Creating a Dashboard with Variable Container Heights in Tableau

Today, we will create a dashboard with containers that change size based on what they are displaying.  This is especially useful when you want to hide/show certain details.  As usual, we will use the Superstore Sales sample data set in Tableau.

Step 1:

• Create the following dashboards:
• Profit by Category
• All Additive Measure by Customer (Sorted by Highest Profit)

Profit by Category

Customer Information

Now, we want to put these in a dashboard that shows only the Profit by Category.  Then, when you select a category, the bar graph shrinks to make room for the Customer Information.

Step 2:

• Create a new dashboard
• Drag a "Vertical Layout Container" onto the dashboard
• Drag "Profit by Customer" onto the Layout Container
• Set the Fit to "Entire View"
• Drag "Customer Information" below "Profit by Customer"
• Set the Fit to "Fit Width"
• Set the Dashboard Size to "Exactly -> Laptop" (You can choose any size you want)

Dashboard with no Actions

Now, it's starting to look more like what we want.  However, we need to create an action to make "Customer Information" filter on Category and hide when there is no selection.

Step 3:

• Create the following action

Category Filter

Now, when you click on a Category, "Customer Information" is filtered.  

Filtered Dashboard

Then, when you deselect the Category, the bar graph expands to hide the empty "Customer Information" chart.  This is because we put the bar graph in a "Vertical Layout Container" with fit "Entire View."

Unfiltered Dashboard

While this is a simple example, there is so much more to do.  Try using graphs oriented side-by-side, or try using more complex actions.  I hope you found this informative.  Thanks for reading.

Brad Llewellyn

Associate Consultant

Mariner, LLC

llewellyn.wb@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradllewellyn