Tableau CRM: Getting Started with Recipe a.k.a Data Prep 3.0

Recipe has existed in Tableau CRM for a long time, but not really used a lot because Dataflow offers more powerful data transformation, although there are functions which only available in Recipe, such as Join. However, in the last few releases, Salesforce introduced a new term called "Data Prep 3.0", which actually is Recipe, and stop to enhance everyone's darling "dataflow".

When Data Prep 3.0 was introduced (I have no idea if there was Data Prep 2.0 and 1.0), it was not so popular because of the lack of functionalities, such as support to upload/download JSON, use SAQL, etc. Since then, in every release, more and more features are added to the Data Prep/Recipe, so it may be worth starting to look at it.

As per the Winter '22 release, at a glance, Recipe now looks quite promising, it supports many things: 

• Download/upload recipe in JSON -- same with Dataflow
• Formula with query -- comparable with computeExpression in Dataflow
• Multiple row formula -- comparable with computeRelative in Dataflow

Here are things that are better in Recipe compare to Dataflow

• Join (Left, Right, Inner, Outer) -- this is not available in Dataflow
• Preview -- we cannot preview data in Dataflow
• Layout stay when save -- you need EADashboardHelper in Dataflow
• Multiple actions in a Transform node -- less node compare to Dataflow
• Aggregate
• Sentiments, Predict Missing Values, Cluster
• Trim, Substring, Split, Uppercase, Lowercase, Replace -- some of them can be achieved with computeExpression in Dataflow
• Format Dates, Bucket, Edit Attributes

Here are things that can be improved in Recipe

• Ability to re-order items in Transform node 
• Ability to re-order column in Preview data
• Ability to sort and filter Preview data
• Running a recipe does not show details in Monitor

A sample of Recipe

Formula in Transform node is based on TCRM SQL, so this is not SAQL, or SOQL.

for example: SQL

case 

when LeadSource = 'Partner' OR  LeadSource = 'Web'

then 'Partner Web'

else LeadSource

end

for example: SAQL

case 

when LeadSource == "Partner" OR  LeadSource == "Web"

then "Partner Web"

else LeadSource

end

Direct Data in Recipe

Winter '22 release also make Direct Data in Recipe become General Available. With Data Direct, you can access Salesforce live data in the recipe, not accessing data stored in Tableau CRM via sync. However, but sync needs to be enabled in the Tableau CRM to use this.

Another catch is, you cannot use direct data when the object has been sync to Tableau CRM, example: you have dataflow or recipe that sync Opportunities, then Opportunities will no longer be available for Data Direct, which is quite sad, sometimes we need to access the real-time data directly, not "obsolete" stored data in Tableau CRM.

When I search "Opportunity". because the opportunity object already syncs in Tableau CRM from other dataflow/recipe, it will only be available via Connected (in yellow), not Direct (in green)

If you have more things that not cover here or the information shared here is wrong, feel free to comment on this blog or reach me.