Diagram
A left-to-right process flow showing how model, explore, fields, and filters map to FROM, SELECT, WHERE, GROUP BY, HAVING and ORDER BY in generated SQL.
How Parameter Changes Flow to Queries and Reports
The flow from LookML to SQL builds every query from a fixed set of components drawn from the LookML project. The model selects the target database, the explore supplies the SQL FROM, the chosen dimensions and measures supply the SELECT, filters supply WHERE and HAVING, and the sort choice supplies ORDER BY. Joins between views are encoded in the model, so Looker adds a LEFT JOIN only when the selected fields require that view.
Because of this flow from LookML to SQL, a small parameter edit changes both the query and the user experience. Renaming a label or description changes what appears in the field picker, changing a type or sql expression changes the calculation and formatting in the results, and adding a filter changes which rows are returned. Users can inspect the result in an Explore by opening the SQL tab in the Data panel to see the exact SELECT, JOIN, WHERE, GROUP BY, and HAVING clauses that Looker sent to the database.
Domain 3 of 3
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