Overview

Looker is a modern data platform in Google Cloud that lets you analyze and visualize your data interactively. You can use Looker to do in-depth data analysis, integrate insights across different data sources, build actionable data-driven workflows, and create custom data applications.

In this lab, you learn how to use Looker to analyze and visualize data using Explores, which are data views created by LookML developers. For this lab, an Explore of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) airports and flights data has been created for you. This dataset contains information on different attributes of airports and flights, such as city and departure date.

You can learn more from the Exploring data in Looker documentation.

Objectives

In this lab, you learn how to analyze and visualize data in Looker using Explores.

• Use the Explore interface to access data curated by LookML developers.

• Work with dimensions, measures, filters, and pivots to query and select data.

• Select the appropriate visualization type to best display your data.

• Save your visualizations to dashboards.

Setup

For each lab, you get a new project and set of resources for a fixed time at no cost.

1. Make sure you signed into Qwiklabs using an incognito window.

2. Note the lab's access time (for example, 2:00:00 hrs) and make sure you can finish in that time block.

Note: There is no pause feature. You can restart the lab if needed, but you will start at the beginning of the lab.

3. When ready, click .

A new panel will appear with the temporary credentials that you must use for this lab.

If you need to pay for the lab, a pop-up will open for you to select your payment method.

4. Note your lab credentials. You will use them to sign in to the Looker instance for this lab.

Note: If you use other credentials, you will get errors or incur charges.

5. Click Open Looker.

Tip: Open Looker in a new tab or a separate window, so you can see both the lab instructions and the Looker instance.

6. Enter the provided username and password.

Note: You must use the credentials from the Connection Details panel on this page. Do not use your Qwiklabs credentials. If you have your own Looker account, do not use it for this lab.

7. Click Log In.

After a successful login, you will see the Looker instance for this lab.

Note: Do not click End Lab unless you are finished with the lab or want to restart it. This clears your work and removes the project.

When you start the lab, it can take a few minutes for the data to populate in the Looker instance. When you see options (e.g. Flights) in the Explore dropdown located on the Looker navigation menu, you may proceed to the first task.

Task 1. Create a single value visualization of the average elevation across all airports

In Looker, dimensions are unique attributes of the data that help you to describe data. For example, in the Airports Explore, the geographic location of the airport, city, and elevation are different dimensions.

Measures are aggregations of one or more dimensions (or unique attributes of the data) such as a count or average. Measures let you calculate your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and help you analyze your data using different attributes.

You can use both Dimensions and Measures in Looker to slice and dice your data to achieve data insights.

Using the Airports Explore, you first determine the average elevation across all airport facilities and then display that number as a customized single value visualization. Then, you add this visualization to a new dashboard for airport data.

Determine the average elevation across all airports

1. On the left-side navigation panel of the Looker User Interface, click Explore.

2. Under FAA, click Airports.

3. Click the arrow next to Airports.

The available dimensions and measures will be listed in the data panel for Airports.

4. Under Airports > Measures, click Average Elevation.

5. Click Run.

Customize a single value visualization of the result

1. Click the arrow next to Visualization to expand the window.

Once the Visualization window has expanded, you can hover your cursor over the icons to identify the available options.

2. Click the Single Value icon.

This option creates a single value visualization that you can customize. You can also make the chart larger by collapsing the data window.

3. Click on Settings () for Visualization.

4. Under Style, click on Value Color, and select your choice of color.

5. Under Style, click Show Title, and provide a title in Title Override box.

6. Under Style, enter a Value Format: 0.00.

7. Click on Settings for Visualization to close the settings.

Save the visualization to a new dashboard

1. Click on Settings () next to Run (top right of page), and select Save > To an existing Dashboard.

2. Enter a title for the visualization: Average Elevation.

Note: Leave the default destination as Shared. This will save the new dashboard to Shared Folders.

3. Click New Dashboard.

4. Enter a title for the new dashboard: Airports.

5. Click OK.

6. Click Save to Dashboard.

7. View the dashboard by clicking on the provided hyperlink titled Airports.

Click Check my progress to verify the objective. Create a single value visualization of average elevation across all airports.

Task 2. Create a bar chart of the facility types with the highest average elevations

In this task, you identify the top 5 Facility Types with the highest average elevation and display the results as a bar chart. Then, you add this visualization to the dashboard you created in the previous task.

Identify the top 5 Facility Types with the highest average elevation

1. On the left-side navigation panel of the Looker User Interface, click Explore.

2. Under FAA, click Airports.

3. Click the arrow next to Airports.

The available dimensions and measures will be listed in the data panel for Airports.

4. Under Airports > Dimensions, click Facility Type.

5. Under Airports > Measures, click Average Elevation.

6. Under Airports > Measures, click Count.

7. On the Data tab, change Row limit to 5.

8. Click Run.

Customize a bar chart to display the results

1. Click the arrow next to Visualization to expand the window.

Once the Visualization window has expanded, you can hover your cursor over the icons to identify the available options.

2. Click the Bar icon.

This option creates a horizontal bar visualization that you can customize. You can also make the chart larger by collapsing the data window.

3. Click on Settings () for Visualization.

4. Under Values, click Value Labels.

5. Under Y, click on Airports and drag it under Top Axes.

Average Elevation will remain under Bottom Axes.

6. Under Y > Configure Axes > Top 1, enter an Axis name: Count:

7. Under Values, enter a Value Format: 0.00.

8. Click on the gear icon for Visualization to close the settings.

Save the visualization to an existing dashboard

1. Click on Settings () next to Run, and select Save > To an existing Dashboard.

2. Enter a title for the visualization: Average Elevation by Facility Type.

3. Select the dashboard you previously created: Airports.

4. Click Save to Dashboard.

5. View the final dashboard by clicking on the provided hyperlink titled Airports.

The dashboard for Airports will contain the two visualizations that you added in the first two tasks.

The colors of your visualizations may differ from those shown in the image.

Click Check my progress to verify the objective. Create a bar chart of the facility types with the highest average elevations.

Task 3. Create a line chart of the number of flights cancelled each week in a given year

Time dimensions let you analyze data at a specific point in time. You can combine this with filters to subselect data, resulting in the ability to analyze seasonality or week over week metrics for a given year.

Using the Flights Explore, you first find the number of flights that were cancelled each week in the year 2004 and display the results as a line chart. Then, you add this visualization to a new dashboard for flight data.

Calculate the number of flights that were cancelled each week in 2004

1. On the left-side navigation panel of the Looker User Interface, click Explore.

2. Under FAA, click Flights.

3. Click the arrow next to Flights Details.

The available dimensions and measures will be listed in the data panel for Flights Details.

4. Under Flights Details > Measures, click Cancelled Count.

5. Click the arrow next to Flights.

6. Under Flights > Dimensions > Depart Date, click Week.

7. Under Flights > Dimensions > Depart Date, click Filters next to Date.

8. From the Filters dropdown list, select "Is in the year" and type: 2004.

9. Click Run.

Customize a line chart to display the results

1. Click the arrow next to Visualization to expand the window.

Once the Visualization window has expanded, you can hover your cursor over the icons to identify the available options.

2. Click the Line icon.

This option creates a Line chart that you can customize. You can also make the chart larger by collapsing the data window.

3. Click on Settings () for Visualization.

4. Click Series.

5. Click on the point style for Filled.

6. To add a reference line, click on Y, and then click Markings > Add Reference Line.

7. Click on the gear icon for Visualization to close the settings.

Save the visualization to a new dashboard

1. Click on Settings () next to Run, and select Save > To an existing Dashboard.

2. Enter a title for the visualization: Number of Flights Cancelled Each Week in 2004.

Leave the default destination as Shared. This will save the new dashboard to Shared Folders.

3. Click New Dashboard.

4. Enter a title for the new dashboard: Airports and Flights.

5. Click OK.

6. Click Save to Dashboard.

7. View the dashboard by clicking on the provided hyperlink titled Airports and Flights.

The colors of your visualization may differ from those shown in the image.

Click Check my progress to verify the objective. Create a line chart of the number of flights cancelled each week in a given year.

Task 4. Create a line chart of the number of flights scheduled to depart each week by distance tier

Pivots allow you to create a matrix of your data, similar to a pivot table in a spreadsheet software. This allows you to leverage multi-dimensional data to answer your questions.

In this task, you first find the number of flights scheduled to depart in each week of the year 2003 by distance tier. Then, you create a line chart to display the results and add this visualization to the dashboard you created in the previous task.

Calculate the number of flights scheduled to depart each week in 2003 by distance tier

1. On the left-side navigation panel of the Looker User Interface, click Explore.

2. Under FAA, click Flights.

3. Click the arrow next to Flights.

The available dimensions and measures will be listed in the data panel for Flights.

4. Under Flights > Measures, click Count.

5. Under Flights > Dimensions, click Pivot () next to Distance Tiered.

6. Under Flights > Dimensions > Depart Date, click Filters () next to Date.

7. From the Filters dropdown list, select "Is in the year", and type: 2003.

8. Under Flights > Dimensions > Depart Date, click Week.

9. Click Run.

Customize a line chart to display the results

1. Click the arrow next to Visualization to expand the window.

Once the Visualization window has expanded, you can hover your cursor over the icons to identify the available options.

2. Click the Line icon.

This option creates a stacked pivoted line chart that you can customize. You can also make the chart larger by collapsing the data window.

3. Click Settings () for Visualization.

4. Under Plot > Series Positioning, click Overlay.

5. Click Settings () for Visualization to close the settings.

Save the visualization to an existing dashboard

1. Click Settings () next to Run, and select Save > To an existing Dashboard.

2. Enter a title for the visualization: Number of Flights by Distance Tier in 2003.

3. Select the dashboard you previously created: Airports and Flights.

4. Click Save to Dashboard.

5. View the final dashboard by clicking on the provided hyperlink titled Airports and Flights.

The dashboard for Airports and Flights will contain the two visualizations that you added in this lab.

The colors of your visualizations may differ from those shown in the image.

Click Check my progress to verify the objective. Create a line chart of the number of flights scheduled to depart each week by distance tier.

End your lab

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