docs/sqllab.rst

SQL Lab
=======

SQL Lab is a modern, feature-rich SQL IDE written in
`React <https://facebook.github.io/react/>`_.


Feature Overview
----------------
- Connects to just about any database backend
- A multi-tab environment to work on multiple queries at a time
- A smooth flow to visualize your query results using Superset's rich
  visualization capabilities
- Browse database metadata: tables, columns, indexes, partitions
- Support for long-running queries

  - uses the `Celery distributed queue <http://www.python.org/>`_
    to dispatch query handling to workers
  - supports defining a "results backend" to persist query results

- A search engine to find queries executed in the past
- Supports templating using the
  `Jinja templating language <http://jinja.pocoo.org/docs/dev/>`_
  which allows for using macros in your SQL code

Extra features
--------------
- Hit ``alt + enter`` as a keyboard shortcut to run your query

Templating with Jinja
---------------------

.. code-block:: sql

    SELECT *
    FROM some_table
    WHERE partition_key = '{{ presto.latest_partition('some_table') }}'

Templating unleashes the power and capabilities of a
programming language within your SQL code.

Templates can also be used to write generic queries that are
parameterized so they can be re-used easily.


Available macros
''''''''''''''''

We expose certain modules from Python's standard library in
Superset's Jinja context:
- ``time``: ``time``
- ``datetime``: ``datetime.datetime``
- ``uuid``: ``uuid``
- ``random``: ``random``
- ``relativedelta``: ``dateutil.relativedelta.relativedelta``
- more to come!

`Jinja's builtin filters <http://jinja.pocoo.org/docs/dev/templates/>`_ can be also be applied where needed.


.. autoclass:: superset.jinja_context.PrestoTemplateProcessor
    :members:

.. autofunction:: superset.jinja_context.url_param