Visualize LINE Data in Tableau

The CData ODBC Driver for LINE enables you to access live LINE data in business intelligence tools like Tableau. In this article, you will integrate LINE data into a dashboard that reflects changes to LINE data in real time.

The CData ODBC drivers offer unmatched performance for interacting with live LINE data in Tableau due to optimized data processing built into the driver. When you issue complex SQL queries from Tableau to LINE, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to LINE and utilizes the embedded SQL engine to process unsupported operations (often SQL functions and JOIN operations) client-side. With built-in dynamic metadata querying, you can visualize and analyze LINE data using native Tableau data types.

Connect to LINE as an ODBC Data Source

If you have not already, first specify connection properties in an ODBC DSN (data source name). This is the last step of the driver installation. You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure ODBC DSNs.

Start by setting the Profile connection property to the location of the LINE Profile on disk (e.g. C:\profiles\LINE.apip). Next, set the ProfileSettings connection property to the connection string for LINE (see below).

LINE API Profile Settings

The LINE Messaging API uses Channel Access Token authentication. To obtain a Channel Access Token:

1. Log in to the LINE Developers Console at https://developers.line.biz
2. Select your provider and open your Messaging API channel.
3. Navigate to the Messaging API tab.
4. Under Channel access token, click Issue to generate a long-lived token.
5. Copy the generated token.

After obtaining your Channel Access Token, set the following connection properties:

• AuthScheme: Set this to APIKey.

Set the following in the ProfileSettings connection property:

• APIKey: Set this to your LINE Channel Access Token.

When you configure the DSN, you may also want to set the Max Rows connection property. This will limit the number of rows returned, which is especially helpful for improving performance when designing reports and visualizations.

Add LINE Data to a Dashboard

1. Click Connect to Data -> More Servers -> Other Databases (ODBC).
   Select the CData Data Source Name (for example: CData API Source).
2. In the Database menu, select CData.
3. In the Table box, enter a table name or click New Custom SQL to enter an SQL query. This article retrieves the ReplyMessageDelivery table.
4. Drag the table onto the join area. At this point, you can include multiple tables, leveraging the built-in SQL engine to process complex data requests.
5. In the Connection menu, select the Live option, so that you skip loading a copy of the data into Tableau and instead work on real-time data. The optimized data processing native to CData ODBC drivers enables unmatched performance in live connectivity.
6. Click the tab for your worksheet. Columns are listed as Dimensions and Measures, depending on the data type. The CData driver discovers data types automatically, allowing you to leverage the powerful data processing and visualization features of Tableau.
7. Drop the DeliveryDate column in the Dimensions pane onto the dashboard. When you select dimensions, Tableau builds a query to the driver. The results are grouped based on that dimension. In Tableau, the raw query is automatically modified as you select dimensions and measures.

8. Drag the DeliveredCount column in the Measures field onto the Detail and Color buttons. Tableau executes the following query:

   
   SELECT DeliveryDate, SUM(DeliveredCount) FROM ReplyMessageDelivery GROUP BY DeliveryDate
   

   When you select a measure, Tableau executes a command to the driver to calculate a summary function, such as SUM, AVG, etc., on the grouped values. The SQL engine (embedded within the driver) is leveraged to process the aggregation of the data, where needed, providing a seamless experience in Tableau, regardless of the data source.

   To change the summary function, open the DeliveredCount menu and select the summary you want in the Measure command.

   

9. You can create other charts using dimensions and measures to build SQL queries visually:

   

With the CData ODBC Driver for LINE, you get live connectivity to your LINE data, allowing you to build real-time charts, graphs, and more.