Tableau | Code Dirty | Show/Hide Multiple Parameters based upon another Parameter

 Hi

You might have come across a requirement while working on Tableau, where you are required to show/hide parameters based upon another parameter. In this blog, I would like to show, how to hide multiple parameters dynamically.

Requirement : I have four parameters, Geography, Region, State and City. Geography parameter will have values as 'Region', 'State', 'City'. If Region is selected in the Geography parameter, then only Region Parameter should be shown to the user and rest two (State and City) should be hidden. Similarly, if City is selected in Geography parameter, then hide State and Region parameters.

This is how parameters look like (I'm using Tableau's Sample Super Store dataset)

Geography

Geography parameter

Region

Region Parameter

State

State parameter

City

City Parameter

Solution: In short, solution is to place the parameters to show or hide (Region, State, City) in a horizontal container and make them move left/right based upon the selected parameter value (Geography). To achieve the movements, use sheets.

1. Create a calculated field Geography Filter, that holds Geography parameter values. This will be used in the sheets that will create parameter movement.

1. Create four sheets, LHS, LHS1, RHS, RHS1 as shown below. Observe the parameter values to be selected in each of the sheet. At any point of time, out of four sheets, only two will be active.
2. LHS : Create a sheet, LHS, and apply Geography filter by selecting Region and add a dummy header like "" in rows

3. Duplicate LHS and create LHS1. Here set Geography Filter to Region and State and add a dummy header like "" in rows

4. Duplicate LHS and rename it to RHS. Set Geography Filter to State and City and add a dummy header like "" in rows

5. Duplicate RHS and rename it to RHS1. Set geography filter to City only and a dummy header like "" in rows

6. Take new dashboard and add a horizontal container. Add the three parameters, Region, State & City and add the four sheets created as shown below in the same order. Order is important here.

8. Size of the container is also important. For example, I'm using the parameters width as 100 pixels in my dashboard. So, the 3 parameters' width will be set to 100 pixels each (fixed) and will add 200 pixels more to the container for the sheets to make the movement, taking the container width to 500 pixels, as sown below. Remember, at any given point of time, only two sheets will be active.

Format the sheets properly, hide titles, remove borders, add the dummy header, make it full screen. In short, follow all the rules of sheet toggling in Tableau

8. Bring the Geography parameter to the dashboard, hide the tile of each sheet (LHS/1, RHS/1) and see the parameter making the movements.

if region is selected in Geography, look at the position of Region parameter.

if State is selected in Geography, look at the position of State parameter, it has taken the position of Region parameter.

If I do some formatting and place white blank objects on the right and left hand side on the horizontal container and just show one parameter, in this case, only state will be shown in the view and everything will be behind the blanks,

State

City

Format further and see now

Will try to post it on gallery and share the link here, soon. if you think it is helpful, then please leave a comment, otherwise let me know of doing this in a better way.