Last Modified Date: 20 Jul 2023
Environment
Tableau DesktopAnswer
It is possible to use reference lines in order to extend an axis without using a 'fixed' range in the 'Edit Axis' menu. The following instructions can be reviewed in the attached workbook.Step 1 : Build the View
- Right click and drag Order Date to Columns and select Quarter (Order Date) as a continuous field.
- Drag Sales to Rows
- Drag Profit to Rows.
- Right click on Profit and select Dual Axis.
- On the Profit Axis, right click and select Synchronize Axis.
- On the Sales Mark Card, change the Chart to Bars.
Step 2: Create a new calculated fields for Canada
- Select Analysis > Create Calculated Field
- In the Create Calculated Field dialog box, do the following and click OK:
- Name the field. In the example, this field is called "Reference Line" and enter the following formula:
DATEADD('year',5,{ MAX([Order Date]) })
Note that this can be adjusted by using different formulas to fix the range anchored to the min/max of the data set (entire or view).
Step 3: Add the reference line to the view
- Right-click and drag "Reference Line" to Details on the All Marks
- Select Year (Reference Line) as a continuous field.
- Right click the Quarter (Order Date) Axis and select Add a reference line
- Set the Value to use the calculated field (Reference line in this example), set Label to 'None' and Line to 'None'.
- (Optional) Click on Tooltip and remove the reference to the newly created date field.
- (Optional) It is possible to make the amount of time units in the 'DATEADD' function a parameter.
Additional Information
To view these steps in action, see the video below:Note! The video has no sound.
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