running_total

info

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

Definition

Modify a measure into a running measure that accumulates values over one or multiple dimensions as it progresses. Note that the running total will only be calculated on the data that is visible in the exploration.

To calculate a running total of all data, please use the running_total! function instead. Here is a comparison between running_total and running_total!:

Syntax

running_total(measure)
running_total(measure, running_dimension, ...)

Examples

running_total(orders.total_orders, orders.created_at)

// with pipe
orders.total_orders | running_total(orders.created_at | year())

// with multiple running dimensions
running_total(orders.total_orders, orders.created_at, orders.status)

Input

• measure: The measure that you want to turn into a running measure.
• running_dimension (optional, repeatable): The dimension you want your aggregation to run along. If not specified, the returned measure will run along all dimensions that in your exploration

Output

New measure that runs along the specified dimension(s)

Sample Usages

In the following examples, let’s assume that we have an orders model with the following fields

Model orders {
  dimension id {}
  dimension created_at {}

  measure total_orders {
    definition: @aql count(orders.id);;
  }
}

Simple running sum

Below is an example of how to define a running total measure to calculate cumulative orders on a monthly basis

orders.total_orders | running_total(orders.created_at)

Running dimension is not included in exploration

If the specified running dimension is not included in the exploration, the returned value will be the same as the original measure before applying the running_total() function

orders.total_orders | running_total(orders.created_at)

Running dimension is coarser than grouping dimensions

You have a running total metric that runs along a time dimension in year grain as below

orders.total_orders | running_total(orders.created_at | year())

If the dimension included in the exploration has a finer granularity than the specified running dimension, the value will be repeated for any record that shares the same coarser granularity

In this case, the running total will still be calculated for the whole year, and the yearly value will be repeated for every month existing in the data: