Johan de Groot | Antichaos

Author: johan@antichaos.nl

  • API to Tableau, the Smart Way: A Guide to Table Extensions

    Getting data from external APIs into Tableau often involves several workarounds —manual extracts, middle-ware scripts, or writing to a database. This isn’t bad per se, but if you just want real time data from an API, Table Extensions are a clean and direct solution.

    Table Extensions allow you to connect Tableau directly to external data sources like APIs using Python, R, or other analytics engines. This means you can fetch live data—whether it’s weather updates, currency exchange rates, or stock prices—and use it as if it were a regular data source in Tableau.

    In this post, I’ll walk you through how to set up your first Table Extension, use Python to pull live data (without storing anything), and explore the benefits and best practices of using this approach—especially when working with real-time or short-lived data.

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  • Easy Custom Formatting in Tableau

    Formatting matters.
    Inconsistent formatting in your Tableau visualizations can will confuse your audience and make your dashboard look unpolished.

    A well-structured dashboard is not just about the right data—it’s about making that data easy to read and interpret. Inconsistent date formats, poorly formatted numbers, percentages, and currency values can make your insights less clear. Especially in tables.

    In this post, I’ll walk you through essential but simple formatting techniques in Tableau, from setting a default date format to custom number formats. You’ll learn how to hide unnecessary zero values, align text for better readability, and use custom formatting to create intuitive and informative visualizations.

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  • 5 Tableau Desktop Tips

    Tableau is packed with small but powerful features that can make your workflow smoother and more efficient. However, some of these tricks aren’t immediately obvious—even for experienced users.

    Whether you’re troubleshooting a calculation, improving collaboration, or just trying to reset your workspace, these tips will help you work smarter in Tableau.

    Here are five tips for using Tableau Desktop:

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  • Extract custom shapes from Tableau workbook

    Ever got a Tableau workbook with shapes you want to re-use, but weren’t able to because you didn’t have the original files?

    You can extract the files from the workbook! Either by hand opening the source code, or using my small Python script.

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  • Better Line-charts

    In the endless pursuit of creating better charts, let’s look at the line-chart. Probably the most used chart of all times, since it often shows a metric (sales, quantity, temperature, …) over time.

    I already discussed focusing on what is important in the article on “betters ways to compare years“. But how can we improve the default, remove distractions and focus more on the data? Let’s look at some simple steps you should do every time you create a line chart – and finish with a less common but visually pleasing ‘advanced’ one!

    [part of the ‘Datafam London 2024 – Deepcleaning your dashboard’ series]

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  • Better Titles on Multiple Measure Panes

    Similar to titles on small multiples, showing title only in the axis on multiple-measure charts is not user friendly. The visuals distance between title and the data is too large, and vertical text is never easy to read:

    Let’s look at an easy ways to enhance the labels for better clarity and user experience.

    [part of the ‘Datafam London 2024 – Deepcleaning your dashboard’ series]

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  • Netherlands Tableau Usergroup March 2025 @ Nextview Amsterdam

    Tableau User Group Session: Insights, Fun, and Community Spirit!

    What happens when you bring together passionate data enthusiasts, a relaxed atmosphere, great food, and a shared love for Tableau? You get an amazing Netherlands Tableau User Group (NLTUG) session on March 4th 2025!

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  • Improve Titles on Small Multiples

    Small multiples charts (also known as trellis charts or panel charts) are a great way to visualize trends across different categories while maintaining consistency. They display multiple variations of the same chart, often sharing a common axis, which allows for easier comparison across groups.

    While effective, these charts can suffer from poor readability if titles are not thoughtfully applied. Let’s look at some ways to enhance labels for better clarity and user experience.

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  • Easier date drop-down in Tableau

    This small tip is on how to add a filter to a dashboard with the current month on top, so it is easier to navigate for users.

    Not one which will drastically change your dashboard, but a ‘quality of life’ usability tip.

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  • Deep Cleaning: Icons

    Using the right visuals (images) on a dashboard is very important. Icons are often used go guide users into the right direction, so we don’t want to confuse them with unclear images

    [part of the ‘Datafam London 2024 – Deepcleaning your dashboard’ series]

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