Area chart parameters for LookML dashboards

This page demonstrates how to add and customize a LookML dashboard element of type: looker_area with LookML dashboard parameters in a dashboard.lkml file.

For information about building an area chart through the Looker UI, see the Area chart options documentation page.

Example usage


## BASIC PARAMETERS
name: element_name
title: 'Element Title'
type: looker_area
height: N
width: N
top: N
left: N
row: N
col: N
refresh: N (seconds | minutes | hours | days)
note:
  text: 'note text'
  state: collapsed | expanded
  display: above | below | hover

## QUERY PARAMETERS
model: model_name
explore: explore_name
dimensions: [view_name.field_name, view_name.field_name, …]
measures: [view_name.field_name, view_name.field_name, …]
sorts: [view_name.field_name asc | desc, view_name.field_name, …]
pivots: [view_name.field_name, view_name.field_name, …]
limit: N
column_limit: N
filters:
  view_name.field_name: 'Looker filter expression' | 'filter value'
listen:
  dashboard_filter_name: dimension_or_measure_name
query_timezone: 'specific timezone' | user_timezone
merged_queries:
- 'primary query definition'
- 'next source query definition'
  join_fields:
  - field_name: view_name.field_name
    source_field_name: view_name.field_name

## PLOT PARAMETERS
stacking: normal | percent | ''
interpolation: linear | monotone | step | step-before | step-after
show_null_points: true | false
discontinuous_nulls: true | false
swap_axes: true | false
hide_legend: true | false
legend_position: center | left | right
hidden_fields: [view_name.field_name, view_name.field_name, …]
limit_displayed_rows: true | false
limit_displayed_rows_values:
  show_hide: show | hide
  first_last: first | last
  num_rows: 'N'

## SERIES PARAMETERS
colors: [css_color, css_color, …]
show_view_names: true | false
point_style: none | circle | circle_outline
series_colors:
  series_name: css_color
  # Possibly more series color assignments

series_labels:
  'Series Name': desired series label
  # Possibly more series label assignments
series_types:
  series_name: column | line | area | scatter
  # Possibly more series visualization assignments
series_point_styles:
  series_name: square | diamond | triangle | triangle-down | auto

## VALUE PARAMETERS
show_value_labels: true | false
label_color: [css_color, css_color, …]
font_size: Npx
label_value_format: 'value formatting string'
hidden_series: [series_name, series_name, …]
show_silhouette: true | false

## X-AXIS PARAMETERS
x_axis_scale: auto | linear | ordinal | time
x_axis_reversed: true | false
show_x_axis_label: true | false
x_axis_label: desired x-axis label
show_x_axis_ticks: true | false
x_axis_gridlines: true | false
x_axis_label_rotation: N
x_axis_datetime_label: 'time formatting string'
x_axis_zoom: true | false

## Y-AXIS PARAMETERS
y_axis_gridlines: true | false
y_axis_reversed: true | false
reference_lines:
  # reference line options
y_axis_zoom: true | false

Parameter definitions

Parameter Name Description
Basic Parameters
name (for elements) Creates an element
title (for elements) Changes the way an element name appears to users
type (for elements) Determines the type of visualization to be used in the element
height (for elements) Defines the height of an element in units of tile_size for layout: tile and layout: static dashboards
width (for elements) Defines the width of an element in units of tile_size for layout: tile and layout: static dashboards
top Defines the top-to-bottom position of an element in units of tile_size for layout: static dashboards
left Defines the left-to-right position of an element in units of tile_size for layout: static dashboards
row Defines the top-to-bottom position of an element in units of rows for layout: newspaper dashboards
col Defines the left-to-right position of an element in units of columns for layout: newspaper dashboards
refresh (for elements) Sets the interval at which the element will automatically refresh
note Starts a section of LookML to define a note for an element. This parameter has the subparameters text, state, and display
row Defines the top-to-bottom position of an element in units of rows for layout: newspaper dashboards
col Defines the left-to-right position of an element in units of columns for layout: newspaper dashboards
Query Parameters
model Defines the model to be used for the element's query
explore (for elements) Defines the Explore to be used for the element's query
dimensions Defines the dimensions to be used for the element's query
measures Defines the measures to be used for the element's query
sorts Defines the sorts to be used for the element's query
pivots Defines the dimensions that should be pivoted to be used for the element's query
limit Defines the row limit to be used for the element's query
filters (for elements) Defines the filters that cannot be changed for the element's query
listen Defines the filters that can be changed for the element's query, if filters (for dashboard) have been created
query_timezone Defines the time zone that should be used when the query is run
merged_queries Defines a merged results query
Plot Parameters
stacking Stacks series on top of each other to create a stacked chart
interpolation Specifies the type of interpolation to add to the line
show_null_points Specifies whether to plot points that have null values
discontinuous_nulls Treats null values as empty space on charts, instead of as zero
swap_axes Reverses the x and y axes on a chart
hide_legend Hides the chart legend
legend_position Specifies whether legend appears to the left, center, or right of the chart
hidden_fields Specifies any fields to use in the query but hide in the chart
limit_displayed_rows Shows or hides rows in a visualization based on their position in the results
limit_displayed_rows_values Specifies which rows to show or hide in a visualization. This parameter has the subparameters show_hide, first_last, and num_rows.
Series Parameters
colors Sets the colors of chart series based on the order in which the series appear
show_view_names Hides view names from chart labels
point_style Specifies how data points appear
series_colors Sets the colors of chart series based on the name of the series
series_labels Changes the way a series name appears to users
series_types Mixes visualization types by defining the type for each series
series_point_styles Specifies the shape of chart points
Value Parameters
show_value_labels Shows labels next to data points
label_color Specifies a comma-separated list of color values
font_size Sets the font size of value labels
label_value_format Specifies Excel-style formatting for value labels
hidden_series Hides a chart series when the element loads
show_silhouette With stacking set to normal, displays a lightly shaded representation of a disabled series
X-Axis Parameters
x_axis_scale Specifies how the x-axis scale is calculated
x_axis_reversed Specifies the direction of the x-axis
show_x_axis_label Hides the x-axis label
x_axis_label Defines a custom x-axis label
show_x_axis_ticks Shows ticks on the x-axis
x_axis_gridlines Extends grid lines from the x-axis
x_axis_label_rotation Rotates x-axis labels a number of degrees
x_axis_datetime_label Specifies a format string for the x-axis labels, if they are dates
x_axis_zoom Specifies whether to allow zooming along the x-axis
Y-Axis Parameters
y_axis_gridlines Extends gridlines from the y-axis
y_axis_reversed Sets the direction of the x-axis
reference_lines Adds reference lines to a chart
y_axis_zoom Specifies whether to allow zooming along the y-axis. Disabled if x_axis_zoom: false.

Basic parameters

When defining a LookML dashboard element, you must specify values for at least the name and type basic parameters. Other basic parameters like title, height, and width affect the appearance and position of an element on a dashboard.

name

This section refers to the name parameter that is part of a dashboard element.

name can also be used as part of a dashboard filter, described on the Dashboard parameters documentation page.

Each name declaration creates a new dashboard element and assigns it a name. Element names must be unique. Names are sometimes referenced in the elements parameter when you're using layout: grid dashboards.

- name: orders_by_date

title

This section refers to the title parameter that is part of a dashboard element.

title can also be used as part of a dashboard, described on the Dashboard parameters documentation page.

title can also be used as part of a dashboard filter, described on the Dashboard parameters documentation page.

The title parameter lets you change how an element's name will appear to users. If unspecified, the title defaults to the element name.

Consider this example:

- name: sales_overview
  title: '1) Sales Overview'

If you used this format, instead of the element appearing as Sales Overview, it would appear as 1) Sales Overview.

type

This section refers to the type parameter that is part of a dashboard element.

type can also be used as part of a dashboard filter, described on the Dashboard parameters documentation page.

type can also be used as part of a join, described on the type (for joins) parameter documentation page.

type can also be used as part of a dimension, described on the Dimension, filter, and parameter types documentation page.

type can also be used as part of a measure, described on the Measure types documentation page.

The type parameter determines the type of visualization to be used in the element.

- name: element_name
  type: text | looker_grid | table | single_value | looker_single_record |
        looker_column | looker_bar | looker_scatter | looker_line | looker_area |
        looker_pie | looker_donut_multiples | looker_funnel | looker_timeline |
        looker_map | looker_google_map | looker_geo_coordinates | looker_geo_choropleth | looker_waterfall | looker_wordcloud | looker_boxplot

See the type (for LookML dashboards) documentation page for an overview of the different types of LookML dashboard elements.

height

This section refers to the height parameter that is part of a dashboard element.

height can also be used as part of a dashboard row, described on the Dashboard parameters documentation page.

For dashboards with tile or static layouts

The height parameter defines the height of an element, in units of tile_size (which is defined in pixels), for layout: tile and layout: static dashboards.

For example, the following code specifies tile_size: 100 and height: 4, making the orders_by_date element 400 pixels in height.

- dashboard: sales_overview
  tile_size: 100
  ...

  elements:
  - name: orders_by_date
    height: 4
    ...

For dashboards with newspaper layout

The height parameter defines the height of an element, in units of row, for layout: newspaper dashboards.

A dashboard with newspaper layout defaults to an element height of 6 rows, or about 300 pixels. The minimum height is 1 row for dashboards with a preferred viewer parameter set to dashboards-next. The minimum height is 2 rows for dashboards with a preferred viewer parameter set to dashboards.

For example, the following code sets an element to be 12 rows tall, or twice as tall as other elements that are set to the default:

- dashboard: sales_overview
  layout: newspaper
  ...

  elements:
  - name: orders_by_date
    height: 12
    ...

width

This section refers to the width parameter that is part of a dashboard element.

width can also be used as part of a dashboard, described on the Dashboard parameters documentation page.

The width parameter defines the width of an element, in units of tile_size, for layout: tile and layout: static dashboards.

For example, the following code specifies tile_size: 100 and width: 4, making the orders_by_date element 400 pixels in width.

- dashboard: sales_overview
  tile_size: 100
  ...

  elements:
  - name: orders_by_date
    width: 4
    ...

The width parameter defines the width of an element, in units of columns, for layout: newspaper dashboards.

A dashboard with newspaper layout defaults to a width of 24 columns.

For example, the following code sets the element to half the width of the dashboard:

- dashboard: sales_overview
  layout: newspaper
  ...

  elements:
  - name: orders_by_date
    width: 12
    ...

top

The top parameter defines the top-to-bottom position of an element, in units of tile_size, for layout: static dashboards.

For example, the following code specifies tile_size: 100 and top: 4, positioning the top edge of the orders_by_date element 400 pixels from the top of the dashboard.

- dashboard: sales_overview
  tile_size: 100
  ...

  elements:
  - name: orders_by_date
    top: 4
    ...

left

The left parameter defines the left-to-right position of an element, in units of tile_size, for layout: static dashboards.

For example, the following code specifies tile_size: 100 and left: 4, positioning the left edge of the orders_by_date element 400 pixels from the left side of the dashboard.

- dashboard: sales_overview
  tile_size: 100
  ...

  elements:
  - name: orders_by_date
    left: 4
    ...

row

For layout: newspaper dashboards, the row parameter defines the row that the top edge of an element is placed on.

A dashboard begins with row 0 at the top of the dashboard. A dashboard with newspaper layout defaults to an element height of 6 rows, meaning the dashboard elements at the top of a dashboard (row: 0) would default to taking up rows 0-5.

Each row is 50 pixels tall, which means the default element height of 6 rows is 300 pixels.

For example, the following code sets an element to be set on the second row of elements in the dashboard, assuming elements are set at the default height:

- dashboard: sales_overview
  layout: newspaper
  ...

  elements:
  - name: orders_by_date
    row: 6
    ...

col

For layout: newspaper dashboards, the col parameter defines the column that the left edge of the element is placed on.

Dashboards are divided into 24 columns. A dashboard begins with column 0 at the left of the dashboard. A dashboard with newspaper layout defaults to an element width of 8 columns, meaning the dashboard elements at the left of a dashboard (col: 0) would default to taking up columns 0-7.

For example, the following code sets an element to be set in the third column of elements in the dashboard:

- dashboard: sales_overview
  layout: newspaper
  ...

  elements:
  - name: orders_by_date
    col: 16
    ...

refresh

This section refers to the refresh parameter that is part of a dashboard element.

refresh can also be used as part of a dashboard, described on the Dashboard parameters documentation page.

The refresh parameter allows an element to reload automatically on some periodic basis, thereby retrieving fresh data. This is often helpful in settings where a dashboard is constantly displayed, such as on an office TV. Note that the dashboard must be open in a browser window for this parameter to have an effect. This setting does not run in the background to "pre-warm" the dashboard cache.

The refresh rate can be any number (without decimals) of seconds, minutes, hours, or days. For example:

- name: orders_by_date
  refresh: 2 hours

Use caution when setting short refresh intervals. If the query behind the element is resource-intensive, certain elements may strain your database more than desired.

note

You can add descriptive notes to elements like this:

- name: element_name
  note:
    text: 'note text'
    state: collapsed | expanded
    display: above | below | hover

note has the subparameters text, state, and display.

text

The text subparameter specifies the text displayed in the note. The text can be localized.

state

The state subparameter determines whether the note will be collapsed or expanded if it is too big to fit on a single row within the element's width. If you choose collapsed and the note is too long, the note will end in a clickable ellipsis (...) that can be used to read the full note.

display

The display subparameter determines where the note is displayed on an element. above places the note at the top of an element, below places it at the bottom of an element, and hover requires the user to hover their mouse over the element to see the note.

Query parameters

When defining a LookML dashboard element, you must specify values for at least the model and explore query parameters, and at least one field must be specified using either the dimensions parameter or the measures parameter. You can also use the other query parameters to control the way data is displayed in a dashboard element.

model

The model parameter defines the model to use for the element query. If unspecified, it will default to the model where the dashboard resides.

- name: orders_by_date
  model: ecommerce

The model parameter accepts LookML constants. You can define a constant in the manifest file for your project, then use the syntax "@{constant_name}" to set the constant as the value for model. Using a constant lets you define the name of a model in one place, which is particularly useful if you're updating the name of a model that is used by multiple dashboard elements.

For more information and an example of using constants with LookML dashboards, see the constant parameter documentation page.

explore

This section refers to the explore parameter that is part of a dashboard element.

explore can also be used as part of a model, described on the explore parameter documentation page.

explore can also be used as part of a dashboard filter, described on the Dashboard parameters documentation page.

The explore parameter defines the Explore to use for the element query.

- name: orders_by_date
  explore: order

The explore parameter accepts LookML constants. You can define a constant in the manifest file for your project, then use the syntax "@{constant_name}" to set the constant as the value for explore. Using a constant lets you define the name of an Explore in one place, which is particularly useful if you're updating the name of an Explore that is used by multiple dashboard elements.

For more information and an example of using constants with LookML dashboards, see the constant parameter documentation page.

dimensions

The dimensions parameter defines the dimension or dimensions to use for the element query. Use the syntax view_name.dimension_name to specify the dimension. Don't include dimensions if the query doesn't have any.

## single dimension example
- name: orders_by_date
  dimensions: order.order_date

## multiple dimension example
- name: orders_by_date
  dimensions: [order.order_date, customer.name]

measures

The measures parameter defines the measure or measures to use for the element query. Use the syntax view_name.measure_name to specify the measure. Don't include measures if the query doesn't have any.

## single measure example
- name: orders_by_date
  measures: order.count

## multiple measure example
- name: orders_by_date
  measures: [order.count, order_item.count]

sorts

The sorts parameter defines the sorts to be used for the element query. The primary sort is listed first, then the secondary sort, and so on. Use the syntax view_name.field_name to specify the dimension or measure. Don't include sorts if you want to use Looker's default sort order. Descending sorts are suffixed with desc; ascending sorts don't need a suffix.

## single sort example
- name: orders_by_date
  sorts: order.order_date desc

## multiple sort example
- name: orders_by_date
  sorts: [order.order_date desc, customer.name]

pivots

The pivots parameter defines the dimensions that should be pivoted for the element query. Use the syntax view_name.dimension_name to specify the dimension. Don't include pivots if the query doesn't have any.

## single pivot example
- name: orders_by_date
  pivots: customer.gender

## multiple pivot example
- name: orders_by_date
  pivots: [customer.gender, customer.age_tier]

limit

The limit parameter defines the row limit that should be used for the element query. The limit applies to the number of rows before any pivots are applied.

- name: orders_by_date
  limit: 100

filters

This section refers to the filters parameter that is part of a dashboard element.

filters can also be used as part of a dashboard, described on the Dashboard parameters documentation page.

filters can also be used as part of a measure, described on the filters parameter documentation page.

The filters parameter defines the non-changeable filters that should be used for the element's query. If you would like filters that a user can change in the dashboard, you should set up the filters using filters for dashboards, then apply them to the elements using listen.

The syntax for filters is:

- name: element_name
  filters:
    orders.created_date: 2020/01/10 for 3 days
    orders.status: Shipped
    # You can create multiple filter statements

Each filter can accept a Looker filter expression or a value constant. You can also use the _localization or _user_attributes Liquid variables in the filter expression for flexible filter values.

listen

Dashboard filters let viewers interactively refine the data that is shown in dashboard elements. Define dashboard filters with the filters parameter for LookML dashboards. Then, use the listen parameter to link dashboard elements to the dashboard filter.

The syntax for listen is as follows:

- name: element_name
  listen:
    filter_name_goes_here: dimension or measure on which to apply
                           the filter using view_name.field_name syntax
    # You can add more than one listen statement

Add the listen parameter to an element, and then provide the name of the filter followed by a colon and a reference to the field to which the filter should apply, using the view_name.field_name syntax. For example, you might create a filter called Date that requires a user to enter a date into the filter field in the UI. You could then apply the value that the user enters to the orders_by_date element like this:

- dashboard: sales_overview
  ...

  filters:
  - name: date
    type: date_filter

  elements:
 - name: orders_by_date
    listen:
      date: order.order_date
    ...

For additional examples of using the filters parameter and the listen parameter to apply dashboard filters to individual dashboard elements, see Building LookML dashboards.

query_timezone

The query_timezone parameter specifies the time zone in which the query will be run. The time zone options are shown on the Values for timezone documentation page. If you want the query to run using the viewer's time zone, you can assign the value as user_timezone.

- name: orders_by_date
  query_timezone: America/Los Angeles
- name: orders_by_customer
  query_timezone: user_timezone

merged_queries

The merged_queries parameter lets you combine the results of multiple queries into a single dashboard element. Define each source query within the element's merged_queries parameter and use the join_fieldssubparameter to specify how the results should be merged.

The following sample LookML code creates a merged results element of type: looker_grid. In this example, the merged_queries parameter is used to create a dashboard element that combines data from two separate queries into a single table chart:

- name: merged_results_element
  title: Merged Results Tile
  type: looker_grid
  merged_queries:
  - model: ecommerce
    explore: users
    type: table
    fields: [users.state, users.count, users.city]
    sorts: [users.count desc 0]
    limit: 5000
    column_limit: 50
    query_timezone: UTC
    listen:
    - State: users.state
  - model: ecommerce
    explore: users
    type: table
    fields: [users.state, users.city]
    sorts: [users.state]
    limit: 500
    column_limit: 50
    query_timezone: UTC
    join_fields:
    - field_name: users.state
      source_field_name: users.state
    - field_name: users.city
      source_field_name: users.city
    listen:
    - State: users.state

In this example, the dashboard element combines data from two source queries that are based on the users Explore in the ecommerce model. The primary query includes the users.state, users.count, and users.city fields, and it sorts the results by the users.count field. The second source query includes the users.state and users.city fields and sorts the results by the users.state field.

The join_field parameter merges the source queries based on matching values in the users.state and users.city fields.

The listen parameter applies a State filter to both queries, which lets dashboard viewers refine the query results that are displayed in the dashboard tile by selecting a specific state.

Example: Merging company data

Suppose you want to create a merged query that combines information about companies from two different Explores: company_info and companies. You want to join the queries on the ipo.stock_symbol, companies.name, and companies.contact_email fields from each Explore to create a query that returns results for company name, company contact email, IPO year, stock symbol, number of employees, and job count. You can define the merged query element in LookML as follows:

- name: merged_results_element
  title: Merged Results Tile
  merged_queries:
  - model: market_research
    explore: company_info
    fields: [companies.name, companies.contact_email, ipo.public_year, ipo.stock_symbol]
    filters:
      companies.contact_email: "-NULL"
      ipo.valuation_amount: NOT NULL
    sorts: [ipo.public_year desc]
  - model: company_data
    explore: companies
    fields: [companies.name, ipo.stock_symbol, companies.contact_email,
      companies.number_of_employees, jobs.job_count]
    filters:
      companies.number_of_employees: NOT NULL
      ipo.stock_symbol: "-NULL"
      companies.contact_email: "-NULL"
    sorts: [jobs.job_count desc]
    join_fields:
    - field_name: ipo.stock_symbol
      source_field_name: ipo.stock_symbol
    - field_name: companies.name
      source_field_name: companies.name
    - field_name: companies.contact_email
      source_field_name: companies.contact_email

Applying filters to merged query elements

The previous example of a merged query element demonstrates how to apply hard-coded filters directly within each source query by using the filters parameter. For example, the filters companies.contact_email: "-NULL" and ipo.valuation_amount: NOT NULL in the primary query restrict the results to companies that have valid contact emails and valuations. These query-level filters pre-filter the data before merging the queries and cannot be changed by the user.

You can also apply dashboard filters to merged query elements by using the listen parameter within the definition of each source query. For example, suppose you have a dashboard filter named Industry that you defined at the dashboard level by using the filters parameter for LookML dashboards:

filters:
- name: Industry
  title: Industry
  type: field_filter
  ui_config:
    type: dropdown_menu
    display: inline
  model: market_research
  explore: company_info
  field: companies.industry

To apply the Industry filter to the companies.industry field in both source queries, add the listen parameter to each of the merged query's source query definitions as follows:

listen:
  Industry: companies.industry

For example, the following sample code adds the Industry filter to both source queries in the merged results element from the previous example.

- name: merged_results_element
  title: Merged Results Tile
  merged_queries:
  - model: market_research
    explore: company_info
    fields: [companies.name, companies.contact_email, ipo.public_year, ipo.stock_symbol]
    filters:
      companies.contact_email: "-NULL"
      ipo.valuation_amount: NOT NULL
    sorts: [ipo.public_year desc]
    listen:
      Industry: companies.industry
  - model: company_data
    explore: companies
    fields: [companies.name, ipo.stock_symbol, companies.contact_email,
      companies.number_of_employees, jobs.job_count]
    filters:
      companies.number_of_employees: NOT NULL
      ipo.stock_symbol: "-NULL"
      companies.contact_email: "-NULL"
    sorts: [jobs.job_count desc]
    join_fields:
    - field_name: ipo.stock_symbol
      source_field_name: ipo.stock_symbol
    - field_name: companies.name
      source_field_name: companies.name
    - field_name: companies.contact_email
      source_field_name: companies.contact_email
    listen:
      Industry: companies.industry

With this addition, when a user interacts with the Industry dashboard filter, the corresponding source query in the merged query element will be filtered accordingly.

Plot parameters

Most of the parameters described in this section correspond to the options in the Plot section of the visualization editor for area charts.

stacking

The stacking parameter specifies how series are clustered visually on a chart.

  • normal: Stacks bars, lines, and points one on top of each other, as in a normal stacked column chart.

  • percent: Stack bars, lines, and points to total 100% fill of the chart and set the y-axis values to be percentages.

  • '': Bars, lines, and points are not stacked and are instead grouped.

stacking: normal | percent | ''

## default value: ''

interpolation

The interpolation parameter specifies the type of interpolation line to display.

  • linear: Displays straight lines between points.

  • monotone: Displays smooth curves between points.

  • step, step_before, or step_after: Displays points connected by steps, with the data point located in the middle, at the beginning, or at the end of the step.

interpolation: linear | monotone | step | step-before | step-after

## default value: linear

show_null_points

The show_null_points parameter determines whether to plot points that have null values. When it is set to true, null values are plotted at zero on the y-axis. When it is set to false, null values are not plotted at all, and the chart will draw a straight line between the points before and after the null point. If you want the chart to show a blank space for the null value instead, consider discontinuous_nulls: true.

show_null_points: true | false

## default value: true

discontinuous_nulls

This parameter lets you treat null values as empty space on a chart, instead of as zero (if you want them to show as zero, or to be ignored, use show_null_points).

discontinuous_nulls: true | false

## default value: false

This parameter will not work when stacking is set to normal or percent. It also does not work with show_null_points: true, because show_null_points is mutually exclusive with discontinuous_nulls.

swap_axes

Swap the x-axis and y-axis from the normal configuration. When the axes are swapped, dimensions will be plotted on the y-axis, and measures will be plotted on the x-axis.

swap_axes: true | false

## default value: false

hide_legend

This declaration will hide the legend from the visualization.

hide_legend: true | false

## default value: false

legend_position

If hide_legend is set to false (and there is more than one series), you can use the legend_position parameter to specify whether the series legend will appear to the left, center, or right of the chart.

legend_position: center | left | right

## default value: false

hidden_fields

The hidden_fields parameter indicates which fields, if any, are used in the query but hidden in the chart. Any hidden fields will appear in the data table section of an Explore.

hidden_fields: [inventory_items.count, distribution_centers.id]

limit_displayed_rows

The limit_displayed_rows parameter lets you show or hide rows in a visualization, based on their position in the results. For example, if your visualization displays a 7-day rolling average, you may want to hide the first 6 rows. Setting this to true lets you specify the values and positions in the visualization to which this applies using the limit_displays_rows_values parameter and its subparameters.

limit_displayed_rows: true
limit_displayed_rows_values:
  show_hide: hide | show
  first_last: first | last
  num_rows: '10'

limit_displayed_rows_values

Use the limit_displayed_rows_values parameter, and its subparameters show_hide, first_last, and num_rows, with limit_displayed_rows to specify which rows to show or hide in a visualization. See the limit_displayed_rows section for sample usage.

show_hide

The show_hide subparameter sets whether to hide certain rows from the visualization. Set show_hide to show to display only a limited number of rows in the visualization, and set show_hide to hide to exclude certain rows from the visualization.

first_last

The first_last subparameter sets whether the rows to be hidden or shown will be the first or last rows in the result set. Setting first_last to first shows or hides the first rows, while set first_last to last shows or hides the last rows.

num_rows

The num_rows subparameter sets the number of rows to be hidden or shown. For example, num_rows: '10' will show or hide either the first or last 10 rows of the result set from the visualization.

Series parameters

The parameters described in this section correspond to the options in the Series section of the visualization editor for area charts.

colors

The colors parameter specifies a list of colors for the series. The first color in the list corresponds to the first data series. If there are more series than listed colors, the colors will start over at the beginning.


colors: [blue, orange, yellow, red, purple]

For all chart attributes that specify a color, the color value can take a hex string, such as #2ca6cd, or a CSS named color string, such as mediumblue.

show_view_names

The show_view_names parameter determines whether view names are displayed in chart labels, such as axis names and column names.

show_view_names: true | false

## default value: true

point_style

The point_style parameter specifies how data points appear. The following options are available:

  • none: For line and area charts. Points are not displayed.
  • circle: Filled circles are displayed.
  • circle_outline: Outlined circles are displayed.

series_colors

Set the colors of the series based on the series name, using name: value pairs.

For a pivoted chart, the series names are the pivot names.

series_colors:
  'Yes': skyblue
  'No': '#000000'

For a chart with multiple measures, the series names are the measure field names.

series_colors:
  inventory_items.count: crimson
  orders.count: green

If the series name is not listed in series_colors, the chart will default to the list of colors provided in colors. If colors is not set, the chart will fall back to the default color scheme.

series_labels

Set the labels of one or more series based on the series name, using name: label pairs.

For a pivoted chart, the series names are the pivot names.

series_labels:
  'Yes': iOS Users
  'No': Android Users

For a chart with multiple measures, the series names are the measure field names.

series_labels:
  inventory_items.count: Inventory
  orders.count: Orders

series_types

The series_type parameter lets you use different Cartesian chart types in the same visualization. Use this parameter to assign a chart type to each series that you want to change. The type options are line, column, bar, area, and scatter.

series_types:
  series_a_name: column
  series_b_name: line

All series default to the initial chart type that you choose; you can then modify individual series.

series_point_styles

Specify the shape of the chart points for line, area, or scatter series types. The series_point_styles can be set to square, diamond, triangle, triangle-down, or auto.


series_point_styles:
  users.count: triangle

Value parameters

The parameters described in this section correspond to the options in the Values section of the visualization editor for area charts.

show_value_labels

Display the value of a bar, line, or point next to the data point.

show_value_labels: true | false

## default value: false

labelColor

If labelColorEnabled is set to true, use the labelColor parameter to specify a custom color for the label and percentages. Labels where labelPosition is set to inline will appear in the color chosen, and labels on either side of the chart will appear about 40% darker than the chosen color.


labelColor: "#4FBC89"

font_size

Set the font size of value labels using any valid CSS size, such as 10px or 12px.


font_size: 14px

label_value_format

The label_value_format parameter specifies the formatting to apply to a value, independent of any formatting applied to the underlying dimension or measure. The field accepts Excel-style formatting. If label_value_format is not specified, the value will be displayed in the format of the underlying dimension or measure.

You can read about how to specify these formats on the Adding custom formatting to numeric fields documentation page. However, color formatting is not supported in Looker.

The formatting used in the label_value_format LookML dashboard parameter is the same as formatting used with the value_format LookML parameter, except that the value_format LookML parameter requires the formatting string to be enclosed in double quotes.


label_value_format: '0.00'

hidden_series

The hidden_series parameter specifies which series will be disabled in the chart, meaning that the series will appear in the chart legend, but grayed out. Users can enable disabled series by clicking them in the chart legend. Consequently, hidden_series may not worked as desired with hide_legend: true.

For a pivoted chart, the series names are the pivot names:

hidden_series: ['Yes', 'No']

For a chart with multiple measures, the series names are the measure field names:

hidden_series: [inventory_items.count, orders.count]

Used together with the show_silhouette parameter, you can specify whether disabled series are shown as a lightly shaded representation in the chart itself.

show_silhouette

When the show_silhouette parameter is set to true and stacking is set to normal, a disabled series will be displayed as a lightly shaded silhouette.


show_silhouette: true | false

X-axis parameters

The parameters described in this section correspond to the options in the X section of the visualization editor for area charts.

x_axis_scale

This parameter determines how the x-axis scale is calculated.

  • auto: The scale will be inferred from the underlying data. This is the default setting.
  • linear: The scale will be plotted as linear numeric data. This will not work if the underlying data can't be converted to numbers.
  • ordinal: The data will be plotted as evenly spaced, discrete entries.
  • time: The data will be plotted as time and the axis will be labeled appropriately. This will not work if the underlying data can't be converted to dates.
x_axis_scale: auto | linear | ordinal | time

## default value: auto

x_axis_reversed

This parameter sets the direction of the x-axis. When x_axis_reversed is set to false, values increase from left to right. When it is set to true, values decrease from left to right.


x_axis_reversed: true | false

show_x_axis_label

This parameter determines whether labels are shown on the x-axis.

show_x_axis_label: true | false

## default value: true

x_axis_label

This parameter specifies a label for the x-axis. You can use this parameter when show_x_axis_label is set to true.

x_axis_label: Order Date

show_x_axis_ticks

This parameter determines whether value labels are shown on the x-axis.

show_x_axis_ticks: true | false

## default value: true

x_axis_gridlines

This parameter determines whether gridlines are extended from the x-axis.

x_axis_gridlines: true | false

## default value: false

x_axis_label_rotation

The x_axis_label_rotation parameter defines the rotation of the x-axis labels in degrees. This parameter accepts values between -360 and 360, denoting the number of degrees to rotate the labels.

x_axis_label_rotation: -45

x_axis_datetime_label

This parameter specifies a format string for the x-axis labels, if they are dates. If x_axis_scale is not set to time, this does nothing.


x_axis_datetime_label: '%b %d'

See the Time formatting for charts documentation page for information on formatting times.

x_axis_zoom

This parameter specifies whether users can zoom into the x-axis of the visualization. When x_axis_zoom is set to true, zooming is available. When x_axis_zoom is set to false, zooming is not available.

If x_axis_zoom is set to false, y_axis_zoom is disabled.

x_axis_zoom: true | false

# default value: true

Y-axis parameters

Under construction: We are working on updating this section of the page. Meanwhile, you can check out the Area chart options documentation page to view equivalent visualization menu options for the y-axis.

The parameters described in this section correspond to the options in the Y section of the visualization editor for area charts.

y_axis_gridlines

This parameter determines whether gridlines are extended from the y-axis.

y_axis_gridlines: true | false

## default value: true

y_axis_reversed

This parameter sets the direction of the y-axis. When y_axis_reversed is set to false, values increase going up the axis. When it is set to true, values decrease going down the axis.


## y_axis_reversed: true | false

# default value: false

reference_lines

This parameter specifies an array of values for specifying reference lines and regions.

See the Dashboard reference line parameters documentation page for information on setting up reference lines.


reference_lines:
   # reference line options

y_axis_zoom

This parameter specifies whether users can zoom into the y-axis of the visualization. When y_axis_zoom is set to true, zooming is available.

When y_axis_zoom is set to false, users cannot zoom into smaller portions of the y-axis. However, users may still be able to zoom into smaller portions of the x-axis if the x_axis_zoom parameter is set to true.

If x_axis_zoom is set to false, y_axis_zoom is disabled.

y_axis_zoom: true | false

# default value: true