Comparing an individual to a group is a common ask for Tableau developers.
Using Tableau sets and set actions enables the comparison of an individual to a dynamic group.
Or to compare a dynamic group with another dynamic group.
When would you want to compare an individual with a group?
Commercial examples of this comparison include:
- comparing a salesperson with other salespeople
- comparing a region with other regions
- comparing a product with other products
Whatever the comparison, Tableau set actions have added significant flexibility.
How to compare an individual to a group in Tableau
To begin we can take a very simple example to compare an individual to a group. The example is comparing a country with some other countries.
There are multiple ways to do this.
Compare an individual to a group using a calculated field
The simplest way is to create a calculated field. In this example we compare the United Kingdom with the other counties in the Superstore data set.
Create a boolean calculated field:
[isUK]: [Country/Region]="United Kingdom"
Put that field to Colours and it will give the United Kingdom a different colour.
Compare an individual to a group using a Set
Another and dynamic (since Tableau 2020.2 at least) way to compare is using a set.
Create a set by right-clicking the country field and Create Set. Choose the United Kingdom and save it.
Similar to using a calculated field, put the set on the colour shelf and it colours the UK different to the other countries.
Since Tableau 2020.2 (perhaps slightly earlier but I’m not sure) it provides the option to Show Set.
This is identical in appearance to showing a filter.
Furthermore, this allows the user to select the items to be in and out of the set. Hence the set is now dynamic, allowing simple comparison.
Compare an individual to a dynamic group using Set actions
Another alternative option is using Set Actions. These enable the user to, for example, click an item in a chart to alter the contents of the set.
In the below example, again comparing countries, there are 2 bar charts.
One shows the list of countries to compare with the group.
The other bar chart shows the list of countries in the comparing group.
Click a bar in either chart and that country moves from one group to the other.
Very simple to compare a dynamic individual(s) with a dynamic group.
How to use Tableau set actions to compare with a dynamic group
Create a set on the country field, the same as the above Comparison Country set. Call the new set CompareItems.
Build the 2 bar charts, one is for In, the other for Out of the set.
Put the set on to Filters. On the “In” sheet, the Comparing List, “Show Members in Set”.
Alternatively “Show In/Out of Set” and choose In. On the “In” sheet it doesn’t matter.
However, on the “Out” sheet, the Comparator Group, it does matter.
The filter should “Show In/Out of Set” and be Out.
Put both sheets on the dashboard and set up the actions.
When a user clicks a bar in the In bar chart we want the item to move to the Out, and vice versa.
Create the Set Actions
We need two actions:
- To add an item to the Comparing List – i.e. add it to the set
- To remove an item from the Comparing List – i.e. remove it from the set
To set up these actions click Dashboard – Actions.
The first action, to add to the Comparing List, will trigger when the user clicks an item in the Comparator Group. On click the item will move from the Comparators group to the Comparing List.
Therefore set up the action as follows:
- Source Sheet is the Comparator Group
- Run action from Select
- Choose the relevant set – CompareItems for this example
- Running the action will Add values to set
- Clearing the selection will Keep set values
The next action will remove from the Comparing List. Very similar to the previous action, set it up as follows:
- Source Sheet is the Comparing List
- Run action from Select
- Choose the relevant set
- Running the action will Remove values to set
- Clearing the selection will Keep set values
The dynamic sets are now created to use as you wish.
In the example below there’s a line chart comparing the chosen country(s) – the Comparing List – with a group of other countries – the Comparator Group. The user can separate the Comparator Group into the individual countries or keep them as a group.
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This grouping or separating is using a parameter and calculated fields. Download the workbook to explore that area of the dashboard.
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