Creating Hierarchical Bar Chart in Tableau

Usually when we create a bar chart with 2 hierarchical dimensions such as Category and Sub-Category, we will have bars at the Sub-Category level and roll-ups at the Category level. Here is a chart we can create easily.

This is simple but it doesn't show the hierarchical relationship very well.

Today, we have an alternative way to chart the the bars and their hierarchical relationship as follows:

The grey bars for Category is created using reference lines. 

The fill-below grey color will create the the Category bars which encompass the Sub-Category bars. This we believe is a better visual representation of hierarchical relationship.

After we posted it to twitter, Tableau Zen Master Jeff Shaffer said he created similar chart long time ago. So Jeff is the original creator of this kind of chart.

The workbook can be downloaded here.