Replacing Data Sources in Tableau
Keep in mind that these instructions are for when data has been moved from one technology to
another, like ORACLE to SQL Server. If you are simply changing from one published data source
to another, see instructions at the end of this document.
• The grand scheme is to delay the “Replace Data Source” step until the variables have
been prepared for that replacement.
• Create a new worksheet from which to work in your existing dashboard. Do not work
from an existing sheet as Tableau may make blend assumptions based on
your new data source.
• Open the new data source.
• In the original Data Source tab, find all renamed variables. After you paste them in
Excel, create one additional column with the following calc and fill in for all rows. Then
filter to Renamed variables and filter out calculated fields. The result is the list of
variables you must rename manually.
=A2<>C2
• As you manually rename these variables…
• Keep a careful eye out for any variables that have an inadvertent space at the
end of the name. You may accidentally drop that, which will break any
dependent calculated fields in subsequent steps.
• Be careful cutting and pasting the text of the new name if you are grabbing it
from Excel. If you accidentally paste a cell, Tableau will create a whole new data
source based on that, and you will have to close that data source, which may kill
whatever sheet you are on.
• Copy all calculated fields.
• Filter your variable lists in the Data tab to just calculated fields. Then click in the
first calc, shift-click the last calc.
• Be careful not to select any “base” variables that exist on the original data
source. If you do, ‘Copy’ won’t be a choice in your dropdown.
• Be careful not to select any hidden variables that exist on the original data
source. If you do, ‘Copy’ won’t be a choice in your dropdown.
• After selecting all calcs, carefully right-click any one of them and select “Copy”. If you
left-click, you will lose all your selections except the pill on which you finally clicked.
• If you have dozens or hundreds of calcs, Tableau may take 10 or more
seconds for your dropdown list to appear. Be patient!
• Select the new data source under the Data tab, and then click the drop-down arrow
beside the search box, and select Paste.
• If you get a large set of variables with a (1) suffix, you have probably worked in batches
and missed selecting Copy properly and recopied the prior clipboard’s content of
variables. Undo, and re-select the latest screen’s calculations.
• Tableau, as of some prior version, renames any field with _, replacing those with spaces
and capitalizing words. If that name conflicts with a calculated field name, your variable
will be named “Varname (1)”. In this case, click the root variable and revert it to the _
name, and then remove the “(1)” from the name of your conflicting calculated field.
Resolve these as soon as possible. You may need to clean up some instances where the
copied calculated fields reference the root variable rather than the calculated field
because it was renamed. Use “Replace References”.
How to bypass _ renaming:
https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=001458292&type=1
• Check all calculated fields for references to literal values because your new data source
may have different collation rules, e.g. 'Current' may or may not equal 'CURRENT'
depending on your data source.
• Copy any hierarchies from the original to the new data source or recreate them.
• Do not bother to copy italicized “action” Sets from original date source; Tableau will
recreate those.
• Copy all user-created Sets.
• Copy all Groups.
• Replace the data source. You may have to do this in more than one place.
• Scroll through all your variables and resolve any errors (!). If you've followed these
steps, you should only have a few.
• Any unresolved renamed variable will error out (!).
• Variables of the same name will (sort of) temporarily be renamed with an _1 suffix.
• Variables in the Data tab will revert to their original name when the data source is
replaced.
• However, any reference to variable names within calculated fields will retain the _1
suffix on the variable names, so any such calculated field needs to be edited. Creating a
temporary variable of that name_1 and attempting to replace references does not work.
• Any variables that were formatted at the sheet level rather than the Default Properties >
Number Format… on the Data tab may lose their formatting in the replacement
process.
• In tables of basic counts, here is the format to convert zeroes to spaces (be sure
to grab the space after the ; at the end):
#,##0;-#,##0;
• Variables will lose their default sort if it’s not alpha ascending. Recreate all manual sorts.
• Variables will lose their aliases. You will have to reassign them all. Check these on table
views which are most likely to display these.
• Variables may or may not lose their color coding. Be prepared to use the screen picker
on the old dashboard or copy the hex codes like #f0f0f0
• Verify all filters on all dashboards. I have seen one flip from Apply to Worksheets >
All Using Related Data Sources to Apply to Worksheets > This Sheet Only
• Update documentation
Changing Published Data Sources
Per Paula Muñoz, if the base fields are the same, instead of using the replace data source
feature in Tableau Desktop you can:
• Go to ‘Data’
• Select the existing published data source
• Select ‘Tableau Data Server’
• Select ‘Edit Server and Site Path’
• Select your new Published Data Source
• Wait few minutes and everything will be replaced magically without getting any errors
(even if you had renamed fields or created calculated fields)
