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Sources

A Source is Akuko's connection to your data — an uploaded file, a hosted file, a spreadsheet, a database, or a connected service. Once a Source exists, the Posts you build query it rather than the original data, so the same connection can feed as many charts, maps and tables as you need.

info

Akuko uses Cube to simplify and standardize data queries and schema management. See the Cube docs for more about how Cube works.

Supported Data Source Types​

The Type picker offers nine source types:

  • CSV: upload a .csv file, or point Akuko at a publicly reachable CSV URL. These are two different flows — see the CSV page for which to choose.

  • Parquet: upload a Parquet file, or read one from an S3 location.

  • GeoJSON: upload a GeoJSON file, or point Akuko at a public GeoJSON URL. The Source arrives with its map geometry already built.

  • GeoParquet (Beta): the same two options — file or URL — for GeoParquet data.

  • Google Sheet: connect a Google Sheet by URL and choose the sheet within it.

  • Ona: connect an OnaData account and turn its forms into Sources.

  • PostgreSQL: connect to a PostgreSQL database.

  • ClickHouse: connect to a ClickHouse database.

  • MySQL: connect to a MySQL server.

note

PostgreSQL, ClickHouse and MySQL are offered only for Sources that belong to a Space. A Source created from your personal dashboard rather than inside a Space lists the other six types only.

When a type is not available to you​

A Space can be restricted to a subset of the nine types. Where that restriction is in place, the types outside it still appear in the picker but cannot be selected, and the picker carries the line "Some source types are disabled for this account" with a Contact admin to enable link.

The restriction is enforced by the server as well as the picker: creating a source of a type the Space does not allow is refused with The "<type>" source type is not enabled for this space.

caution

Choose the type before you connect the data. Once a Source has dimensions, its Type can no longer be changed — the select is removed from Settings entirely. To change type, create a new Source.

Exploring Akuko Sources​

An open Source is a stack of panels. Settings is there from the moment the Source is created; Dimensions, Measures, Geometries, Cube and Query appear only once the Source has at least one dimension — that is, once Akuko has finished reading your data and building its schema. A newly created Source that shows nothing but Settings is still importing.

Settings​

  • Name: the name that identifies this Source in listings and pickers.

  • Description: free text describing what the Source holds.

  • Cube Name: the name of the underlying Cube this Source maps to. It is shown for reference and cannot be edited here.

  • Connection: a nested panel showing the Source's type and the connection behind it — the file URL, the Google Sheet and sheet name, the database settings. For a CSV built from an uploaded file it also carries an Update button for replacing the file.

  • Refresh Schedule: a nested panel for keeping the data current on a schedule — Every, Daily or Weekly, with times given in UTC. It is offered for Sources that read from a URL, a Google Sheet or a database. Ona Sources schedule their refresh from their own connection panel instead.

  • Display language: the language whose labels are shown throughout Akuko for this Source, with Add language… for adding another. See Dimensions for how the labels themselves are edited.

Once the Source has dimensions, Settings also carries Save, Refresh (where a refresh is possible) and Clear cache. Clearing the cache forces the next query to go back to your data instead of reusing a cached answer.

Dimensions​

Categorical attributes for segmenting and grouping your data.

See Dimensions.

Measures​

Quantitative metrics for gaining insights into your data.

See Measures.

Geometries​

Geometries represent spatial data generated from your information, ideal for creating interactive maps and location-based visualizations.

See Geometries.

Cube​

The Cube panel holds the Cube schema for this Source as raw JSON, and lets you edit it directly. Everything the other panels do ends up here, so this is the place to inspect what Akuko actually generated — and, occasionally, to write something the forms do not offer. Saving invalid JSON is rejected with Incorrect JSON format.

Query​

The Query panel runs a real query against the Source so you can check the configuration before building a Post on it. Pick Dimensions and Measures, optionally Add filter, set a Limit (5000 by default) and choose Run query. Results come back as a table, which can then be exported.

Getting Started with Akuko Sources​

Inside a Space, open Sources and choose New Source. Give the Source a name, pick a type, and supply the connection that type asks for — a file to upload, a URL, sheet details, or database credentials.

Akuko then reads your data and builds the schema — a dimension per column, and, depending on the source type, some measures alongside them. When that finishes, the remaining panels appear and the Source is ready to use in a Post.

From the same page, New view starts a Source View instead — a saved, reshaped version of one or more Sources.