If you’re new to Tableau, the terminology can feel a bit overwhelming at first, I know it did for me. Don’t worry, once you understand a few core concepts, everything starts to click. This cheat sheet breaks down what I believe to be are the most important terms going into learning Tableau.
What is a Dimension? 🤔
Short answer: A dimension describes something.
Dimensions are categorical fields, they tell Tableau how to slice or group your data.
Think of them as labels!
Common examples:
- Country
- Region
- Product Category
- Customer Name
- Order Date
Everyday analogy 💡
Imagine you’re organizing your music playlist:
- Genre (Pop, Rock, Jazz) → Dimension
- Artist → Dimension
They help you organize and group your data, but they don’t tell you “how much.”
→ In Tableau, dimensions usually appear blue and create headers in your view.
What is a Measure? (1234)
Short answer: A measure measures how much or how many.
Measures are numerical fields that can be calculated or aggregated (added up, averaged, etc.).
Common examples:
- Sales
- Profit
- Quantity
- Number of Orders
Everyday analogy 💡
Using the music example again:
- Number of songs played → Measure
- Total minutes listened → Measure
→ In Tableau, measures usually appear green and are aggregated by default (SUM, AVG, COUNT, etc.).
3. Dimensions vs Measures (Quick Comparison)
| Dimension | Measure |
|---|---|
| Describes data | Quantifies data |
| Mostly text or dates | Always numeric |
| Used to group | Used to calculate |
| Example: Region | Example: Sales |
A simple rule to remember:
- If you can add it up, it’s a measure 🙂↕️
4. Discrete vs Continuous (The Big One!)
This is one of the most important concepts in Tableau.
Discrete (Blue)
Discrete fields create separate, individual values.
They answer questions like:
- Which one?
- What category?
Examples:
- Country = USA, Canada, France
- Order Year = 2022, 2023, 2024
- Customer Segment = Consumer, Corporate
Discrete fields create headers.
Continuous (Green)
Continuous fields represent a range of values. ↔
They answer questions like:
- How much?
- How many?
- From where to where?
Examples:
- Sales amount
- Profit
- Date range (timeline)
Continuous fields create axes.
5. Discrete vs Continuous Example
Let’s say you’re working with Order Date:
- Discrete Order Date (Blue):
- Shows separate columns for each year or month
- Example: 2022 | 2023 | 2024
- Continuous Order Date (Green):
- Shows a smooth timeline
- Example: A continuous line from Jan 2022 → Dec 2024
Same field, different behavior. Just by changing discrete to continuous. 🫨
6. Blue vs Green Pills (Why Color Matters)
In Tableau, color isn’t just for looks, it tells you how the field behaves.
- 🔵Blue pill = Discrete
- 🟢Green pill = Continuous
You can often right‑click a field to switch between blue and green to see how it changes your visualization.
7. A Simple Mental Model to Remember Everything
When you’re unsure, ask yourself:
- Is it describing something? → Dimension
- Is it measuring something? → Measure
- Does it create headers? → Discrete (Blue)
- Does it create an axis? → Continuous (Green)
Final Thoughts 😁
Tableau can feel complex at first, but most visualizations are built using just these core concepts:
- Dimensions
- Measures
- Discrete vs Continuous
Once you master these, everything else like filters, calculations, and dashboards, becomes much easier to understand.
Happy Vizing! 🚀