Querying data

In the Semantic Query tab, you can query the semantic layer. On the left, there is a selector for the semantic view that you want to query.

On the left side, you can select a semantic view you would like to query. Inside the semantic view, you can see the measures and dimensions grouped either by cubes or folders. You can search within your semantic view to find the relevant member.

Filtering

Dimensions and measures can be added as filters to focus on specific rows of data.

Pivoting

You can add dimensions to the pivot by right-clicking on the left pane or in the results header.

Note that chart tables are different from results tables. You can configure pivots in chart tables separately.

Limiting

By default, queries are limited to 5,000 rows of data, but the limit can be adjusted up to 50,000.

Sorting

You can sort query results using drop-down menus on column headers in the results table or the dedicated sorting control.

Column headers

Hover over a column header in the results table and expand the context menu to sort ascending, sort descending, or clear sorting. If a column has sorting applied, a chevron icon on the header indicates the current sorting direction.

Sorting control

The sorting control, available via the Sort button, lists all query members and their current state: unsorted, sorted ascending, or sorted descending. Use it to apply or change the sort order for any member. Drag and drop members within the sorting control to change their priority in the sort order.

When a pivot is applied, an additional section with pivot dimensions appears.

Inspecting queries

Every query in the Semantic Query tab can be inspected as code. Open the SQL panel via the SQL button in the top-right toolbar to see the query that the workbook generates, switch between representations, and copy it for use elsewhere.

The panel exposes two top-level tabs:

• Semantic SQL — the query expressed against the Semantic Model (semantic views, measures, dimensions, and MEASURE() calls). This is the source of truth for the query and what the workbook stores.
• Generated SQL — the SQL that Cube compiles from the Semantic SQL and sends to your data warehouse. Use it to understand exactly what runs against your database, debug performance, or share with a database administrator.

The Semantic SQL tab also has a dropdown for viewing the same query in the formats accepted by Cube’s Core Data APIs:

• Semantic JSON — the REST (JSON) API query format
• Semantic GraphQL — the GraphQL API query format

These views are convenient when you want to take a query you’ve built interactively in a workbook and reuse it directly through one of the Core Data APIs from your own application.

Editing Semantic SQL by hand

You can edit the Semantic SQL directly in the editor to refine a query — for example, to add a WHERE clause, change GROUP BY order, or apply a different sort. After making changes, click Save and Run to apply them to the query and refresh the results, or Discard to revert.

When you save a hand-edited query, the workbook keeps the Semantic SQL as the source of truth, and the visual controls (members panel, sort, pivot) stay in sync with what’s expressible in the UI. Anything that goes beyond the interactive controls — see Advanced semantic queries below — disables the affected UI controls but keeps the rest of the workbook fully functional.

Advanced semantic queries

Advanced semantic queries typically can contain CTEs (Common Table Expressions) and unions, and can contain multiple semantic views. In many cases for advanced semantic queries, the interactive components of the UI would be disabled—not the whole UI—as these complex queries require manual SQL editing.

Currently, advanced semantic queries can be placed on dashboards, but dashboard filters cannot be applied to advanced semantic queries.