{"id":4271,"date":"2023-02-28T19:34:33","date_gmt":"2023-02-28T19:34:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biconnector.com\/blog\/?p=4271"},"modified":"2023-05-18T05:15:44","modified_gmt":"2023-05-18T05:15:44","slug":"tableau-relationships-vs-joins-when-to-choose-what","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.biconnector.com\/blog\/tableau-relationships-vs-joins-when-to-choose-what\/","title":{"rendered":"Tableau Relationships vs. Joins: When to Choose What?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Data is the foundation of every successful business. With the rise of big data, it’s essential to use the right tools to organize, analyze and visualize information. Tableau is one of the most popular and powerful tools. It enables users to connect, blend and visualize different data sources easily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it comes to joining data, Tableau offers two distinct methods: Relationships and Joins. Both approaches serve the same purpose; however, they differ in handling data connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this blog, we’ll explore the differences between Tableau Relationships and Joins, and help you determine when to choose what.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tableau relationships simplify the process of connecting and analyzing data by allowing users to leverage the natural hierarchies within their data. This means that users can define common fields or data organization, and Tableau will automatically create the necessary connections in its data model. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tableau relationships are a preferred way of connecting different data tables as they can automatically handle changes in the underlying data structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tableau supports three types of relationships between data tables. The choice of a relationship depends on the underlying organization of data. These relationships are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a one-to-one relationship, each record in one table(primary table) is linked to a single record in another table(secondary table). This relationship is useful when there is a unique relationship between the tables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The figure below illustrates a unique relationship between the OrderPrice <\/strong>and OrderDetails <\/strong>tables. Both tables are uniquely related to each other on the Order ID<\/strong> column.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a one-to-many relationship, each record in one table(primary table) can be linked to multiple records in another table(secondary table). This relationship is useful when one table contains a list of unique entities (e.g., customers), and the other table contains multiple records for each entity (e.g., orders).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The diagram below illustrates a one-to-many relationship between the Customers <\/strong>and Orders <\/strong>tables. The Customers <\/strong>table is unique for every customer, whereas the Orders <\/strong>table can have repeated rows as each customer can buy many products at the same. Each row in the Customers <\/strong>table can be linked to multiple tables in the Orders <\/strong>table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a many-to-many relationship, each record in one table can be related to many records in another and vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The tables below are related in a many-to-many relationship because each order can contain multiple products, and each product can be included in multiple orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tableau relationships simplify the process of connecting data tables. When you import a dataset in Tableau, it will automatically find the best relationship between your data tables. Tableau also allows you to change the relationships between two tables. <\/p>\n\n\n\n2. One-to-many Relationship<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
3. Many-to-many Relationship<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Steps to Manage Tableau Relationships<\/h3>\n\n\n\n