Custom date formats in Tableau - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a custom date format in Tableau?

A custom date format in Tableau is a way to display dates in a specific style by using format codes, instead of the default date display.

beginner

Which symbol represents the full year in Tableau custom date formats?

The symbol yyyy represents the full four-digit year, like 2024.

beginner

How do you show the month as a short name (e.g., Jan, Feb) in Tableau custom date formats?

Use MMM to show the month as a short name like Jan, Feb, Mar.

beginner

What does the format code dd represent in Tableau date formatting?

dd shows the day of the month as two digits, for example 01, 15, or 31.

intermediate

How can you display a date as 'Monday, January 1, 2024' using custom date formats in Tableau?

Use the format dddd, MMMM d, yyyy where dddd is the full weekday name, MMMM is the full month name, d is the day without leading zero, and yyyy is the full year.

Which format code shows the full month name in Tableau?

A MMMM

B MM

C MMM

D M

MMMM shows the full month name like January, while MMM shows the short name like Jan.

What does yy display in Tableau date formatting?

A Two-digit year like 24

B Full year like 2024

C Month number

D Day of the week

yy shows the last two digits of the year, for example 24 for 2024.

How would you format a date to show '03/15/24' in Tableau?

A MMMM d, yyyy

B M/d/yyyy

C MM/dd/yy

D dd/MM/yyyy

MM/dd/yy shows two-digit month, day, and two-digit year, matching '03/15/24'.

Which format code shows the day of the week as a short name (e.g., Mon)?

A d

B dddd

C dd

D ddd

ddd shows the short weekday name like Mon, Tue, Wed.

If you want to show the day of the month without a leading zero, which code do you use?

A dd

B d

C DDD

D dddd

d shows the day number without a leading zero, for example 1, 2, 15.

Explain how to create a custom date format in Tableau to show the full weekday name, full month name, day without leading zero, and four-digit year.

Think about combining format codes like dddd, MMMM, d, and yyyy.

Describe the difference between 'MMM' and 'MMMM' in Tableau custom date formats.

One is short form, the other is full name.

Practice

1. What does the custom date format string yyyy-MM-dd display in Tableau?

easy

A. Month in four digits, day in two digits, year in two digits separated by slashes

B. Year in four digits, month in two digits, day in two digits separated by dashes

C. Day in four digits, month in two digits, year in two digits separated by dots

D. Year in two digits, month in two digits, day in two digits separated by spaces

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the format components

   yyyy means four-digit year, MM means two-digit month, and dd means two-digit day.

2. Step 2: Analyze the separators

   The dashes - separate year, month, and day in the output.

3. Final Answer:

   Year in four digits, month in two digits, day in two digits separated by dashes -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   yyyy-MM-dd = Year-Month-Day with dashes [OK]

Hint: Remember yyyy=year, MM=month, dd=day with separators [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing MM with minutes
• Mixing up order of year, month, day
• Ignoring separator characters

2. Which of the following is the correct Tableau custom date format to show the date as 31/12/2024?

easy

A. dd/MM/yyyy

B. yyyy/MM/dd

C. MM/dd/yyyy

D. dd-MM-yyyy

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the desired output format

   The date is shown as day/month/year with slashes: 31/12/2024.

2. Step 2: Match format string to output

   dd for day, MM for month, yyyy for year, separated by slashes /.

3. Final Answer:

   dd/MM/yyyy -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   dd/MM/yyyy matches 31/12/2024 [OK]

Hint: Use slashes for separators and order day/month/year [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using dashes instead of slashes
• Swapping month and day positions
• Using lowercase 'mm' which means minutes

3. Given the Tableau custom date format string MMM dd, yyyy, what would the date 2024-07-04 display as?

medium

A. 04 Jul, 2024

B. July 04, 2024

C. 07 04, 2024

D. Jul 04, 2024

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand format tokens

   MMM shows abbreviated month name (e.g., Jul), dd is two-digit day, yyyy is four-digit year.

2. Step 2: Apply to date 2024-07-04

   Month is July abbreviated as 'Jul', day is '04', year is '2024', combined as 'Jul 04, 2024'.

3. Final Answer:

   Jul 04, 2024 -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   MMM dd, yyyy = Jul 04, 2024 [OK]

Hint: MMM means short month name like Jan, Feb, Mar [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using full month name with MMM
• Confusing MMM with MM (month number)
• Swapping day and month order

4. You wrote the custom date format yyyy/dd/MM in Tableau but the dates look wrong. What is the likely error?

medium

A. Using lowercase 'dd' instead of uppercase 'DD' causes error

B. Missing separators like dashes or slashes between parts

C. Day and month positions are swapped, causing incorrect display

D. Year should be lowercase 'yyyy' to work correctly

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the format string

   yyyy/dd/MM places day before month, which is unusual and likely not intended.

2. Step 2: Understand correct order

   Typically, month comes before day in many formats, so swapping causes wrong date display.

3. Final Answer:

   Day and month positions are swapped, causing incorrect display -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Swapped dd and MM cause wrong date order [OK]

Hint: Check order: month usually before day, not after [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing uppercase and lowercase tokens
• Ignoring separators between date parts
• Assuming lowercase yyyy is invalid

5. You want to create a Tableau custom date format that shows the full month name, day without leading zero, and two-digit year, like January 5, 24. Which format string should you use?

hard

A. MMMM d, yy

B. MMM dd, yyyy

C. MM/dd/yy

D. MMMM dd, yyyy

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify required parts

   Full month name = MMMM, day without leading zero = d, two-digit year = yy.

2. Step 2: Match format string

   MMMM d, yy matches exactly: full month, day no leading zero, comma, space, two-digit year.

3. Final Answer:

   MMMM d, yy -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   MMMM d, yy = January 5, 24 [OK]

Hint: Use MMMM for full month, d for day no zero, yy for two-digit year [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using dd for day adds leading zero
• Using yyyy for four-digit year instead of two-digit
• Using MMM for short month name instead of full