Level of Detail Calculations

When we talk about Level of Detail (LOD) calculations in Tableau, we usually mean three expressions: FIXED, INCLUDE, and EXCLUDE. These three expressions open a world of options by providing the ability to create calculations that target specific levels of granularity. In older versions of Tableau, data granularity for a worksheet was established by the dimensions in a view. If the view contained dimensions for Region, State, and Postal Code but the author wanted to create a City level calculation, the City dimension would need to be included on the view. Furthermore, there was no mechanism for excluding or ignoring a given dimension on a view. Admittedly, the desired results could normally be obtained through some complex and sometimes convoluted use of table calculations, data blends, and so on. Fortunately, LOD calculations greatly simplify these...