Is extends really code reuse

[kuopaz]

I quite often find that I don’t want to ‘extend’ an existing explore, rather I want to ‘use’ an existing explore in a new explore. I don’t see how the LookML extends: [ ] can do this, which would be true code reuse.

[Dawid]

Why do you think you can’t use extends?

[kuopaz]

If I create a VIEW in SQL that joins a number of tables, I can use that view as a virtual table *anywhere* in a future query and it’s joins. Can I use extends on explores to do the same?

[Dawid]

Yes, you can extend an explore, use it as a base, and then add other joins if you’d like or configure other joins, override its settings, and so on..

[kuopaz]

I want to be able to do something like the following:

explore: a {

join…

join...

}

explore: b {

join...

join: a

}

[Dawid]

Explore is not a CTE so you can’t use it as a join. Now I kow what you mean. And no, you can’t just reuse parts of the code in all the places

[kuopaz]

Thanks for the confirmation. Perhaps I’m really asking for an ‘explore to explore join’ that is currently done by merge in Looker - but cannot be done in LookML.

extends is a specific form of code reuse.

[IanT]

Look into native derived tables

[kuopaz]

Thanks. Yes, believe native derived tables can provide ‘real’ code re-use. But ideally it would be possible without introducing native DTs - and having to learn something else...

[toufeeqt]

Hi @kuopaz 

Have you managed to solve this as I am in a similar predicament.

as the Existing Explores have all the necessary joins and definitions how does a native derived table achieve this?