.

When do we choose to use Drill Down Tables with Parameter Actions?

Drill Down Tables are a way to organize and orchestrate data in a dashboard. This organization allows end users to explore data on several levels of detail, depending on their interest. Drill Down Tables is actually a hierarchy of dimensions available in the dataset that displays their details in an organized way.

Drill Down Tables with Parameter Actions adds the ability to visualize measures and values of the analyzed dimensions. These values are not found in the data set but are built using parameters. For example, if we click on a dimension that represents a product category, we can analyze the total value of sales in that category. We can also analyze the total value of sales in a sub-category, on a certain geographical area.

Drill Down Tables with Parameter Actions are very useful when analyzing multiple levels of data. It also keeps the dashboard organized, displaying for the first time the minimum information users need to further explore the insights they are looking for. Using Drill Down with Parameter Actions, users can visualize details only at the level they are interested in.

Below you will find all the steps you need to go through to build a Drill Down Table with Parameter Actions in Tableau:

Step 1: Connect to data

→ In Tableau Desktop, connect to Sample Superstore – dataset provided by Tableau.

Step 2: Create the visualization

→ Add on Filter the State and keep only 6 States. This is for exemplification. You can keep all the states, if you want.

→ Create 2 string parameters: p.Category and p.State

→ Create 2 drill-down calculations for Rows and Columns:
Category/Sub-Category:
IF UPPER([Category])=[p.Category]
THEN ” ⮡ ” + [Sub-Category]
ELSE UPPER([Category])
END

State/City
IF UPPER([State])=[p.State]
Then ” ⮡ ” + [City]
ELSE UPPER([State])
END

→ Add Category/Sub-Category on Columns and State/City on Rows. Hide Field Labels

→ Add UPPER([State]) and UPPER([Category]) to the Detail.

→ Add Sales on Label and on Color. Change the mark in Square.

→ Format Category/Sub-Category Header with Alignment Bottom Up

→ Add this sheet in a dashboard with the following dimensions: 1000 x 800

→ Create 2 dashboard Actions, Change Parameter:
Parameter Action Name: Selected Category, Target Parameter: p.Category, Field: UPPER([Category])
Parameter Action Name: Selected State, Target Parameter: p.State, Field: UPPER([State])

→ For reverting the table to its original view create one calculated field named Blank with the formula: ‘’

Create another sheet with the following settings: Blank to the label, mark: Shape, add add to columns Min(0.2) for placing this shape, axis fixed end: 1. Add this button to the top left of the table.

→ Create 2 dashboard Actions, Change Parameter:
Parameter Action Name: Hide Sub-Categories, Target Parameter: p.Category, Field: Blank
Parameter Action Name: Hide Cities, Target Parameter: p.State, Field: Blank

→ Adding selected headers: Add 2 text boxes in the table top left that contains the values held within the parameters.

→ Add the text boxes and Revert to original sheet/button in a floating container.

By Sergiu Rotaru

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