How to add Measure Names and Measure Values in Tableau Software – Skill Pill Video

We often face different scenarios when it comes to data analysis. There are situations in which the volume of information is very large, and our analysis must include them all. The way we choose to display the data we are interested in, in a single analysis, plays an important role for the final visualization. Also, the way the data is displayed contributes to the ease with which the end user understands and perceives the information from his analysis.

Tableau Software offers the ability to build intuitive and easy-to-follow analyzes even by people who do not have extensive knowledge in the field of data analysis. In today’s article we will discuss the use of Measure Names and Measure Values in a new visualization. We will identify the differences between these two and we will discuss about when and why we choose to use them.

Measure Names and Measure Values

Measure Values, as the name suggests, is a field that contains the values of all measures in the data set. Measure Values is a field created automatically by Tableau when we open a dataset. Basically, this field generates and displays the values of all measures present in our data analysis.

Measure Names is like Measure Values and is also a field created automatically by Tableau. The difference between these two is given by the fact that Measure Names is a dimension and includes the names of all the measures in the data set. Both fields help users to add easily and quickly measures in their analysis. It can often be easier to remove from an analysis one or two measure values and their names, than to add them.

Measure Names and Measure Values are often indispensable when we choose to use them. These two fields work together and complement each other. Most of the time Measure Names and Measure Values are used in some analyzes in which we want to display more data about the topics of interest, but in a compressed and simple way.

In the example below we will analyze the profit, sales and quantity for each product category and subcategory in a dataset, using Measure Values and Measure Names.

Step 1: Connect to data

→ In Tableau Desktop, connect to Superstore sample data provided by  Tableau.

Step 2: Create the visualization

→ Create a new worksheet named Product and Segment Status.

→ Drag the Category and Subcategory on Rows and the Measure Names and Measure Values on Columns. From Measure Values keep only Profit, Quantity and Sales.

→ Drag the Measure Values on Color and on Label.

→ Create another worksheet named Measure Evolution.

→ Create a parameter named Select Measure. From the Data type select String and from the Allowable Measure select List and type in: Profit, Sales, Quantity.

→ Create a calculated field named Selected Measure with the formula:
CASE [Select Measure]
WHEN ‘Profit’ then [Profit]
WHEN ‘Sales’ then [Sales]
WHEN ‘Quantity’ then [Quantity]
END

→ Drag the Order Date on Columns and view it as Year and the drag again the Order Date and view is as Month (Continuous).

→ Drag Selected Measure field on Rows twice. Right click on the second axis and select Dual Axis. Right click again on the new axis and select Synchronize Axis. For the first field select from the Marks Area the visualization type to be Automatic and for the second field select the visualization type to be Circle and drag the field Selected Measure on color.

→ Create a new dashboard named Use Measure Names in Parameter Actions.

→ Drag a Vertical container and the drag here the worksheets.

→ Go to Dashboard -> Actions -> Add action -> Filter. For the Source Sheet select Product and segment status. For the Run Action on -> Select. For the Target Sheet select Measure Evolution. From the Clearing the section will select Exclude All Values and from the Target Filters select All fields.

→ Go to Dashboard -> Actions -> Add action -> Change Parameter. For the Source Sheet select Product and segment status. For the Run Action on -> Select. For Target Parameter select Select Measure parameter. For Field select Measure Names and from Aggregation select None.

→ Now when you select a Category and a Subcategory you can view in the bottom page its evolution.

By Adelina Popescu

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