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Using the UPPER Function in Looker Studio for Text Modification and Data Presentation

In Google Data Studio, the

UPPER

function is a handy feature that can be used to convert any text, field, or expression containing at least one field to uppercase. If you're looking to standardize your text fields or highlight specific elements in your reports, the UPPER function has got you covered.

The syntax of the function appears as

UPPER(X)

. In this equation, X represents the text string input that you want to convert to uppercase. The string can be a literal text, a field, or an expression containing a field. It's simplicity itself to use.

The

UPPER

function operates by transforming every lower case character in your chosen text string into an uppercase one. For example, if you want to record campaign names or product names in your data uniformly or wish to emphasize certain metrics by showing them in uppercase, this function makes that transition seamless.

While useful, the

UPPER

function doesn't support wildcards. So, you can't use wildcard characters to identify subsets of strings to convert to uppercase.

Keep in mind that UPPER function, like other text functions in Google Data Studio, doesn't modify the original data. It only changes the display of the data in the report.

Moreover, while the UPPER function works well for Latin alphabet characters, it may not function consistently for all special characters in other alphabets.

Let’s look at some sales metric examples using the

UPPER

function. Suppose we have the following sales campaign names and we used the UPPER function to transform them:

Upper("Winter Sales 2020") => 'WINTER SALES 2020'

Upper("spring discount") => 'SPRING DISCOUNT'

Note that the

UPPER

function also applies to the numbers and special characters, allowing uniformity in text data even when they include such elements.

Another typical use-case would be in sales metrics for the Product Name field:

Upper(Product Name) => ‘MACBOOK PRO 15 INCH’, 'APPLE IPHONE 12 PRO', 'SAMSUNG GALAXY S20'

Here, the function has capitalized all the product names, making the data more uniform and easier to read.

There are some limitations to the UPPER function. The function does not support wildcard characters, and therefore you cannot use them in the text string. Additionally, when dealing with special, non-Latin characters, the function may not deliver consistent results.

In summary, the

UPPER

function in Google Data Studio is a powerful, easy-to-use tool for text modification. Its seamless integration and applicability to reports make it a valuable resource in presenting data.

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