GCP: BI

Question 1

What is Looker?

Answer 1

Looker is a cloud-based BI and analytics tool for real-time data analysis, reporting, and dashboard creation.

Question 2

How is Looker different from Power BI and Tableau?

Answer 2

Unlike Power BI and Tableau, Looker operates entirely in the cloud and includes a built-in data modeling layer using LookML.

Question 3

How you distinguish tables calculations by color?

Answer 3

Table calculations are similar to formulas found in a spreadsheet. They appear as green columns in the data table, rather than as blue columns (dimensions) or orange columns (measures). The formulas that you use to execute these calculations are called Looker expressions.

Question 4

Although table calculations are similar to dimensions and measures, there are some important differences. What are they?

Answer 4

• Flexibility: Table calculations give anyone the ability to create new fields, as opposed to regular fields, which require that you have development permissions and understand LookML.
• Post-Query: Table calculations operate on the results from your query, as opposed to regular fields, which are part of the query itself. In other words, you’ll select a set of dimensions and measures and run your report as normal, then you can base table calculations on the data in that report.
• Governance: Although table calculations are easier to create than regular fields, they are not as easily controlled as regular fields. Since they can be created by anyone within your organization, they might not be the “official” calculations. Keep this tradeoff in mind as you decide between regular fields and table calculations, since one of the key advantages of Looker is having a single source of truth!