Bar charts (horizontal and vertical) in Tableau - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the main difference between a horizontal and a vertical bar chart?

A vertical bar chart has bars that go up and down, showing categories on the bottom (x-axis). A horizontal bar chart has bars that go left to right, showing categories on the side (y-axis).

beginner

How do you create a vertical bar chart in Tableau?

Drag a dimension to Columns and a measure to Rows. Tableau will automatically create vertical bars representing the measure values for each category.

beginner

How can you switch a vertical bar chart to a horizontal bar chart in Tableau?

Click the 'Swap Rows and Columns' button in the toolbar or drag the dimension to Rows and the measure to Columns.

intermediate

Why might you choose a horizontal bar chart over a vertical one?

Horizontal bar charts are better when category names are long or when you have many categories, making labels easier to read.

intermediate

What is a best practice when designing bar charts for accessibility?

Use clear labels, sufficient color contrast, and avoid 3D effects. Also, ensure bars start at zero to avoid misleading viewers.

In Tableau, which shelf do you place a dimension to create a vertical bar chart?

A Filters

B Rows

C Columns

D Pages

Placing a dimension on Columns and a measure on Rows creates vertical bars.

What does clicking the 'Swap Rows and Columns' button do in Tableau?

A Sorts the bars alphabetically

B Filters the data

C Adds a new measure

D Changes the chart orientation from vertical to horizontal or vice versa

Swapping rows and columns flips the axes, changing bar chart orientation.

Which type of bar chart is better for displaying long category names?

A Vertical bar chart

B Horizontal bar chart

C Pie chart

D Scatter plot

Horizontal bar charts allow more space for long category labels.

What should the baseline of bars in a bar chart be for accurate comparison?

A Zero

B The average value

C The maximum value

D Any value

Bars should start at zero to avoid misleading viewers about differences.

Which Tableau feature helps you quickly change a vertical bar chart to horizontal?

A Swap Rows and Columns button

B Show Me panel

C Data pane

D Filter shelf

The Swap Rows and Columns button flips the axes to change orientation.

Explain how to create and switch between vertical and horizontal bar charts in Tableau.

Think about where dimensions and measures go on the shelves.

Describe best practices for designing bar charts that are easy to read and accessible.

Consider what makes charts clear and fair to viewers.

Practice

1. Which of the following best describes a vertical bar chart in Tableau?

easy

A. Dimension on Columns and Measure on Rows

B. Dimension on Rows and Measure on Columns

C. Both Dimension and Measure on Rows

D. Both Dimension and Measure on Columns

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand vertical bar chart layout

   Vertical bars are created by placing the dimension on Columns and the measure on Rows in Tableau.

2. Step 2: Match the layout to options

   Dimension on Columns and Measure on Rows matches this layout exactly.

3. Final Answer:

   Dimension on Columns and Measure on Rows -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Vertical bars = Dimension on Columns, Measure on Rows [OK]

Hint: Vertical bars: dimension columns, measure rows [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing horizontal and vertical bar chart layouts
• Placing both dimension and measure on the same shelf
• Swapping rows and columns incorrectly

2. Which Tableau shelf placement creates a horizontal bar chart?

easy

A. Dimension on Rows, Measure on Columns

B. Dimension on Columns, Measure on Rows

C. Measure on Rows only

D. Dimension on Rows only

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall horizontal bar chart setup

   Horizontal bars are made by placing the dimension on Rows and the measure on Columns.

2. Step 2: Identify correct option

   Dimension on Rows, Measure on Columns matches this setup exactly.

3. Final Answer:

   Dimension on Rows, Measure on Columns -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Horizontal bars = Dimension on Rows, Measure on Columns [OK]

Hint: Horizontal bars: dimension rows, measure columns [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Mixing up rows and columns shelves
• Placing only measures without dimensions
• Choosing options with missing shelves

3. Given a dataset with 'Category' as dimension and 'Sales' as measure, what will be the result of placing 'Category' on Rows and 'Sales' on Columns in Tableau?

medium

A. A scatter plot comparing categories and sales

B. A horizontal bar chart showing sales per category

C. A line chart showing sales trend

D. A vertical bar chart showing sales per category

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze shelf placement

   Category on Rows and Sales on Columns creates vertical bars representing sales per category.

2. Step 2: Identify chart type

   This layout produces a vertical bar chart, not horizontal or other chart types.

3. Final Answer:

   A vertical bar chart showing sales per category -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Category rows + Sales columns = vertical bars [OK]

Hint: Category rows + Sales columns = vertical bar chart [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming horizontal bars instead of vertical
• Confusing bar chart with line or scatter plot
• Ignoring shelf placement rules

4. You created a bar chart but the bars are vertical when you wanted horizontal bars. What is the most likely fix?

medium

A. Remove the dimension from the view

B. Change the mark type to Line

C. Swap the dimension and measure between Rows and Columns shelves

D. Add a filter to the data

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify cause of vertical bars

   Vertical bars appear when dimension is on Rows and measure on Columns.

2. Step 2: Fix by swapping shelves

   To get horizontal bars, swap dimension to Columns and measure to Rows.

3. Final Answer:

   Swap the dimension and measure between Rows and Columns shelves -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Swap shelves to switch bar orientation [OK]

Hint: Swap dimension and measure shelves to change bar direction [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Changing mark type instead of shelf placement
• Removing dimension causing no bars
• Adding filters unrelated to orientation

5. You want to create a dashboard showing sales by region with horizontal bars, but also want to add a vertical bar chart showing profit by region side by side. How should you set up the shelves for each chart in Tableau?

hard

A. For sales: Dimension on Columns, Measure on Rows; For profit: Dimension on Rows, Measure on Columns

B. For sales: Dimension on Rows, Measure on Columns; For profit: Dimension on Columns, Measure on Rows

C. For sales: Dimension on Columns, Measure on Columns; For profit: Dimension on Rows, Measure on Rows

D. For sales: Measure on Rows, Dimension on Rows; For profit: Measure on Columns, Dimension on Columns

Solution

1. Step 1: Set up horizontal bar chart for sales

   Horizontal bars require dimension on Rows and measure on Columns.

2. Step 2: Set up vertical bar chart for profit

   Vertical bars require dimension on Columns and measure on Rows.

3. Step 3: Match options to setup

   For sales: Dimension on Rows, Measure on Columns; For profit: Dimension on Columns, Measure on Rows correctly assigns shelves for both charts.

4. Final Answer:

   For sales: Dimension on Rows, Measure on Columns; For profit: Dimension on Columns, Measure on Rows -> Option B

5. Quick Check:

   Horizontal bars = dim rows, measure columns; Vertical bars = dim columns, measure rows [OK]

Hint: Horizontal bars: dim rows; Vertical bars: dim columns [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using same shelf setup for both charts
• Placing measures on wrong shelves
• Confusing dimension and measure roles