Is it possible to have Tableau run a query that is stored in an external location such as SharePoint? If not, is Alteryx a tool with this particular capability?
I have a central location for my queries (SharePoint), which allows multiple people to edit the .SQL files saved there. These queries change regularly, but they end up being put into Excel files for reporting purposes. I want to be able to move from Excel to Tableau or Alteryx + Tableau. Ideally I would not have to store / edit queries within Tableau / Alteryx.
Yes, Alteryx would support this. It has a "dynamic input" tool that could run the dynamic SQL, and also has hooks to either Sharepoint or a generic URL, which you would use to retrieve the text in the first place.
I am trying to get a twbx file from twb file from commandline(tabcmd).
I have tried http://community.tableau.com/thread/135045.
The problem with the above mentioned site is that it requires data extract(.tde) file to be uploaded and this .tde file cannot be generated by using tabcmd.
How can i complete the above mentioned task using tabcmd.
OR is there any better way to transform twb -> twbx file.
It's not clear from your description, so I'll have to cover both scenarios:
If your workbook was published with an extracted data source (an "embedded" data source), then it is possible to download a packaged workbook using tabcmd.
If your workbook is using a published extract data source, then downloading the workbook with tabcmd (or any other means) will not automatically download the published extract. Even if you were to download the data source XML file, you still wouldn't have the extract - getting the extract itself would require opening the data source in Tableau Desktop, logging on to Tableau Server and then creating a local copy
Since it's likely that you're dealing with scenario 2, then I would suggest that you contact Tableau Support as they can file a feature/enhancement request for you
Please provide some information about difference between twb workbook with extract and twbx workbook. Also I am facing some issues, I have workbook(twbx) on Tableau Server which use published extract. Extract was refreshed today. But workbook shows old data....
TWB - XML file for your Tableau Workbook, contains all the selections and layout you've made. It does not contain data. These tend to be very small.
TWBX - zipped file that contains the TWB as well as data used by TWB in an extract
Here's some more info from the Tableau website.
http://kb.tableausoftware.com/articles/knowledgebase/sending-packaged-workbook
Try closing & opening your workbook. If that doesn't refr
Make sure that the data at the path or database connection that the Tableau Server points to the exact source you wish to refresh from.
Remember the Server may have different drives mounted, different firewall rules. If you are reading from a file like Excel or Access to create your extract; changing the version of the file elsewhere on the file system won't affect the extract on the Tableau Server if that extract points elsewhere (kind of obvious, but often forgotten, especially if a copy of the Excel file is bundled up into the twbx file).
It is also often a good idea in production to publish a data source and extract separately from the workbooks that use it so that they can be updated independently. Look under the data menu to find the publish command.
TWBX is intended for sharing. It does not link to the original file source; instead it contains a copy of the data that was obtained when the file was created.
If you need to give them TWBX, you can create a TWB as a template and then use it to create TWBX when your data source is updated. Your clients will get a TWBX that they want and you don't have to do anything.
You can even have a batch process for that. Here is a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odk2xr6qOoQ
As Ryan mentioned, the twbx file contains its own data extract. Since you have a twbx file that uses a published data extract as its source, you basically created an extract of the original extract. In other words, the data is not coming from the published extract anymore, but is self-contained in the workbook itself, so refreshing the published extract won't update your workbook.
You can try scheduling the workbook itself (after the refresh of the extract of course). However, that didn't work for me, and I always have to refresh the extract manually from the Tableau Desktop.
I have a file loaded through excel. How can I publish that datasource through tabcmd command.
I have seen syntax where it says to use *.tde. is there are way to decide a workbook automatically that it uses excel as a source so that I don't need to extract datasource in the form of tde and use tabcmd to publish my datasource.
If you want to publish a datasource, tde is the only possible format you can use. Tabcmd isn't currently able to upload any other formats.
There are two simple ways to convert your excel file to tde:
Load it as datasource in Tableau Desktop and Data -> "name of your excel" -> Extract data
Use Tableau Data Extract API to programmatically generate tde file.
The you can publish the tde file using tabcmd as described in documentation.
I am new to using tableau server. I wanted to know if it was possible to download a tableau workbook (which is linked to a live SQL DB) with the data from the tableau server? Basically I would want to have a downloaded packaged tableau file which I can pass around for demos, without having to connect to the database every time.
You can do this programmatically in python simply.
TSC(Tableau Server Client) is the python library for tableau server.
You can publish, update, delete and download workbooks freely using TSC
Please visit https://github.com/tableau/server-client-python/blob/master/docs/docs/api-ref.md
On this page, just search by "workbooks.download", then you will get the instructions how to download a workbook with data extraction.
In essence, no. Since the workbook is using a live connection, the data is still on the SQL database and not on Tableau Server.
If you want to be able to create a packaged workbook for demo use, then you'll have to create an extract of the data that can be saved with the workbook.
There is another approach to this problem. Now that the viz is using the tableau online extract.
1.Download the workbook from the server.
2.Once done, open the dashboard in tableau desktop. You will see a data extract with a check mark on it.
3.Right click on the data extract and click on create a local copy.
4.This will extract all the data so far and stores it locally.
5.Next step is to replace the datasource from the Online extract to the local copy you have created. 6.Save the workbook as .twbx.
You are done. Hope this will work for you..
I believe what you are trying to do can be accomplished using a tableau extract. This will create a package of the sql db you want on the tableau server. the user could then make a packaged workbook or make a local copy of the extract.
http://kb.tableau.com/articles/knowledgebase/working-with-tableau-data-extracts
Yes, you can from the top tight hand corner of the view depending on your user permission levels.
When you connect tableau server data source click on extract then publish your workbook to server. when any one click on download the extracted data will also download along with worksheet
you must have the permission to download.at least Interactor
click "download", then save the workbook as "twbx" file to include data in the package file.
if your permission is "viewer", you cannot download tableau reports.
one more thing you could do is.
open workbook on server>>>>click download>>>>>select data>>>>go to full data>>> select show all column>>> download all row as text file
now download the workbook create a new data source with a text file you just downloaded. select create an extract
after completion, select replace data source
and it's done.
Unfortunately you cannot unless you have the credentials for the live db connection, if you do you can download the workbook and create a local copy of the data source by entering the credentials and then extract the data which will store the data locally. This will improve the performance as well as then you will be using Tableau extract which is optimized for reporting
With a live connection you will not be able to download the data with a Tableau workbook.
For this you can follow this pocedure :
Create an extract connection in your workbook and publish it in the server with an refresh schedule to it (As per you Data updates).
Now whenever you download the workbook it will come with the last refreshed data with it.
Hope it helps :)
make the data connection as extract, then it will copy with data copy in dashboard.
Download your workbook.
Edit your data Sources
Right-click Data Source and select "Create Local Copy"
Select the original data source .. right click it and replace it with the local copy
Lastly, right-click the original data source and close it.
There you have your workbook with a local extract(tde)
You can refresh this local extract anytime you want by refreshing the data source.
You can do so by using tableau extract file(.twbx)
But if the workbook has large data and can't create extract locally, then we can use something called empty extract.
Here's how
https://www.tableau.com/about/blog/2013/9/easy-empty-local-extracts-25152
Make an empty extract using above method and load it on server.
Let server build the full extract and then download it.
You are good to go with that workbook.
Since the workbook is using a live connection, the data is still on the SQL database and not on Tableau Server.
If you want to be able to create a packaged workbook for demo use, then you'll have to create an extract of the data that can be saved with the workbook.
Create an extract connection in your workbook and publish it in the server with an refresh schedule to it (As per you Data updates). Now whenever you download the workbook it will come with the last refreshed data with it.
You can save it as a .twbx or download from the published version