datatype

Usage

view: view_name {
  dimension: order_date {
    datatype: date
  }
}

Hierarchy View File view Field Type datatype

Possible Field Types Dimension, Dimension Group, Filter, Measure Default Value timestamp Accepts One of several possible values

Definition

The datatype parameter lets you specify the type of time or date data in your database table that you are supplying to your dimension, dimension_group, filter, or measure field. Matching the data type to your field can increase query performance.

For dimensions, filters, and measures that contain date or time data, and for dimension groups with type: time, the datatype parameter applies to the sql parameter of the dimension group.

For dimension groups with type: duration, the datatype parameter applies to both the sql_start and sql_end parameters, so be sure the sql_start and sql_end are both of the specified data type.

The datatype parameter accepts the following values:

• epoch - a SQL epoch field (i.e., an integer representing the number of seconds from the Unix epoch)
• date - a SQL date field (i.e., one that does not contain time of day information)
• datetime - a SQL datetime field
• timestamp - a SQL timestamp field
• yyyymmdd - a SQL field that contains an integer that represents a date of the form YYYYMMDD

The default value for datatype is timestamp.

Example

Create a dimension_group for a date field. Set the datatype: to date to increase query performance.

dimension_group: order_date
  type: time
  timeframes: [date, week, month, year]
  datatype: date
  sql: ${TABLE}.order_date