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Tableau · Module 2 of 10

Connecting and preparing data

Connect sources and set up the data model.

📖 Key ideas

  1. Connect to files (Excel, CSV) or servers (MySQL, PostgreSQL, BigQuery).
  2. Live connections query the source; extracts store a snapshot (.hyper).
  3. Relationships (noodles) combine tables flexibly; joins merge rows.
  4. Rename fields and set data types in the Data Source tab.
  5. Use data interpreter to clean messy Excel sheets.
💡 Real-life example: An extract is a photocopy of the data you work on quickly; a live connection is reading the original book.
Live connectionQueries source in real time
ExtractSnapshot stored in .hyper
RelationshipFlexible logical link between tables
Data InterpreterCleans messy spreadsheets