Adding Data in the Flow

As seen in Chapter 2, Data Preparation using Tableau Desktop, the first step of any data preparation activity is to add the data into your workflow. To do that in Prep, click on Connections and select the data source. In the following exercise, you will connect to file-based data sources, but the process is similar for server-based data sources.

Exercise 3.01: Connecting to an Excel File

In this exercise, you will connect with your very first data source in Prep. Follow these steps to complete the exercise:

1. After installing Tableau Prep Builder, find the files in the following location on your computer:
   • Windows

     C:\Program Files\Tableau\Tableau Prep Builder <version>\help\Samples\en_US\Superstore Files

   • Mac

     /Applications/Tableau Prep Builder <version>.app/Contents/help/Samples/en_US/Superstore Files

2. Click on Connections and select the Microsoft Excel option.
3. This will open the menu from which you can select the Excel file. Navigate...