rank

info

This is part of our beta expression language AQL. Learn more. Request beta.

Definition

A window function that returns the rank of rows within a partition of a table. Tie values are assigned the same rank. The next rank in the sequence is not consecutive. E.g. 1, 1, 3, 4, 4, 6, ...

To get consecutive rank, use dense_rank.

caution

Since rank ranks rows within the same table, it is only allowed to be used in a Row-Level Context, such as:

• Dimension definition. Which rank against all rows in the model.
• Measure in an exploration. Which rank against all rows in the exploration.
• Inside functions that evaluate your expression against each row of a table, such as select(), filter(), etc.

Syntax

rank(order: order_expr)
rank(order: order_expr, ..., partition: partition_expr, ...)

Examples

rank(order: count(orders.id) | desc())
rank(order: count(orders.id), order: average(users.age))

// with partition
rank(order: count(orders.id), partition: orders.status)

Input

• order (required, repeatable): A field that is used for ordering. The order is default to ascending. The order can be set explicitly with asc() or desc(). E.g. rank(order: count(orders.id) | desc())
• partition (repeatable, optional): A field that is used for partitioning the table. E.g. rank(order: count(orders.id), partition: orders.status)

Output

Rank of the current row within its partition (if no partition is specified, the whole table is considered as a single partition). If two rows are tied for a rank, each tied rows receives the same rank. The next rank in the sequence is not consecutive. E.g. 1, 1, 3, 4, 4, 6, ...

Sample Usages

Rank top buyer by gender and age group

explore {
  dimensions {
    users.gender, users.age_group
  }
  measures {
    count(orders.id),
    _rank: rank(order: count(orders.id) | desc())
  }
}

Open in AMQL playground

Result

SQL

WITH "aql__t1" AS (
  SELECT
    "users"."gender" AS "users->gender",
    (case
    when extract(year from age("users"."birth_date")) > 60 then 'Old'
    when extract(year from age("users"."birth_date")) > 30 then 'Mature'
    when extract(year from age("users"."birth_date")) > 19 then 'Young Adult'
    when extract(year from age("users"."birth_date")) > 13 then 'Teen'
    else 'Child'
    end) AS "users->age_group",
    COUNT("orders"."id") AS "count_orders->id"
  FROM
    "demo"."orders" "orders"
    LEFT JOIN "demo"."users" "users" ON "orders"."user_id" = "users"."id"
  GROUP BY
    1,
    2
)
SELECT
  "aql__t1"."users->gender" AS "users->gender",
  "aql__t1"."users->age_group" AS "users->age_group",
  "aql__t1"."count_orders->id" AS "count_orders->id",
  RANK() OVER ( ORDER BY "aql__t1"."count_orders->id" DESC) AS "_rank"
FROM
  "aql__t1"

Rank top buyer by age group partition by gender

explore {
  dimensions {
    users.gender, users.age_group
  }
  measures {
    count(orders.id),
    _rank: rank(order: count(orders.id) | desc(), partition: users.gender)
  }
}

Open in AMQL playground

Result

SQL

WITH "aql__t1" AS (
  SELECT
    "users"."gender" AS "users->gender",
    (case
    when extract(year from age("users"."birth_date")) > 60 then 'Old'
    when extract(year from age("users"."birth_date")) > 30 then 'Mature'
    when extract(year from age("users"."birth_date")) > 19 then 'Young Adult'
    when extract(year from age("users"."birth_date")) > 13 then 'Teen'
    else 'Child'
    end) AS "users->age_group",
    COUNT("orders"."id") AS "count_orders->id"
  FROM
    "demo"."orders" "orders"
    LEFT JOIN "demo"."users" "users" ON "orders"."user_id" = "users"."id"
  GROUP BY
    1,
    2
)
SELECT
  "aql__t1"."users->gender" AS "users->gender",
  "aql__t1"."users->age_group" AS "users->age_group",
  "aql__t1"."count_orders->id" AS "count_orders->id",
  RANK() OVER (PARTITION BY "aql__t1"."users->gender" ORDER BY "aql__t1"."count_orders->id" DESC) AS "_rank"
FROM
  "aql__t1"

Using rank in a dimension definition is straight-forward. Remember that the rank is calculated against all rows in the model.

dimension ranking_by_age {
  label: 'Rank By Age'
  type: 'number'
  hidden: false
  description: ''
  definition: @aql rank(order: users.age | desc()) ;;
}

You can see that users with the same age are assigned the same rank

Rank users by Age

explore {
  dimensions {
    users.age,
    users.ranking_by_age
  }
}

Open in AMQL playground

Result

SQL

WITH "aql__t1" AS (
  SELECT
    extract(year from age("users"."birth_date")) AS "age",
    "users"."birth_date" AS "birth_date",
    RANK() OVER ( ORDER BY extract(year from age("users"."birth_date")) DESC) AS "ranking_by_age"
  FROM
    "demo"."users" "users"
)
SELECT
  "users"."age" AS "users->age",
  "users"."ranking_by_age" AS "users->ranking_by_age"
FROM
  "aql__t1" "users"
GROUP BY
  1,
  2

You can also use it in filter() to filter out the top 10 users by age:

Filter top 1 Youngest Users

users 
| select(users.full_name, _rank: rank(order: users.age))
| filter(_rank == 1)

Open in AMQL playground

Result

SQL

WITH "aql__t1" AS (
  SELECT
    "users"."full_name" AS "users->full_name",
    RANK() OVER ( ORDER BY extract(year from age("users"."birth_date")) ASC) AS "_rank"
  FROM
    "demo"."users" "users"
)
SELECT
  "aql__t1"."users->full_name" AS "users->full_name",
  "aql__t1"."_rank" AS "_rank"
FROM
  "aql__t1"
WHERE
  "aql__t1"."_rank" = 1