When creating a measure, if no aggregation type is specified, what is implied?

When creating a measure in LookML without explicitly specifying an aggregation type, the implied default aggregation is "sum." This means that if you do not provide a specific aggregation method, Looker will automatically aggregate the values of the measure by summing them up across the groups defined in your query.

The context of this behavior is important as it aligns with common data analysis practices where summing numerical values is a frequently desired operation. Knowing this default behavior helps developers make more informed decisions when constructing their LookML models and avoids unintended results that might arise from not specifying an aggregation when one is needed.

On the other hand, other options such as count, string, or average do not serve as the default aggregation in this context. Count is typically used for counting distinct occurrences, while average computes a mean, and string is not an aggregation type applicable to numerical measures. Understanding these distinctions allows developers to utilize measures effectively in their LookML modeling.