Field sort (alphabetic, data source) in Tableau - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - Field sort (alphabetic, data source)

Dashboard Goal

Understand how to sort product categories alphabetically and by sales amount in Tableau to see which products sell best and organize data clearly.

Sample Data

Product Category	Sales
Furniture	300
Office Supplies	450
Technology	700
Books	150
Art	200

Dashboard Components

• KPI Card: Total Sales
  Formula: SUM([Sales])
  Result: 1800
• Bar Chart 1: Product Categories Sorted Alphabetically
  Sort: Alphabetic ascending on [Product Category]
  Shows sales bars for Art, Books, Furniture, Office Supplies, Technology in that order.
• Bar Chart 2: Product Categories Sorted by Sales Descending
  Sort: SUM([Sales]) descending
  Shows sales bars for Technology, Office Supplies, Furniture, Art, Books in that order.
• Data Table: Product Sales Details
  Columns: [Product Category], [Sales]
  Sorted alphabetically by [Product Category]

Dashboard Layout

+----------------------+---------------------------+
|      Total Sales      | Product Categories Sorted  |
|       (KPI Card)      |     Alphabetically (Bar)   |
+----------------------+---------------------------+
| Product Categories Sorted by Sales (Bar)           |
+----------------------------------------------------+
|               Product Sales Details (Table)        |
+----------------------------------------------------+

Interactivity

Adding a filter for Product Category will update both bar charts and the data table to show only selected categories. The Total Sales KPI will recalculate the sum for the filtered categories.

Sorting options are fixed per chart but can be changed by editing the sort settings in Tableau:

• Bar Chart 1 uses alphabetic sort on [Product Category].
• Bar Chart 2 uses sort by SUM([Sales]) descending.

Self Check

If you add a filter to show only Furniture and Technology, which components update and what changes occur?

• Total Sales KPI: Updates to show 1000 (300 + 700).
• Bar Chart 1 (Alphabetic): Shows bars for Furniture and Technology only, sorted alphabetically.
• Bar Chart 2 (Sales Descending): Shows bars for Technology and Furniture only, sorted by sales descending.
• Data Table: Shows only Furniture and Technology rows, sorted alphabetically.

Key Result

Dashboard showing product sales sorted alphabetically and by sales amount with total sales KPI.

Practice

1. What does sorting fields alphabetically in Tableau do?

easy

A. It changes the data source order permanently.

B. It arranges fields in the Data pane from A to Z by their names.

C. It sorts data rows in the worksheet alphabetically.

D. It filters out fields that don't start with a letter.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand field sorting in Tableau

   Sorting fields alphabetically arranges the field names in the Data pane from A to Z.

2. Step 2: Differentiate from data sorting

   This sorting affects only the field list, not the data rows or data source order.

3. Final Answer:

   It arranges fields in the Data pane from A to Z by their names. -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Field names sorted alphabetically = It arranges fields in the Data pane from A to Z by their names. [OK]

Hint: Alphabetic sort orders field names A to Z in the Data pane [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing field sorting with data row sorting
• Thinking it changes data source order
• Assuming it filters fields

2. Which menu option in Tableau lets you sort fields by data source order?

easy

A. Right-click Data pane > Sort > Data Source Order

B. Right-click Data pane > Sort > Alphabetic

C. Worksheet menu > Sort Fields > Data Source

D. Data menu > Sort > Manual

Solution

1. Step 1: Locate sorting options in Tableau

   Right-clicking the Data pane shows a Sort submenu with options including Alphabetic and Data Source Order.

2. Step 2: Identify correct option for data source order

   Selecting 'Data Source Order' sorts fields as they appear in the original data source.

3. Final Answer:

   Right-click Data pane > Sort > Data Source Order -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Data Source Order sorting = Right-click Data pane > Sort > Data Source Order [OK]

Hint: Right-click Data pane > Sort > Data Source Order for original field order [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing Alphabetic instead of Data Source Order
• Looking in Worksheet or Data menu instead of Data pane
• Selecting Manual sort which is not for data source order

3. If you sort fields alphabetically in Tableau, which field order will you see in the Data pane?
Fields: Sales, Profit, Customer, Date

medium

A. Profit, Sales, Customer, Date

B. Sales, Profit, Customer, Date

C. Date, Customer, Profit, Sales

D. Customer, Date, Profit, Sales

Solution

1. Step 1: List fields alphabetically

   Sort the fields by their names alphabetically: Customer, Date, Profit, Sales.

2. Step 2: Compare with given options

   Customer, Date, Profit, Sales matches the alphabetical order exactly.

3. Final Answer:

   Customer, Date, Profit, Sales -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Alphabetic order = Customer, Date, Profit, Sales [OK]

Hint: Alphabetic sort orders fields by name A to Z [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming original data source order is kept
• Mixing up alphabetical order
• Choosing random order

4. You tried to sort fields by data source order but the fields remain alphabetically sorted. What is the likely issue?

medium

A. You need to refresh the data source first.

B. Tableau does not support sorting by data source order.

C. You did not select 'Data Source Order' in the sort menu.

D. Fields cannot be sorted in the Data pane.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand sorting options

   Tableau supports sorting fields by Alphabetic or Data Source Order via the Data pane menu.

2. Step 2: Identify common user mistake

   If fields remain alphabetically sorted, likely the user did not choose 'Data Source Order' explicitly.

3. Final Answer:

   You did not select 'Data Source Order' in the sort menu. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Not selecting correct sort option = You did not select 'Data Source Order' in the sort menu. [OK]

Hint: Always confirm 'Data Source Order' is selected to change sort [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming Tableau lacks data source order sorting
• Forgetting to refresh data source
• Thinking fields cannot be sorted

5. You have a Data pane with fields ordered as: Region, Sales, Profit, Date. You want to sort fields alphabetically but keep 'Date' always last. How can you achieve this in Tableau?

hard

A. Sort alphabetically, then manually drag 'Date' to the bottom.

B. Sort by data source order and rename 'Date' to start with 'Z'.

C. Use a calculated field to exclude 'Date' from sorting.

D. Tableau does not allow custom sorting of fields.

Solution

1. Step 1: Apply alphabetic sort

   Sort fields alphabetically to order them by name automatically.

2. Step 2: Manually adjust 'Date' position

   Drag the 'Date' field manually to the bottom to keep it last.

3. Final Answer:

   Sort alphabetically, then manually drag 'Date' to the bottom. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Manual drag after sort = Sort alphabetically, then manually drag 'Date' to the bottom. [OK]

Hint: Sort alphabetically, then drag exceptions manually [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking data source order can fix custom exceptions
• Trying to exclude fields via calculation
• Believing Tableau disallows manual field order