We considered some options for structuring data in Tableau Desktop in the previous chapter. Many of the concepts around well-structured data will apply here as we now turn our attention to a brand new product from Tableau: Tableau Prep. Tableau Prep extends the Tableau platform with robust options for cleaning and structuring data for analysis in Tableau. In the same way that Tableau Desktop provides a hands-on, visual experience for visualizing and analyzing data, Tableau Prep provides a hands-on, visual experience for cleaning and shaping data.
Tableau Prep is on an accelerated, monthly release cycle and while the platform continues to grow and expand, there is an underlying paradigm that sets a foundation for cleaning and shaping data. We'll cover a lot of ground in this chapter; however, our goal is not to cover every possible feature. Rather, we will seek to understand the underlying paradigm and flow of thought that will enable you to tackle a multitude of data challenges in Tableau Prep.
In this chapter, we'll work through a practical example as we explore the paradigm of Tableau Prep, understand the fundamental transformations, and see many of the features and functions of Tableau Prep.
We'll cover quite a few topics in this chapter, including the following:
- Understanding the Tableau Prep Builder Interface
- Flowing with the fundamental paradigm
- Using calculations and aggregations
- Filtering data
- Transforming data for custom analysis
- Options for automating flows
- Tableau Prep Builder: The client application that's used to design data flows, run them locally, and publish them
- Tableau Prep Conductor: An add-on to Tableau Server that allows for the scheduling and automation of published data flows