What is a Gantt chart used for in Tableau?

A Gantt chart is specifically designed to illustrate a project schedule, making it an ideal visualization tool for tracking project timelines and progress. In Tableau, Gantt charts are used to represent tasks over time, where each task is displayed as a horizontal bar along a timeline. The length of the bar represents the duration of the task, while its position indicates its start and end dates. This allows users to see not only what tasks are scheduled but also how they overlap, helping project managers allocate resources and identify potential delays in the project.

The other choices represent different types of data visualization. For instance, a chart that shows data distribution usually employs methods like histograms or box plots rather than a Gantt chart. Hierarchical data is effectively portrayed through tree maps or nested pie charts, and comparisons between multiple datasets are often visualized using bar charts or line graphs, rather than the time-based focus of a Gantt chart. Therefore, the primary function of a Gantt chart in Tableau is unequivocally aligned with illustrating a project schedule.