A look into the MAKEPOINT() function in Tableau...
In Tableau, makepoint() is a function used for creating spatial points in geographic visualisations. So, if we have data with geographic information like latitude and longitude, you can use makepoint() to represent those locations visually on a map in Tableau.
While Tableau has automatic features for mapping and visualising spatial data, the makepoint() function offers extra flexibility and control when working with geographic coordinates.
Some other reasons we might use the makepoint function:
Precise Location Plotting: specify exact latitude and longitude coordinates to plot points on a map, ensuring that the data is represented accurately on the map.
Custom Calculations: create custom geographic calculations based on specific criteria or conditions. For example, we could use it to calculate distances between points, create custom map layers, or define spatial relationships between different data points.
An example of this:
Data Integration: When working with spatial data from different sources, makepoint() can help standardise the format of geographic coordinates within Tableau. Again, this ensures consistency in mapping and analysis.
Enhanced Visualisation: create custom shapes, layers, or annotations on maps.
In Alteryx, the equivalent function to Tableau's makepoint() is the Create Points tool. Similar to makepoint() in Tableau, the Create Points tool in Alteryx allows us to generate spatial points based on latitude and longitude coordinates.
In Power BI, the equivalent would be to use the "Latitude" and "Longitude" columns directly within the visualisation. Power BI has in-built tools for geographic data, so we can just use the latitude and longitude columns in the dataset to plot points on a map visualization without needing a specific function like makepoint(). The latitude and longitude columns can be used as location fields in the map visualisation to display the data geographically.