Connect to and Visualize Live SharePoint Data in Tableau Prep

Tableau is a visual analytics platform transforming the way businesses use data to solve problems. When paired with the CData Tableau Connector for SharePoint, you can easily get access to live SharePoint data within Tableau Prep. This article shows how to connect to SharePoint in Tableau Prep and build a simple chart.

The CData Tableau Connectors enable high-speed access to live SharePoint data in Tableau. Once you install the connector, you simply authenticate with SharePoint and you can immediately start building responsive, dynamic visualizations and dashboards. By surfacing SharePoint data using native Tableau data types and handling complex filters, aggregations, & other operations automatically, CData Tableau Connectors grant seamless access to SharePoint data.

NOTE: The CData Tableau Connectors support Tableau Prep Builder 2020.4.1 or higher. If you are using an older version of Tableau Prep Builder, you will need to use the CData Tableau Connector for SharePoint. If you wish to connect to SharePoint data in Tableau Cloud, you will need to use CData Connect Cloud.

Getting Started

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Install the CData Tableau Connector

When you install the CData Tableau Connector for SharePoint, the installer should copy the TACO and JAR files to the appropriate directories. If your data source does not appear in the connection steps below, you will need to copy two files:

1. Copy the TACO file (cdata.sharepoint.taco) found in the lib folder of the connector's installation location (C:\Program Files\CData\CData Tableau Connector for SharePoint 20XX\lib on Windows) to the Tableau Prep Builder repository:
   • Windows: C:\Users\[Windows User]\Documents\My Tableau Prep Repository\Connectors
   • MacOS: /Users//Documents/My Tableau Prep Repository/Connectors
2. Copy the JAR file (cdata.tableau.sharepoint.jar) found in the same lib folder to the Tableau drivers directory, typically [Tableau installation location]\Drivers.

Connect to SharePoint in Tableau Prep Builder

Open Tableau Prep Builder and click "Connect to Data" and search for "SharePoint by CData." Configure the connection and click "Sign In."

Set the URL property to the base SharePoint site or to a sub-site. This allows you to query any lists and other SharePoint entities defined for the site or sub-site.

The User and Password properties, under the Authentication section, must be set to valid SharePoint user credentials when using SharePoint On-Premise.

If you are connecting to SharePoint Online, set the SharePointEdition to SHAREPOINTONLINE along with the User and Password connection string properties. For more details on connecting to SharePoint Online, see the "Getting Started" chapter of the help documentation

Discover and Prep Data

Drag the tables and views you wish to work with onto the canvas. You can include multiple tables.

Data Cleansing & Filtering

To further prepare the data, you can implement filters, remove duplicates, modify columns and more.

1. Start by clicking on the plus next to your table and selecting the Clean Step option.
2. Select the field values to filter by. As you select values, you can see how your selections impact other fields.
3. Opt to "Keep Only" or "Exclude" entries with your select values and the data changes in response.

Data Joins and Unions

Data joining involves combining data from two or more related tables based on a common field or key.

1. To join multiple tables, drag a related table next to an existing table in the canvas and place it in the Join box.
2. Select the foreign keys that exist in both tables.

Exporting Prepped Data

After you perform any cleansing, filtering, transformations, and joins, you can export the data for visualization in Tableau.

1. Add any other needed transformations then insert an Output node at the end of the flow.
2. Configure the node to save to a file in the format of your choice.

Once the output data is saved, you can work with it in Tableau, just like you would any other file source.

Using the CData Tableau Connector for SharePoint with Tableau Prep Builder, you can easily join, cleanse, filter, and aggregate SharePoint data for visualizations and reports in Tableau. Download a free, 30-day trial and get started today.