datatype

Usage

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

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