Hierarchies
Hierarchies are not specific to Tableau. As such, you have almost certainly used them previously, whether consciously or unconsciously. In a data context, when the relevant data is arranged logically based on its level of detail, it is called a hierarchy. In our Sample - Superstore dataset, you have already used hierarchies many times, including the Location hierarchy, which contains Country/Region, State, City, and Postal Code; the Product hierarchy consists of Category, Sub-Category, Manufacturer, and Product Name. Hierarchies grant you a comprehensive look into your data. For example, if you add the State dimension to your view, because of the hierarchies that were pre-created in your data, you can switch from state to city by clicking on the + icon in your shelf or go a level up by clicking the - sign as shown here:
Figure 11.10: Default hierarchies
Take a look at how hierarchies can be created through the following short exercise.
