Sort Options Not Available from Toolbar When Data Blending

Issue

When using data blending, the computed sort options are not available (grayed out) from the toolbar.

Environment

Tableau Desktop

Resolution

To resolve this issue try one of the following options:

Option 1: Apply a computed sort manually

In the Data window, right-click the relevant field.
Select Default Properties > Sort.
Change the default sort order of the field using the various options, and then click OK.

Option 2: Create a calculation for a more dynamic sort

In the secondary data source, select Data > Create Calculated Field.
In the Formula text box, create a calculated field that aggregates the measure you would like to sort on. For example, type SUM([COGS]).
Right-click the calculation you just created in step 2, and select Convert to Discrete.
Drag the calculation to the left-most position in the Rows or Columns shelf.
Right click the calculation in the Rows or Columns shelf, and select Show Header to remove the selection

Note: By default, values will be sorted in ascending order. If you want to sort in descending order, add a minus (-) symbol in front of the aggregated measure in the calculation. Open the attached packaged workbook to see this example.

Cause

When using data blending, the automatic sort options are not available (grayed out) for secondary dimensions.

Additional Information

If the dimension is converted to an attribute, it is possible to use the computed sort options from the toolbar. To convert a dimension to an attribute, right-click the relevant dimension field in the Columns or Rows shelf, and select Attribute. For more information about attributes, refer to the "Aggregating Dimensions" section in the Aggregating Data topic in the Desktop Help.
Community Forum: Sorting Blended Data