Tableau Desktop support

Dashboard extensions are web applications that run inside Tableau dashboards. They extend Tableau by interacting with dashboard data using the Tableau Extensions API.

On Tableau Desktop, extensions are primarily used by Creators to build and configure dashboards before publishing them to Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud.

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Using a dashboard extension

You can use a dashboard extension in the same way you use other dashboard objects.

Dashboard extensions:

• Run inside a dashboard zone

• Interact with worksheets and dashboard data

• Can respond to user interactions such as filters and selections

Extensions can be created by third parties or developed internally using the Tableau Extensions API.

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Where to find dashboard extensions

To add an extension, you need a dashboard extension manifest file (.trex).

The .trex file:

• Is an XML file

• Describes the extension

• Defines the URL where the extension is hosted

• Specifies permissions and metadata

Infotopics extensions are distributed as .trex files that reference secure, hosted services.

For links and information about dashboard extensions you can download and use, see the test scenarios for Dashboard Extensions, which are available from the Tableau 2018.2 Beta release site.

For information about creating your own dashboard extensions, see the Tableau Extensions API documentation for developers on GitHub.