Line charts are one of the most common types of data visualization used to display trends over time. They are particularly useful for showing the progress of a particular metric over time, such as sales, revenue, or website traffic.

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In this article, we’ll discuss how to create a line chart in Tableau, how businesses can benefit from using this chart, and why learning how to create this chart can help advance your career. We’ll also provide some interview questions and technical round questions related to this topic.

To create a line chart in Tableau, follow these steps:

1. Connect to your data source and open a new worksheet.
2. Drag the variable you want to plot on the x-axis to the Columns shelf.
3. Drag the variable you want to plot on the y-axis to the Rows shelf.
4. Change the mark type to Line.
5. Adjust the visualization as needed, including adding labels and formatting.

Your line chart is now ready to use. You can use the chart to analyze trends over time and identify patterns or anomalies in the data.

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Line charts can be particularly useful for businesses that need to analyze trends over time, such as sales data or website traffic data. Here are some of the benefits of using line charts:

1. Visualize trends: Line charts provide a clear and easy-to-understand way to visualize trends over time, allowing businesses to analyze the progress of a particular metric and identify patterns or trends in the data.
2. Compare data across time periods: Line charts allow businesses to compare the progress of a particular metric across multiple time periods at once. This can be useful for identifying areas where the metric is significantly different from another time period, or for comparing the progress of the metric across different regions or products.
3. Identify anomalies: Line charts make it easy to identify anomalies or areas where the data deviates significantly from the overall trend. This can be useful for identifying areas where further analysis is needed or where the data may be inaccurate.

If you’re applying for a data analyst or visualization-related job, you may be asked about your experience creating line charts. Here are some potential interview questions:

1. What is a line chart, and how is it used?
2. What are the benefits of using a line chart over other types of charts or tables?
3. How do you create a line chart in Tableau, and what are some of the options for customizing the chart?
4. Can you give an example of a business problem that would be well-suited to analysis using a line chart?
5. How would you explain a line chart to a non-technical stakeholder?

If you’re asked to demonstrate your Tableau skills in a technical round, you may be asked to create a line chart from scratch. Here are some potential technical round questions:

1. Connect to a sample dataset and create a line chart that shows the progress of sales over time.
2. Add filters to your chart that allow users to select specific regions or products.
3. Modify your chart to include a second y-axis to display a second metric, such as profit.
4. Add a trend line to your chart to show the overall trend in the data.

Learning how to create line charts in Tableau can be a valuable skill for anyone interested in data analysis or visualization. Many businesses use line charts to analyze trends over time, so understanding how to create and interpret these charts can make you a more valuable asset to your team or organization. Additionally, understanding the principles of data visualization and how to effectively communicate data through charts and graphs is a highly sought-after skill in many industries.

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