Date hierarchy (year, quarter, month, day) in Tableau - Cell-by-Cell Formula Trace

Sample Data

Sample dates with their breakdown into year, quarter, month, and day components.

Cell	Value
A1	Date
A2	2023-01-15
A3	2023-04-10
A4	2023-07-05
A5	2023-10-20
B1	Year
B2	2023
B3	2023
B4	2023
B5	2023
C1	Quarter
C2	Q1
C3	Q2
C4	Q3
C5	Q4
D1	Month
D2	January
D3	April
D4	July
D5	October
E1	Day
E2	15
E3	10
E4	5
E5	20

Formula Trace

YEAR([Date]), "Q" + STR(QUARTER([Date])), DATENAME('month', [Date]), DAY([Date])

Step 1: YEAR('2023-01-15')

Step 2: "Q" + STR(QUARTER('2023-01-15'))

Step 3: DATENAME('month', '2023-01-15')

Step 4: DAY('2023-01-15')

Step 5: YEAR('2023-04-10')

Step 6: "Q" + STR(QUARTER('2023-04-10'))

Step 7: DATENAME('month', '2023-04-10')

Step 8: DAY('2023-04-10')

Step 9: YEAR('2023-07-05')

Step 10: "Q" + STR(QUARTER('2023-07-05'))

Step 11: DATENAME('month', '2023-07-05')

Step 12: DAY('2023-07-05')

Step 13: YEAR('2023-10-20')

Step 14: "Q" + STR(QUARTER('2023-10-20'))

Step 15: DATENAME('month', '2023-10-20')

Step 16: DAY('2023-10-20')

Cell Reference Map

    A          B       C         D         E
1 | Date     | Year  | Quarter | Month   | Day  |
2 |2023-01-15| 2023  | Q1      | January | 15   |
3 |2023-04-10| 2023  | Q2      | April   | 10   |
4 |2023-07-05| 2023  | Q3      | July    | 5    |
5 |2023-10-20| 2023  | Q4      | October | 20   |

The Date column (A) is the source. Columns B, C, D, and E show the year, quarter, month name, and day extracted from each date.

Result

    A          B       C         D         E
1 | Date     | Year  | Quarter | Month   | Day  |
2 |2023-01-15| 2023  | Q1      | January | 15   |
3 |2023-04-10| 2023  | Q2      | April   | 10   |
4 |2023-07-05| 2023  | Q3      | July    | 5    |
5 |2023-10-20| 2023  | Q4      | October | 20   |

The final output shows each date broken down into year, quarter, month name, and day, forming a date hierarchy useful for analysis.

Sheet Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What quarter does the date 2023-04-10 belong to?

A Q3

B Q2

C Q1

D Q4

Key Result

Extract year, quarter (formatted as Q1-Q4), month name, and day from a date to build a date hierarchy.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of a Date hierarchy in Tableau?

easy

A. To explore data by Year, Quarter, Month, and Day levels easily

B. To create new calculated fields based on dates

C. To filter data only by year

D. To sort data alphabetically

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand what a date hierarchy does

   A date hierarchy organizes dates into levels like Year, Quarter, Month, and Day for easy exploration.

2. Step 2: Compare options to this purpose

   Only To explore data by Year, Quarter, Month, and Day levels easily describes exploring data by these date levels. Others describe unrelated tasks.

3. Final Answer:

   To explore data by Year, Quarter, Month, and Day levels easily -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Date hierarchy = Explore by date levels [OK]

Hint: Date hierarchy breaks dates into levels for easy drill-down [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking it only filters by year
• Confusing with calculated fields
• Assuming it sorts alphabetically

2. Which of the following is the correct way to create a date hierarchy in Tableau?

easy

A. Write a SQL query to group dates by year

B. Drag a date field to Rows, then right-click and select 'Create Hierarchy', adding Year, Quarter, Month, Day

C. Use the filter pane to select Year, Quarter, Month, and Day separately

D. Manually type dates in a new column

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall Tableau's method to create hierarchies

   In Tableau, you create hierarchies by dragging fields and grouping them, not by SQL or typing dates manually.

2. Step 2: Identify the correct process

   Drag a date field to Rows, then right-click and select 'Create Hierarchy', adding Year, Quarter, Month, Day correctly describes dragging a date field and creating a hierarchy with Year, Quarter, Month, and Day.

3. Final Answer:

   Drag a date field to Rows, then right-click and select 'Create Hierarchy', adding Year, Quarter, Month, Day -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Create hierarchy by drag and right-click [OK]

Hint: Right-click date field to create hierarchy in Tableau [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to create hierarchy via SQL
• Using filters instead of hierarchy
• Typing dates manually instead of using fields

3. Given a date hierarchy with Year > Quarter > Month > Day, what happens when you double-click the Year field in Tableau's view?

medium

A. Tableau filters data to the current Year only

B. Tableau drills down to show data by Day directly

C. Tableau shows data aggregated by Year only

D. Tableau shows data aggregated by Month only

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand double-click on a hierarchy level

   Double-clicking a level like Year shows data aggregated at that level, not deeper levels.

2. Step 2: Match behavior to options

   Tableau shows data aggregated by Year only correctly states data is aggregated by Year only. Other options describe filtering or drilling down incorrectly.

3. Final Answer:

   Tableau shows data aggregated by Year only -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Double-click Year = aggregate by Year [OK]

Hint: Double-click a level to see data summarized at that level [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking double-click drills down multiple levels
• Confusing aggregation with filtering
• Assuming it shows data by Month or Day immediately

4. You created a date hierarchy but when you try to drill down from Year to Quarter, Tableau shows no data. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. The Year field is not a date type

B. The data source has no date values

C. You forgot to refresh the data source

D. The Quarter field is not included in the hierarchy

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze why drill down shows no data

   If drilling from Year to Quarter shows no data, likely the Quarter level is missing in the hierarchy.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other options

   Data source missing dates or Year not date type would cause bigger issues; refreshing data is less likely the cause.

3. Final Answer:

   The Quarter field is not included in the hierarchy -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Missing Quarter in hierarchy blocks drill down [OK]

Hint: Check all date levels are in the hierarchy to drill down [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming data source is empty without checking
• Forgetting to include all date parts in hierarchy
• Thinking refresh fixes hierarchy structure

5. You want to create a dashboard showing sales trends by Year, then allow users to drill down to Quarter, Month, and Day. Which approach best uses Tableau's date hierarchy feature?

hard

A. Create a date hierarchy with Year > Quarter > Month > Day and use it in the view with drill-down enabled

B. Create separate sheets for Year, Quarter, Month, and Day and link them with filters

C. Use only the Month field and filter manually for Year and Quarter

D. Create calculated fields for each date part and display them side by side

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify best practice for drill-down in Tableau

   Using a date hierarchy with levels Year > Quarter > Month > Day allows smooth drill-down in one view.

2. Step 2: Compare other options

   Separate sheets or manual filters are more complex and less user-friendly; calculated fields side by side don't enable drill-down.

3. Final Answer:

   Create a date hierarchy with Year > Quarter > Month > Day and use it in the view with drill-down enabled -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Date hierarchy enables smooth drill-down [OK]

Hint: Use one hierarchy for drill-down, not separate sheets [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Creating multiple sheets instead of one hierarchy
• Using only one date part without hierarchy
• Relying on calculated fields instead of hierarchy