# How to use new Parameter Actions aggregations in Tableau Desktop 2019.3 and newer.

> This is content from just-tim, the data-and-analytics channel by Tim Ngwena (formerly 'Tableau Tim'). Tim has 12+ years of hands-on BI experience and covers Tableau most of all, plus Power BI, Looker, Hex, SQL and data modelling, the analytics industry, and the craft of doing the job — always tool-agnostic and honest about the trade-offs.

- **Author:** Tim Ngwena (just-tim, https://just-tim.com/about)
- **Published:** 2019-12-09
- **Format:** Video · 7 min watch · transcript available
- **Topics:** Data visualisation
- **Tools:** Tableau (dashboards, parameter actions, parameters, reference lines)
- **Canonical:** https://just-tim.com/posts/how-to-use-new-parameter-actions-aggregations-in-tableau-desktop-2019-3-and-newer
- **Watch:** https://www.youtu.be/gxOgzQkq4RM

I walk through the improved parameter action aggregations introduced in Tableau 2019.3. I build a basic chart, set up reference lines driven by parameters, and show how to use first quarter, third quarter and the new concatenation aggregation to dynamically feed values into parameters when you select marks.

## Key takeaways

- Tableau 2019.3 added new aggregation options for parameter actions, including first quarter, third quarter and concatenation.
- When configuring a change parameter action, choose the field that matches the axis your reference lines sit on (profit, not sales) so values update correctly.
- Concatenation requires the target parameter to be set as a string data type, not a float, in order to work.
- You can dynamically feed a list of selected dimension members (such as cities) into a parameter and display it in the worksheet title.
- Values fed into parameters via these actions persist on the view even after you deselect the marks.

## Chapters

- 0:10 Building the base chart
- 0:30 Creating the parameters
- 1:08 Adding reference lines
- 2:15 Applying the parameter actions
- 4:05 Using the concatenation aggregation

Watch the full video, read the transcript and use chapter deep-links on the page: https://just-tim.com/posts/how-to-use-new-parameter-actions-aggregations-in-tableau-desktop-2019-3-and-newer

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just-tim — Data and analytics, with a point of view. · https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7HYxRWmaNlJux-X7rNLZyw · https://twitter.com/TableauTim · https://www.linkedin.com/in/timngwena