What is Tableau Bar Graph?
One of the most common graphical representations in data analysis and comparison is the Bar Graph. It is a 2-dimensional graph which compares two features (mostly). These values are shown in ‘bars.’ In Tableau, it is possible to combine bar charts with different graph types (for example: Line Graphs) to create a Tableau Bar chart with line.
Tableau offers a wide range of customization options for bar charts, allowing users to adjust colors, labels, axes, and other visual elements to effectively convey insights from their data. With Tableau’s interactive features, users can explore and analyze their data dynamically by filtering, sorting, and drilling down into specific details within the bar chart visualization.
The example below shows the number of sales made from 2014 to 2017.
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Key Takeaways
- Tableau Bar Charts are effective for comparing discrete categories or showing changes over time.
- They offer options for customization, including scaling, labeling, sorting, and color usage.
- Proper scaling and labeling ensure clarity and accuracy in data representation.
- Sorting bars appropriately highlight trends or comparisons.
- Tableau supports dual-axis bar charts, enabling the comparison of two measures side by side within the same visualization.
- Bar charts can be integrated into Tableau dashboards alongside other visualizations and components, allowing for comprehensive data analysis and storytelling.
Features
There are numerous features for a bar chart in Tableau.
- Drag-and-Drop Interface: Tableau provides an intuitive drag-and-drop interface for building bar charts, allowing users to easily select dimensions and measures to visualize, as seen below.
- Aggregation Choice: You can choose how data is aggregated within the bar chart, such as sum, average, count, etc.
- Multiple Marks: Tableau supports the creation of multiple bars within a single chart, allowing users to compare different measures or categories side by side.
- Color and Size Encoding: Users can encode additional information using color and size, such as assigning different colors to bars based on a category or varying the thickness of bars based on a measure.
- Sorting and Filtering: Tableau enables users to sort bars based on their values or category names, as well as apply filters to focus on specific subsets of data within the chart.
- Dual-Axis Charts: Dual-Axis charts can be made in Tableau, where two measures can be visualized using separate axes within the same chart, enabling users to compare related data more effectively.
How to create a Bar Chart in Tableau?
Follow these simple steps to create a bar chart in Tableau.
Step 1: In the Tableau application, once opened, click on “File” and then “New” to create a new workbook to create your Tableau Bar Graph visualization.
It opens a new workbook, where new sheets and dashboards can be added.
Step 2: Add the dataset from the local storage by dragging and dropping it in the Tableau.
Here, the Iris Dataset from Kaggle is used.
Step 3: Click on “Sheet1” below the data source to start with your new visualization.
Step 4: Select “Species” and “Petal Length Cm” from the available features and place them in the Columns and Rows section respectively.
Step 5: Drag and drop “Species” to the “Color” component in the “Marks” tab.
With that, a bar graph is successfully created with colors differentiating each of the flower species.
Examples
See the different ways in which you can utilize a Tableau Bar Chart with Multiple Measures.
Example 1: Tableau Bar Chart With Color Range
When you want to compare more than two measures using a Bar Graph, you can implement a Tableau Bar Chart with Line. By using a dual axis in tableau, the features “Sales” and “Profit” can be compared.
Step 1: In a new Workbook, select the Sample-Superstore dataset.
Step 2: Place “Sub-Category” in the Columns component and the “Sales” feature in the Rows component.
Step 3: Add the “Profit” feature to the Rows feature.
Step 4: In the “Profit” tab in the “Marks” tab, select “Line”.
Step 5: In the “Sales” tab in the “Marks” tab, place “Sales” in the color component.
Step 6: Right-click on either of the features in the “Rows” component and select “Dual Axis.”
Step 7: Right-click on the vertical axes (any is ok) and select “Synchronise Axis.”
It is the Tableau Bar Chart with a line graph and a color range built successfully.
Example 2: Stacked Tableau Bar Chart
There are other ways in which you can implement the Tableau Bar chart with multiple values. One of these ways is to create a Stacked Tableau Bar chart with colors differentiating the different measures. Follow these simple steps to create a stacked bar chart successfully.
Step 1: To import data into a new Tableau Workbook, you need to drag and drop the required dataset. Here, the Sample-Superstore dataset is used.
Step 2: In a new worksheet, drag and drop “Order Date” to the Columns and the “Profit” to the Rows.
It creates a bar graph in Tableau which is used to show values for the third measure.
It is done by placing a third feature in the color component in the “Marks” tab to create a stacked graph.
Step 3: Drag and drop “Segment” in the color component in the “Marks” tab.
It creates a color-stacked bar chart by default. Now, you’ve successfully created a stacked bar graph in Tableau which can be integrated in Tableau dashboards.
Example 3: Segmented Tableau Bar Chart
A segmented Bar chart is similar to a stacked bar chart where the colors of different features are stacked on top of each other to give the users a better idea when two or more measures are used for comparison. Using the Sample-Superstore dataset, you can create segmented charts highlighting the contrasts between various numerical measures in the dataset. Follow these steps to create a segmented bar chart.
Step 1: Create a new workbook and load it in the dataset to help the Tableau Bar chart show values for analysis.
Step 2: Place “Region” in the Columns component and the “Sales” in the Rows component.
It creates a bar chart with these parameters in Tableau.
Step 3: Place the “Sub-Category” feature in the Rows component.
Step 4: In the top-right corner of the application, click on “Show Me” and select “Stacked Bars”.
It divides the bar into segments based on the “Region.”
Step 5: Click on the “bar” icon next to the “Sales” label on the vertical axis to organize the bar graphs.
A segmented bar chart separating the sales based on region is created successfully.
Example 4: Side-by-Side Bar Chart
Another way to compare a Tableau Bar Chart with multiple measures is to create a side-by-side chart. These compare two or more features with 2 different graphs. This is done when the measures are different in such a way that “Segmented Bars” will not be ideal in this case. Follow these simple steps to create a comparison depending on the Tableau Bar chart Label Position.
Step 1: Open a new workbook. In that, select the dataset to be compared. Here, the AirBnb dataset of Austin, Texas is used.
Step 2: Place the “Room Type” on the Columns and the “Availability 30”, “Availability 60” and the “Availability 90” in the rows. Change the measure of the three features from SUM to AVG by right-clicking on them to change the measure value.
Similarly, do the same to the other two of them.
Step 3: Click on the “Show Me” button on the top-right corner of the Tableau Worksheet.
Select “Side-by-side bars” to create a comparison of all 3 of the features.
Tableau creates a side-by-side comparison of all 3 of the features.
With that, a side-by-side bar graph was created successfully in Tableau.
Important Things To Note
- Ensure that a bar chart is the appropriate chart type for your data and analysis objectives.
- Scale the axes appropriately to avoid distorting the visual representation of data.
- Use colors to enhance understanding, such as using different colors for different categories.
- Sort bars in a meaningful way to highlight trends or comparisons.
- Avoid using non-zero baselines or truncated axes that can exaggerate differences between bars and mislead viewers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Check your axes headers for a “bar” icon to sort the bar chart in either ascending or descending orders.
Click on the icon to sort the bars into either ascending or descending order.
To change the size of the bar chart in Tableau, click on the “Size” component in the “Marks” tab and drag the slider accordingly to increase or decrease the bar sizes.
Right-click on the bar graph and click on “Format”.
In the left corner, select the “Format Borders” option.
With this, you can customize the borders in your bar graph.
To change the colors in a bar chart, you need to drag and drop any of the features into the “Color” component in the “Marks” tab.
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