Software that enables the user to visually examine a database or spreadsheet is
available. One example is Tableau Software’s product (www.tableausoftware.com).
Using an approach similar to the pivot tables we saw in Microsoft Excel, Tableau
allows the user to drag and drop variables onto either a row or a column, and they
appear on a graph. In Figure 14.5, the Region and Weekday were designated as
columns and the SUM (Sales Total) was designated as a row. Each Product
Category was then graphed (with “furniture” in blue, “office supplies” in orange,
and “technology” in green).