Trilogy

pytrilogy is an experimental implementation of the Trilogy language, a higher-level SQL that replaces tables/joins with a lightweight semantic binding layer.

Trilogy looks like SQL, but simpler. It's a modern SQL refresh targeted at SQL lovers who want more reusability and composability without losing the expressiveness and iterative value of SQL. It compiles to SQL - making it easy to debug or integrate into existing workflows - and can be run against any supported SQL backend.

Tip

To get an overview of the language and run interactive examples, head to the documentation.

Installation: pip install pytrilogy

pytrilogy can be run locally to parse and execute trilogy model [.preql] files using the trilogy CLI tool, or can be run in python by importing the trilogy package.

You can read more about the project here and try out an interactive demo here.

Trilogy:

WHERE 
    name like '%lvis%'
SELECT
    name,
    count(name) as name_count
ORDER BY
    name_count desc
LIMIT 10;

Goals

vs SQL, the goals are:

Preserve:

• Correctness
• Accessibility

Enhance:

• Simplicity
• Understandability
• Refactoring/mantainability
• Reusability

Maintain:

• Acceptable performance

Hello World

Save the following code in a file named hello.preql

key sentence_id int;
property sentence_id.word_one string; # comments after a definition 
property sentence_id.word_two string; # are syntactic sugar for adding
property sentence_id.word_three string; # a description to it

# comments in other places are just comments

# define our datasources as queries in duckdb
datasource word_one(
    sentence: sentence_id,
    word:word_one
)
grain(sentence_id)
query '''
select 1 as sentence, 'Hello' as word
union all
select 2, 'Bonjour'
''';

datasource word_two(
    sentence: sentence_id,
    word:word_two
)
grain(sentence_id)
query '''
select 1 as sentence, 'World' as word
union all
select 2 as sentence, 'World'
''';

datasource word_three(
    sentence: sentence_id,
    word:word_three
)
grain(sentence_id)
query '''
select 1 as sentence, '!' as word
union all
select 2 as sentence, '!'
''';

# an actual select statement
# joins are automatically resolved between the 3 sources
with sentences as
select sentence_id, word_one || ' ' || word_two ||  word_three as text;

SELECT
    --sentences.sentence_id,
    sentences.text
WHERE 
    sentences.sentence_id = 1
;

SELECT
    --sentences.sentence_id,
    sentences.text
WHERE 
    sentences.sentence_id = 2
;
# semicolon termination for all statements

Run the following from the directory the file is in.

trilogy run hello.trilogy duckdb

Backends

The current Trilogy implementation supports these backends:

• Bigquery
• SQL Server
• DuckDB
• Snowflake

Basic Example - Python

Trilogy can be run directly in python through the core SDK. Trilogy code can be defined and parsed inline or parsed out of files.

A bigquery example, similar to bigquery the quickstart.

from trilogy import Dialects, Environment

environment = Environment()

environment.parse('''

key name string;
key gender string;
key state string;
key year int;
key yearly_name_count int; int;


datasource usa_names(
    name:name,
    number:yearly_name_count,
    year:year,
    gender:gender,
    state:state
)
address `bigquery-public-data.usa_names.usa_1910_2013`;

'''
)
executor = Dialects.BIGQUERY.default_executor(environment=environment)

results = executor.execute_text(
'''
WHERE
    name = 'Elvis'
SELECT
    name,
    sum(yearly_name_count) -> name_count 
ORDER BY
    name_count desc
LIMIT 10;
'''

)
# multiple queries can result from one text batch
for row in results:
    # get results for first query
    answers = row.fetchall()
    for x in answers:
        print(x)

Basic Example - CLI

Trilogy can be run through a CLI tool, also named 'trilogy'.

After installing trilogy, you can run the trilogy CLI with two required positional arguments; the first the path to a file or a direct command, and second the dialect to run.

trilogy run <cmd or path to trilogy file> <dialect>

To pass arguments to a backend, append additional -- flags after specifying the dialect.

Example: trilogy run "key x int; datasource test_source ( i:x) grain(in) address test; select x;" duckdb --path <path/to/database>

Bigquery Args

N/A, only supports default auth. In python you can pass in a custom client. support arbitrary cred paths.

DuckDB Args

• path

Postgres Args

• host
• port
• username
• password
• database

Snowflake Args

• account
• username
• password

Tip

The CLI can also be used for formatting. Trilogy has a default formatting style that should always be adhered to. trilogy fmt <path to trilogy file>

More Examples

Interactive demo.

Additional examples can be found in the public model repository.

This is a good place to look for modeling examples.

Developing

Clone repository and install requirements.txt and requirements-test.txt.

Contributing

Please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change, and then create a PR against that issue.

Similar in space

Trilogy combines two aspects; a semantic layer and a query language. Examples of both are linked below:

"semantic layers" are tools for defining an metadata layer above a SQL/warehouse base to enable higher level abstractions.

• metricsflow
• cube
• zillion

"Better SQL" has been a popular space. We believe Trilogy takes a different approach then the following, but all are worth checking out. Please open PRs/comment for anything missed!

• malloy
• preql
• PREQL

Minimal Syntax Reference

IMPORT

import [path] as [alias];

CONCEPT

Types: string | int | float | bool | date | datetime | time | numeric(scale, precision) | timestamp | interval | list<[type]> | map<[type], [type]> | struct<name:[type], name:[type]>;

Key: key [name] [type];

Property: property [key>].[name] [type]; property x.y int; or property <[key](,[key])?>.<name> [type]; property <x,y>.z int;

Transformation: auto [name] <- [expression]; auto x <- y + 1;

DATASOURCE

datasource <name>(
    <column>:<concept>,
    <column>:<concept>,
)
grain(<concept>, <concept>)
address <table>;

SELECT

Primary acces

WHERE
    <concept> = <value>
select
    <concept>,
    <concept>+1 -> <alias>,
    ...
HAVING
    <alias> = <value2>
ORDER BY
    <concept> asc|desc
;

CTE/ROWSET

Reusable virtual set of rows. Useful for windows, filtering.

with <alias> as
WHERE
    <concept> = <value>
select
    <concept>,
    <concept>+1 -> <alias>,
    ...


select <alias>.<concept>;

PERSIST

Store output of a query in a warehouse table

persist <alias> as <table_name> from
<select>;

COPY

Currently supported target types are , though backend support may vary.

COPY INTO <TARGET_TYPE> '<target_path>' FROM SELECT
    <concept>, ...
ORDER BY
    <concept>, ...
;

SHOW

Return generated SQL without executing.

show <select>;