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Step 1: Data configuration

In Step 1 of the Arria Answers wizard, you can adjust your data selection, then characterize and prioritize the data you want to query.

Select data fields

The list of data fields initially shown reflects the data selection you made on the Configure Your Data page.

Tip

For optimum performance, we recommend that fields are not added or removed within the Arria for Tableau extension. Instead, create a worksheet view containing only the data fields necessary for the analysis you wish to perform.

To remove a field from Arria Answers, click to expand it and click Remove. You then must click Confirm Remove? to confirm.

To add a field back to Arria Answers, click Add Dimension (or Add Measure) and select the relevant field from the dropdown. If all dimensions or measures added to the extension already appear in the list, the option to add more is disabled.

tableau-arria-AA-add-field.gif

 

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Configure data fields as dimensions or measures

The Arria extension automatically categorizes each field in your selected data as a dimension or a measure according to how they've been categorized in Tableau.

 

Change a measure to a dimension (or vice versa) using drag and drop:

tableau-arria-AA-move-field.gif

 

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Configure data attributes

Further characterize your selected dimensions and measures by adjusting their attributes.

Note

See Data requirements for detailed guidance on the expected format for each type of data field.

Dimension attributes

ATTRIBUTE

DESCRIPTION

LOCATION

Alias

Adds an alternative name for the field (if desired). For example, you could give the Segment field the alias Market.

Default: data field name

tableau-arria-nlg-apps-alias.png

Entity Type

Ensures appropriate handling of dates.

When Arria for Tableau identifies a dimension as a time dimension, the Entity Type field is automatically set to DateTime. You can set the entity type manually if required.

Default: none

tableau-arria-nlg-apps-entity-type-dimension.png

 

Measure attributes

ATTRIBUTE

DESCRIPTION

LOCATION

Alias

Adds an alternative name for the field (if desired). For example, the Sales field could have the alias Actual Sales.

Default: none

tableau-arria-nlg-apps-alias-measure.png

Entity Type

Makes a measure a currency measure.

When you set the Entity Type to Currency, any figure calculated for the measure is displayed as a currency expression (e.g. £200K or ¥200K rather than 200K).

You choose the currency unit in Arria Answers options.

Leave the selection blank if your measure is not a currency.

Default: none

tableau-arria-entity-type-answers.png

 

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Prioritize data fields

You can drag and drop to change the priority order for your dimensions and measures:

tableau-arria-AA-change-priority.gif

The higher the position of a field, the higher it ranks in the priority order. The priority order does not matter for most query types but there are exceptions. For example, the set priority order for dimensions affects how drilldown variance queries work.

 

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