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Dashboard Extension Samples

The best way to learn how to build your own extensions is to look at the sample code. To examine the sample source files to see how Tableau dashboard extensions work, you can clone or download the Extensions API SDK on GitHub and run the samples or the tutorial.

  • To download the Extensions API SDK, if you have not already done so, see Get Started.

  • You can browse the sample code for the dashboard extensions in the Samples and the Tutorial folders on GitHub.

  • You can also create dashboard extensions using TypeScript. See the TypeScript dashboard sample code in Samples-TypeScript on GitHub.

You can also check out the dashboard extensions from the community, see Community Extensions.

The following instructions assume that you have already downloaded and extracted the files or have cloned the Extensions API SDK to your desktop.

About the dashboard extension samples​

The dashboard extension samples are in the Samples/Dashboard folder. There is also a step-by-step tutorial you can follow in the Tutorial folder.

The Samples-Typescript folder shows how you can use the Extensions API type definitions to create extensions in TypeScript. For more information, see Use TypeScript with the Extensions API.

  • DataSources

    Shows how to use the getDataSourcesAsync function to find the names of the data sources for each worksheet in the dashboard. Like the Filtering sample, the DataSources sample makes use the Promise.all function to combine the promises from the asynchronous calls together, and then waits for them to resolve.

  • Filtering

    Demonstrates how to use the getFiltersAsync function to find and display the active filters in the dashboard and calls the addEventListener function to set a FilterChanged event on each workbook in the dashboard. Any time a filter value is changed, the extension refreshes the table that displays the active filters.

  • Parameters

    Finds and displays all the parameters in the dashboard and then sets an event listener that waits for a parameter to change, which triggers a refresh.

  • Settings

    Uses the settings namespace to save settings (key-value pairs) for the extension. Demonstrates how you can save settings for each instance of an extension, which enables sharing common views of a workbook.

  • UINamespaces

    Demonstrates how you can use the UI namespace to create a modal dialog box (or popup) that runs another extension, which allows users to interact and change the settings for the parent extension. This sample controls the background auto-refresh interval for data sources in a dashboard.

  • Tutorial

    Walks you through the step-by-step process of creating and refining an extension that displays a summarized table of the currently selected marks.

  • Samples-Typescript

    The Samples-Typescript folder shows how you can use the Extensions API type definitions to create extensions in TypeScript. The sample extensions include TypeScript versions of many of the JavaScript samples. For more information, see Use the TypeScript samples and Use TypeScript with the Extensions API.

  • VizImage

    Shows how you can use Tableau Viz to add visualizations to your dashboard extensions. This sample demonstrates the effects of different mark types and color palettes. For more information about Tableau Viz, see Add Tableau Viz to Your Dashboard Extensions.

  • Formatting

    Shows how you can access the CSS formatting in the Tableau workbook and apply it to the HTML elements in your dashboard extension. Create a consistent look and feel across the extension and the dashboard.

Start a web server to host the sample dashboard extensions​

To use the dashboard extension samples, you need to start up a web server on your computer to host the HTML pages. If you downloaded or cloned the Extensions API repository, you can start the web service in the root directory of the repository on your computer. These commands start the Node.js basic service http-server.

  1. Go to the extensions-api folder.

  2. To install the web server components, run the following command:

    npm install

  3. To start the web server, run the following command:

    npm start

Instructions for starting a web server on a different port​

The samples are set up so that the web server is using port 8765. If you need to specify a different port instead of 8765, you can change ports using another Node.js or http-server command.

From the extensions-api folder, you can start the http-server using one of the following commands. Replace PORT with the port you are using (for example, 8000).

To install the http-serveron your computer globally and to also start the server:

npm install http-server -g && http-server -p PORT

If you have already installed http-server, you can start the server directly:

http-server -p PORT

The port you use for the web server also has to match the port specified in the manifest file (.trex) for the server.

<source-location>
      <url>http://localhost:PORT/Samples/Dashboard/parameters/parameters.html</url>
</source-location>

Use the extensions in the samples folder​

After you start the web server to host the sample extensions, you can try the extensions in Tableau.

  1. Start Tableau and open a workbook that has a dashboard, or open a workbook and create a new dashboard.
  2. In the dashboard, under Objects, select Extension and drag it on to the dashboard.
  3. In the Choose an Extension dialog box, click My Extensions.
  4. Browse to the directory where the samples are located. For example, if you downloaded or cloned the GitHub repository, go to \extensions-api\Samples\Dashboard.
  5. Select one of the folders for the samples and open the .trex file (for example, DataSources.trex).
    Every Tableau extension has a manifest file (.trex) that describes the extension and identifies the location of the web application.

The extension should appear in the dashboard. Play around with the extension. Examine the HTML and JavaScript source files to see how things work.

Use the TypeScript samples​

The TypeScript samples show how you can write your source code in TypeScript and then use the Extensions API type definitions to compile (or transpile) the code into JavaScript. The samples use Node.js and webpack to build the extensions. These instructions assume that you have cloned or downloaded the Extensions API GitHub repository.

Build the samples​

  1. Go to the extensions-api folder.

  2. Install the web server components:

    npm install

  3. Build the TypeScript samples:

    npm run build

    Run lint with the semistandard package.

    npm run lint

  4. Compile and start the HTTP server for the extensions. This command also watches the source file directories and automatically builds the samples when you make changes.

    npm run dev

Try the samples​

  1. Start Tableau and open a workbook that has a dashboard, or open a workbook and create a new dashboard.

  2. In the dashboard, under Objects, select Extension and drag it on to the dashboard.

  3. In the Choose an Extension dialog box, click My Extensions.

  4. Browse to the directory where the samples are located and add one of the extensions to the dashboard.

    For example, if you downloaded or cloned the GitHub repository, go to \extensions-api\Samples-Typescript\Dashboard. The folder contains the TypeScript versions of the Datasources, Filtering, and Parameters samples.

Build your own extensions using TypeScript​

If you want to experiment with your own TypeScript code for extensions, you can use the same infrastructure that the TypeScript samples use. Create a folder in the Samples-Typescript directory and then add your extension source files. Add an entry to the webpack.config.js file for your extension TypeScript file. Update the path to your extension in the .trex file. Build and run your extension using the same commands you use to build the samples. For more information, see Use TypeScript with the Extensions API.