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# Adding Tableau Parameters to a Custom View

Tableau parameters are variables, such as a number, date, or string that can replace a constant value.

Tableau parameters are one-way bindings that bind from a VDL view to the tableau workbook. You must define parameters in the Tableau workbook and in the view `.vdl` file. You can use `<vdl-tableau-parameter>` components within `<vdl-tableau>` to set parameters per visualization. The value can be an expression, which will update the visualization each time it changes.

Parameters can contain the following data types:

- Float
- Integer
- String
- Boolean
- Date
- Date & time

## Adding a Tableau parameter

1. In a Tableau workbook, create a new parameter from the drop-down arrow on the Data pane.
2. Specify the data type, current value (this will be ignored when viewing the visualization in Xpress Insight), and value when the workbook opens.
3. Define the display format to use in the parameter control.
4. Define how the parameter will accept values, `All` is a simple text field, `List` will provide a list of possible values to select from, and `Range` allows you to select values within a specified range.
5. Click OK. The new parameter will be shown in the list of filters for your workbook.
6. Save the workbook and close Tableau.
7. Open the custom view containing a Tableau visualization in Xpress Workbench. Drag a Tableau Parameter component from the palette into a Tableau component in your view.
8. Add a parameter name and value.
9. Save and deploy your updated view.

## Using parameters

Tableau parameters can be used in Xpress Insight to change elements of the data being visualized. In the example below, the report title, report date, and factory are parameters that can be altered.
The factory selection parameter is a string, which is used by a boolean calculated parameter `ToggleFactory` to form a query on a column within the datasource.
The `ToggleFactory` calculated parameter is then added to the filters for the workbook visualization.
Note: The vdl-tableau component will show an error overlay if a vdl-tableau-parameter resolves to `null` or `undefined`. The default message is as follows:

    Please ensure all Tableau parameters are set to valid values.

This message can be changed using the `vdl-tableau` missingParameters variable.
Parent Topic Embedding Tableau Views with the vdl-tableau Component

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