Skip to content

Commit

Permalink
Add drill-through blurb to FAQ [ci skip]
Browse files Browse the repository at this point in the history
  • Loading branch information
mazameli committed Jun 12, 2017
1 parent ea2fef5 commit 75a841d
Show file tree
Hide file tree
Showing 2 changed files with 15 additions and 10 deletions.
24 changes: 15 additions & 9 deletions docs/faq.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -4,13 +4,13 @@

If you are running the Mac OS X application on your laptop, you can click on the Help menu item and click `Reset Password`.

If you are using a browser to access Metabase, then someone downloaded our software and installed it on a server. We at Metabase don't host your instance. We write software that someone at your company decided to run. You should ask whoever it is that set up your company's Metabase (a good starting point for this would be to ask whoever).
If you are using a browser to access Metabase, then someone downloaded our software and installed it on a server. We at Metabase don't host your instance. We write software that someone at your company decided to run. You should ask whoever it is that set up your company's Metabase (a good starting point for this would be to ask whoever).

### How should I use the Mac OS X application?

Our Mac OS X application is best thought of as Metabase in single-player mode. It's meant to be a way to quickly try out the program and see if it's something you'd want to use across your team. It's also useful for use on your own.

When you need to share dashboards or pulses with others, we *strongly* recommend you run our server application.
When you need to share dashboards or pulses with others, we *strongly* recommend you run our server application.

### Does Metabase support SQL Joins?

Expand All @@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ For more info see our [blog post on the subject](http://www.metabase.com/blog/Jo

### Can I use SQL with Metabase?

[Yes](http://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/users-guide/03-asking-questions.html#using-sql).
[Yes](http://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/users-guide/03-asking-questions.html#using-sql).


### Do I need to know SQL to use Metabase?
Expand All @@ -33,6 +33,12 @@ The primary audience of the GUI querying interface is a non-technical user who d

We're constantly trying to walk the line between putting more functionality into the GUI interface and creating a confusing mess. You can expect it to improve and change with time, but in the meantime, you can always lean on SQL directly for the complicated matters.

## Why can't I seem to use drill-through or question actions?

Metabase allows you to [click on your charts or tables to explore or zoom in](http://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/users-guide/03-basic-exploration.html), but these features don't currently work with SQL/native queries (this is because Metabase doesn't currently parse these kinds of queries). The same is true of the question actions menu in the bottom-right of the question detail page.

However, in an upcoming version of Metabase we'll be including a feature that will let you use the results of SQL/native queries as the starting table for GUI-based questions. This means you'll be able to use sophisticated SQL/native queries to create the exact segments you need, and you and your team will be able to use drill-through and actions if you create GUI-based questions from those segments.

### Does Metabase support database X?

Metabase currently supports:
Expand All @@ -47,13 +53,13 @@ Metabase currently supports:
* PostgreSQL
* Presto
* SQL Server
* SQLite
* SQLite

### Can Metabase support database X?

Metabase is built by a small core team, and we have very limited engineering bandwidth. Each additional database we connect to slows down overall product development, increases the time and cost of our automated testing and requires us to learn a lot about the edge cases of the specific database driver. While writing a given driver might only take a few days, supporting it places a cost on us indefinitely.

That said, we will build out additional database connectors as we are able to. We generally select additional drivers based on demand from the community and our ability to set up a test database server easily in our integrated testing environment.
That said, we will build out additional database connectors as we are able to. We generally select additional drivers based on demand from the community and our ability to set up a test database server easily in our integrated testing environment.

We welcome community contributions of database connectors. If you're able to help, we have [open issues](https://github.com/metabase/metabase/labels/Database%20Support) for a number of databases. We'd greatly appreciate your help!

Expand All @@ -69,17 +75,17 @@ Not exactly. Metabase provides access to data you have in an existing database y

### Can you help me debug something?

Yes, to the extent that we are able to and have time.
Yes, to the extent that we are able to and have time.

In the event of a clear bug, please [open an issue](https://github.com/metabase/metabase/issues/new).

If you're having other trouble, please start a conversation at our [discussion forum](http://discourse.metabase.com) and check out the other threads. Someone else might have experienced the same problem.
If you're having other trouble, please start a conversation at our [discussion forum](http://discourse.metabase.com) and check out the other threads. Someone else might have experienced the same problem.

### Do you offer paid support?

We are experimenting with offering paid support to a limited number of companies. [Contact us](http://www.metabase.com/services/) if you want more information.
We are experimenting with offering paid support to a limited number of companies. [Contact us](http://www.metabase.com/services/) if you want more information.

### Can I embed charts or dashboards in another application?

Yes, Metabase offers two solutions for sharing charts and dashboards.
[Public links](http://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/administration-guide/12-public-links.html) let you share or embed charts with simplicity. A powerful [application embedding](http://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/administration-guide/13-embedding.html) let you to embed and customize charts in your own web applications.
[Public links](http://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/administration-guide/12-public-links.html) let you share or embed charts with simplicity. A powerful [application embedding](http://www.metabase.com/docs/latest/administration-guide/13-embedding.html) let you to embed and customize charts in your own web applications.
1 change: 0 additions & 1 deletion docs/troubleshooting-guide/index.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -4,7 +4,6 @@

### [Running Metabase on Docker](docker.md)


### [Connecting to databases and data warehouses with Metabase](datawarehouse.md)

### [Incorrect results due to time zones](timezones.md)
Expand Down

0 comments on commit 75a841d

Please sign in to comment.