If you’re like me, sometimes when you make a particularly big change to a code base or even a small one, you can get a little nervous when pushing to production. So you check, double check, and maybe even triple check to make sure everything will build and your code is error free. Even then you may miss things, and then you have to spend the effort to figure out what you need to fix in your code. Of course, this is one reason why Looker built in version control and separate code branches in the first place. But now those safeguards have been enhanced, because Looker recently added more support for your LookML development pipeline with Looker Continuous Integration (CI).
Looker CI is like a second reviewer for your new code. It adds automated testing and eliminates the headaches we’ve had to endure from broken dashboards and cryptic SQL errors that used to spawn more questions than they answer. It allows you to deliver more reliable content and allows you to make updates that are only seen as improvements, keeping your content dependable and trusted.
Your personal LookML safety net
Looker CI performs a series of automated checks on your LookML projects. Looker CI runs a comprehensive suite of tests verifying that your SQL queries are valid, your data tests pass, your content (Looks and dashboards) is error-free, and your LookML code has no pesky syntax blemishes. This proactive approach allows you to identify and fix issues before they reach your end-users, dramatically reducing the risk of broken content and frustrating query errors. In short, it helps you ship with confidence and maintains trust in the data models you build.
To start benefiting from Looker CI, you'll need to:
- Enable the feature: Your Looker admin will need to enable Looker CI in the Admin settings (Admin > Platform > CI).
- Create CI Users: Create Looker user accounts (up to three) with API credentials and designate them as Continuous Integration users in the Admin settings.
- GitHub Integration (optional): Install the Looker CI App on GitHub and grant it access to your repository's metadata, pull requests, commit statuses, repository hooks, and workflows.
- Permissions: Make sure users have the correct permissions to use the Looker CI feature. Admins will need to enable the feature first. There are two new permissions related to Looker CI features: manage_ci (manage CI suites) and see_ci (view and create CI runs).
After setup, you'll be able to create and configure your first CI suite.
Looker CI offers a combination of automated checks, acting as a test plan that you can customize for each project or branch. You decide which tests to run, when they run, and how to handle the results. You can create different setups for different branches (e.g., one for development, one for staging, and one for production), or for specific projects. Look for an article coming soon on how to configure these suites.
Trusted development for trusted data
Looker CI is a transformative tool for Looker development. It helps you build a more reliable, robust, and trustworthy Looker code, and it lets you focus on what you do best: delivering amazing data experiences. The preview is available now so enable it in Looker, and build your first CI suite, so you can have Looker CI as your development partner.
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