CODEWITHSUNDEEP
sqlsql-servertableau-api
pbars23
pbars23

Reputation: 95

Tableau Queries Better With Short & Wide or Tall & Thin Tables in SQL Server?

I'm trying to improve the query time for Tableau when it queries data from the table in my SQL Server database. When considering # of rows vs. # of columns, should I have a short & wide table or tall & thin?

This resource has done some research proving that the tall & thin approach is better: http://www.powerpivotpro.com/2011/08/less-columns-more-rows-more-speed/, but I wanted a few more sources of info before I started the formatting of the tables.

Thanks

AFTER EDIT: Would multiple tall & thin tables that are joined be less performant than 1 short & wide table when Tableau is pulling data from it to make visualizations?

Upvotes: 2

Views: 2979

Answers (1)

Ryan
Ryan

Reputation: 454

Tableau does better with tall data than wide data. This is because it does better when all the numbers to graph are in the same column. Tableau performs well with a category field. The category can do a variety of different things when used in the boxes for "color", "detail" (breakdown by), "label".

Tall example

  • date, category, value
  • date1, sales, 10
  • date1, revenue, 5
  • date2, sales, 12
  • date2, revenue, 6

Wide example

  • date, sales, revenue
  • date1, 10, 5
  • date2, 12, 6

Have you heard about the Excel data reshaper? Here are two links about it.

http://www.tableausoftware.com/about/blog/2012/03/reshaping-data-made-easy-16353

http://kb.tableausoftware.com/articles/knowledgebase/addin-reshaping-data-excel

Upvotes: 4

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