Tableau Calculations and Parameters 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which function returns the running total of a measure across the addressing dimension?
- RUNNING_SUM() (Correct answer)
- WINDOW_SUM()
- TOTAL()
- INDEX()
Correct answer: RUNNING_SUM()
RUNNING_SUM() computes a cumulative total from the first row to the current row along the partition.
Question 2: What type of calculation is computed by Tableau's data engine before aggregation, on a row level?
- Table calculation
- Row-level calculation (Correct answer)
- Level of Detail expression
- Quick table calculation
Correct answer: Row-level calculation
Row-level calculations evaluate for every individual record in the underlying data before aggregation.
Question 3: Which LOD expression computes a value at a more granular level than the view?
- FIXED
- INCLUDE (Correct answer)
- EXCLUDE
- TOTAL
Correct answer: INCLUDE
INCLUDE LOD expressions add dimensions, increasing granularity beyond what is in the view.
Question 4: A parameter in Tableau can hold how many values at a single point in time?
- One single value (Correct answer)
- All values in a list
- Multiple selected values
- A range of values simultaneously
Correct answer: One single value
A parameter is a single dynamic value that the user sets one at a time.
Question 5: Which function would you use to extract the year from a date field?
- DATEPART('year', [Date]) (Correct answer)
- DATEDIFF('year', [Date])
- DATEADD('year', [Date])
- DATENAME('day', [Date])
Correct answer: DATEPART('year', [Date])
DATEPART('year', [Date]) returns the year as an integer.
Question 6: What does the IFNULL([Sales], 0) function return when Sales is null?
- 0 (Correct answer)
- Null
- An error
- The previous value
Correct answer: 0
IFNULL returns the second argument when the first is null, so it returns 0 here.
Question 7: Which calculation type is dependent on the layout and number of marks in the view?
- Table calculation (Correct answer)
- FIXED LOD
- Row-level calculation
- Aggregate calculation
Correct answer: Table calculation
Table calculations operate on the result set displayed in the view and depend on its structure.
Tableau Calculations and Parameters 2
Which function returns the running total of a measure across the addressing dimension?