TML for SQL views

Use TML to modify a ThoughtSpot object in a flat-file format. Then, migrate the object to a different cluster, or restore it to the same cluster.

To work with TML files for SQL views, you can download these objects to flat files in .TML format, modify the files, and subsequently upload the files either to the same cluster, or to a different cluster. To learn how to export, change, and update SQL views, see Import and export TML files.

The syntax examples in this article contain every possible parameter in TML files for SQL views. Some of these parameters are not in these files by default. If you want to use them, you must add them yourself. For example, the fqn parameter is not present in any TML file by default, but you can add it to differentiate a table from another table with the same name.

As you work with TML files, keep in mind that changing elements of the TML file, such as the name of a column or table, may affect dependents. This is specifically true if you are editing TML files outside ThoughtSpot. When you change the name of a table in a TML file, and then import that file into ThoughtSpot, ThoughtSpot automatically updates that table name in any dependents, such as Answers that use the table as a data source. However, if you download multiple TML files from one ThoughtSpot cluster, then change the table name in TML, and upload all the files to a brand-new cluster, ThoughtSpot doesn’t know that the dependents should use that table. You must also change the table name in the dependents.

Syntax of the SQL view TML file

The TML file for SQL views has a specific syntax.

See the TML parameters for SQL views for details about the keywords used in this example.

See Limitations of working with TML files for more information about actions you can’t perform using TML.

You may not see each of these parameters in your own TML files, depending on whether each variable is explicitly defined. For example, if you did not define the SpotIQ preference, the spotiq_preference variable does not appear. You can add that variable in the TML file to specify the SpotIQ preference.

To reduce ambiguity, you may need to add the optional fqn parameter to your TML file when you reference source tables or connections. This is necessary if you have multiple connections or tables with the same name. If you do not add the fqn parameter, and the connection or table you reference does not have a unique name, the file import fails.

Refer to TML for joins for more information on the functionality and syntax of SQL view joins in TML.

If you edit the joins in the SQL view TML file, you are only editing the joins for that specific SQL view. You are not editing the joins at the table level. To modify table-level joins, you must edit the source table’s TML file.

guid: <sql_view_guid>
sql_view:
  name: <view_name>
  description:
    This is a multi-line description of the View.
    Description line 2
  connection:
    name: <connection_name>
    fqn: <optional_connection_GUID>
  sql_query: <sql_query_string>
  sql_view_columns:
  - name: <column_name_1>
    description: <optional_column_description>
    sql_output_column: <sql_query_column_name>
    properties:
      column_type: [ MEASURE | ATTRIBUTE ]
      aggregation: [ SUM | COUNT | AVERAGE | MAX | MIN |
                     COUNT_DISTINCT | NONE | STD_DEVIATION | VARIANCE]
      index_type: [ DONT_INDEX | DEFAULT | PREFIX_ONLY |
                    PREFIX_AND_SUBSTRING | PREFIX_AND_WORD_SUBSTRING ]
      index_priority: <index_priority>
      synonyms :
             <synonym_1>
             <synonym_2>
      is_attribution_dimension : [true | false]
      is_additive : [ true | false ]
      calendar : [ default | calendar_name ]
      format_pattern : <format_pattern_string>
      currency_type :
        is_browser : true
          OR
        column : <column_name>
          OR
        iso_code : <valid_ISO_code>
      is_hidden : [ true | false ]
      geo_config :
        latitude : true
          OR
        longitude : true
          OR
        country : true
          OR
        region_name:
        - country : <name_supported_country>
        - region_name : <region_name_in_UI>
      spotiq_preference : <spotiq_preference_string>
  - name : <column_name_2>
    description : <column_description_2>
    sql_output_column: <sql_query_column_name_2>
    properties:
    ...
  - name : <column_name_n>
    description : <column_description_n>
    sql_output_column: <sql_query_column_name_n>
    properties:
    ...
  joins_with:
  - name: <join_name_1>
    description: <optional_join_description_1>
    destination:
      name: <destination_table_name_1>
      fqn: <optional_table_guid_1>
    on: <join_expression_string_1>
    type: [RIGHT_OUTER | LEFT_OUTER | INNER | OUTER]
    is_one_to_one: [ false | true ]
  - name: <join_name_2>
  - name: <join_name_n>

TML parameters for SQL views

These parameters and their definitions are specific to SQL views; this list doesn’t contain every parameter in every TML file. Similarly, the parameter definitions may vary from object to object, since the parameters may have different roles in different objects.

a - f	g - n	o - t
aggregation calendar column_type connection currency_type description destination format_pattern fqn	geo_config guid index_priority index_type is_additive is_attribution_dimension is_hidden is_one_to_one joins_with name	on properties spotiq_preference sql_output_column sql_query sql_view sql_view_columns synonyms type

a - f

g - n

o - t

is_attribution_dimension

aggregation: The default aggregation of the SQL view column.

Aggregation options depend on the data type.

Possible values are SUM, COUNT, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN, COUNT_DISTINCT, NONE, STD_DEVIATION, and VARIANCE

Default: SUM.

calendar: Specifies the calendar used by a date column.

Can be the Gregorian calendar (default), a fiscal calendar, or any custom calendar.

See Set up a custom calendar.

column_type: The type of data the column represents.

Possible values: MEASURE or ATTRIBUTE

connection: A way to identify the external data warehouse connection that the SQL view uses. To add tables or columns to an external connection, you must specify this parameter.

currency_type

The source of the currency type.

One of:

is_browser : true: infer the currency data from the locale of your browser
column : <column_name>: extracts the currency information from a specified column
iso_code : <valid_ISO_code>: applies currency based on the ISO code;

See ISO 4217 Currency Codes and Set currency type for more information.

description: The text that describes an object: a sql_view, sql_view_column and so on.

destination: The name of the destination table or view for a join.

format_pattern: The format pattern string that controls the display of a number, date, or currency column.

See Set number, date, and currency formats.

fqn: The table or connection’s GUID. You can find this string of letters and numbers at the end of the URL for that table or connection.

For example, in https://<company>.thoughtspot.com/#/data/tables/34226aaa-4bcf-4d6b-9045-24cb1e9437cb, the GUID is 34226aaa-4bcf-4d6b-9045-24cb1e9437cb.

Use this optional parameter to reduce ambiguity and identify a specific table, if you have multiple tables with the same name. When exporting a TML file, you have the option to Export FQNs of referenced objects, which ensures that the TML files you export contain FQNs for the underlying tables and connections. If you do not add the fqn parameter, and the connection or table you reference does not have a unique name, the file import fails.

geo_config

Specifies the geographic information of a column. See Add a geographical data setting

One of:

latitude : true

for columns that specify the latitude

longitude : true

for columns that specify the longitude

country : true

for columns that specify the country

region_name

for specifying a region in a country

Uses two paired parameters:

country: <country_name>
region_name: <region_name_in_UI>; can be State, Postal Code, District, and so on.

guid: The GUID for the SQL view.

You can find this string of letters and numbers at the end of the URL for an object.

index_priority: A value (1-10) that determines where to rank a column’s name and values in the search suggestions

ThoughtSpot prioritizes columns with higher values.

See Change a column’s suggestion priority.

index_type: The indexing option of the SQL view column.

Possible values: DONT_INDEX, DEFAULT (see Understand the default indexing behavior), PREFIX_ONLY, PREFIX_AND_SUBSTRING, and PREFIX_AND_WORD_SUBSTRING

Default: DEFAULT

See Index Type Values.

is_additive: Controls extended aggregate options for attribute columns.

For attribute columns that have a numeric data type (FLOAT, DOUBLE, or INTEGER) or a date data type (DATE, DATETIME, TIMESTAMP, or TIME)

Possible values: true or false.

Default: true.

See Making an ATTRIBUTE column ADDITIVE.

is_attribution_dimension: Controls if the column is an attribution dimension.

Used in managing chasm traps.

Possible values: true by default, false to designate a column as not producing meaningful attributions across a chasm trap.

Default: true

See Change the attribution dimension.

is_hidden: The visibility of the column.

Possible values: true to hide the column, false not to hide the column
Default: false

See Hide a column or define a synonym.

is_one_to_one: Specifies the cardinality of the join. This is an optional parameter.

Possible values: true, false

Default: false

joins_with: Contains a list of external joins for which this SQL view is the source.
Each join is identified by name and optional description, and the additional attributes of destination, type, on, and is_one_to_one.

name: The name of an object. Applies to joins, SQL view, and so on.

on: The join expression: the relationship definition, or the keys that your tables are joined on. For example, [sale::Sale_Last Name] = [employee::Employee_Last Name] AND [sale::Sale_First Name] = [employee::Employee_First Name].

To alter a relationship definition, edit this parameter.

properties: The list of properties of a SQL view column.

Each column can have the following properties, depending on its definition: column_type, aggregation, index_type, is_hidden, index_priority, synonyms, is_attribution_dimension, is_additive, calendar, format_pattern, currency_type, geo_config, and spotiq_preference.

spotiq_preference: Specifies whether to include a column in SpotIQ analysis. Specify EXCLUDE, or this property defaults to include the column in SpotIQ Analysis.

Refer to Set columns to exclude from SpotIQ analyses.

sql_output_column: Name of the SQL’s output column as per the select clause in the view’s SQL query.

sql_query: A string that represents the SQL query used to create the SQL view.

sql_view: Top-level container for all object definitions within the SQL view.

sql_view_columns: The list of columns in the SQL view.

Each column is identified by name, description, and properties.

synonyms: Alternate names for the column, used in search.

See Hide a column or define a synonym.

type: This is the join type. This is an optional parameter.

Possible values: LEFT_OUTER for left outer join, RIGHT_OUTER for right outer join, INNER for inner join, OUTER for full outer join.

Default: INNER

Limitations of working with TML files

There are certain limitations to the changes you can apply by editing SQL views through TML.

It isn’t possible to reverse the join direction in the TML script.

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