view_label (for Explores)

This page refers to the view_label parameter that is part of an Explore.

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

view_label can also be used as part of a dimension, measure, or filter, described on the view_label (for fields) parameter documentation page.

Usage

explore: explore_name {
  view_label: "desired label for the view"
}

Definition

view_label changes the way that the group of fields from an Explore's base view will be labeled in the field picker.

Sometimes view_label is used to add an underscore in front of the view name so that it sorts alphabetically to be the top view in the field picker. Alternatively, you can use it when you need more than one view for modeling purposes, but the views represent the same entity as far as business users are concerned. For example, you might have one view defined in your LookML as customer and another as customer_facts, and want them to retain those names for modeling purposes. However, it might make sense for both of them to appear as Customer to business users.

If you want to change the names of the fields themselves, you can use the label parameter.

Examples

Make the customer_facts Explore appear to business users to be part of the Customers view:

explore: customer_facts {
  view_label: "Customers"
}

Make the product_facts Explore appear to users to be part of the Product Info view:

explore: product_facts {
  view_label: "Product Info"
}

Common challenges

view_label has no effect other than changing the field picker appearance

When you change the view_label of an Explore, only the field picker is affected. The way that the Explore appears in the Explore menu, and the way that fields should be referenced in the LookML, are both unchanged.

Use proper capitalization when combining multiple views via view_label

If you want the fields from the Explore's base view to be merged with one of the Explore's joined views in the field picker, you'll need to make sure that the capitalization you use in view_label is correct. The capitalization you use should match how the view name appears in the field picker. Take this example:

explore: product {
  view_label: "Product Info"
  join: product_info {
    sql_on: ${product.product_id} = ${product_info.product_id} ;;
  }
}

The way that product_info will appear in the field picker is Product Info; each word is capitalized, and underscores are changed to spaces. For this reason, we used view_label: 'Product Info' instead of view_label: 'product_info'.

A field's view_label takes precedence over an Explore's view_label

If a field in an Explore has a view_label, the field will appear under its view_label, not the Explore's view_label. Consider this example, where both an Explore and a dimension have view_label values. The ID dimension will appear under the "View Label on Field" view_label, not the "View Label on Explore" view_label.

explore: distribution_centers {
  view_label: "View Label on Explore"
  group_label: "theLook"
}

dimension: id {
  view_label: "View Label on Field"
  type: number
  primary_key: yes
  sql: ${TABLE}.id;;
}

Things to know

view_label affects the Explore's base view

This parameter is similar to view_label (for joins) but affects the Explore's base view instead of the joined views. Unlike label (for views), this parameter only affects the base view in that Explore.