Straight off the back of Tableau conference, 2023.2 is the first opportunity to see some of the announced features in action.
The 2023.2 Playlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3E5efnM3qg&list=PLRfaJ7ZL0cF6QFlYCU-QQDH81HSYJAHTV&pp=iAQB
Tableau 23.2 has arrived with a notable feature that has been awaited by users for over a decade - the introduction of new line patterns. Besides the existing solid lines, you can now choose from dashed and dotted patterns too. These can significantly enhance the versatility of your charts, allowing for more precise and nuanced data representation.
It's worth noting that this feature was listed on the Tableau Community Ideas page for 11 years and had amassed a considerable 4,000 points, showing the strong demand within the user base. It took a while to arrive, but it's clear that Tableau values its community's input and is committed to continual improvement of their product by starting to tackle some longstanding requests.
Using the new feature is as straightforward as it sounds. Simply go to the Path for any line and select the desired line pattern. If you want to apply it to all lines, choose the All section, while individual lines can be altered independently by selecting the respective pill on the Marks pane. Along with these options, you can adjust the coloring as needed.
The new line patterns come into their own when dealing with complex charts, such as dual-axis line charts or those involving modelled variants and forecasts. With the addition of dashed and dotted lines, users can better distinguish between different elements and present their data more effectively.
There's one more idea that I'd love to see Tableau incorporate in the future - introducing these new line patterns into the legend items. As it stands, the legend only communicates color. But with the addition of varied line patterns in most chart visualizations, it would be incredibly useful to have a legend explaining the differences between solid, dash, and dotted lines. An option to add a text field in the legend for this purpose would be a significant improvement for data communication on a chart or sheet-by-sheet basis.
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