This repo contains Python source and example files for the Tableau Document API. We're just getting started and have plans to expand what you find here. Help us by submitting feedback, issues, and pull requests!

The Document API provides a supported way to programmatically make updates to Tableau workbook (.twb) and datasource (.tds) files. If you've been making changes to these file types by directly updating the XML--that is, by XML hacking--this SDK is for you :)

Currently only the following operations are supported:

• Modify database server
• Modify database name
• Modify database user

We don't yet support creating files from scratch. In addition, support for .twbx and .tdsx files is coming.

###Getting Started To use this SDK, you must have Python installed. You can use either 2.7.X or 3.3 and later.

pip install tableaudocumentapi

Download the .zip file that contains the SDK. Unzip the file and then run the following command:

pip install -e <directory containing setup.py>

We plan on putting the package in PyPi to make installation easier.

###Basics The following example shows the basic syntax for using the Document API to update a workbook:

from tableaudocumentapi import Workbook

sourceWB = Workbook('WorkbookToUpdate.twb')

sourceWB.datasources[0].connections[0].server = "MY-NEW-SERVER"
sourceWB.datasources[0].connections[0].dbname = "NEW-DATABASE"
sourceWB.datasources[0].connections[0].username = "benl"

sourceWB.save()

With Data Integration in Tableau 10, a datasource can have multiple connections. To access the connections simply index them like you would datasources

from tableaudocumentapi import Workbook

sourceWB = Workbook('WorkbookToUpdate.twb')

sourceWB.datasources[0].connections[0].server = "MY-NEW-SERVER"
sourceWB.datasources[0].connections[0].dbname = "NEW-DATABASE"
sourceWB.datasources[0].connections[0].username = "benl"

sourceWB.datasources[0].connections[1].server = "MY-NEW-SERVER"
sourceWB.datasources[0].connections[1].dbname = "NEW-DATABASE"
sourceWB.datasources[0].connections[1].username = "benl"


sourceWB.save()

Notes

• Import the Workbook object from the tableaudocumentapi module.
• To open a workbook, instantiate a Workbook object and pass the .twb file name in the constructor.
• The Workbook object exposes a datasources collection.
• Each datasource object has a connection object that supports a server, dbname, and username property.
• Save changes to the workbook by calling the save or save_as method.

###Examples

The downloadable package contains an example named replicateWorkbook.py (in the folder \Examples\Replicate Workbook). This example reads an existing workbook and reads a .csv file that contains a list of servers, database names, and users. For each new user in the .csv file, the code copies the original workbook, updates the server, dbname, and username properties, and saves the workbook under a new name.