Find your way around¶
npm run notebook (or zlens notebook) opens the ZLens Workbench in your
browser at http://127.0.0.1:3474. It is a local, single-user app: your work
is saved as files in your project folder.
The workbench opens on Apps.
The left rail¶
Click » at the top of the rail to show the labels. The rail has three groups.
Insights: use what is already built.
| Item | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Apps | Dashboards and reports built from blocks. See Apps. |
| Ask | Ask a question in plain English and see how far to trust the answer. See Ask. |
Build: make and review analytics.
| Item | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Notebooks | SQL and DQL cells, results and notes. See Notebooks. |
| Blocks | Reusable, reviewed queries, edited in Block Studio. See Blocks. |
| Lineage | Where a number comes from and what uses it. See Lineage. |
Govern: keep the project trustworthy.
| Item | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Modeling | Domains, relationships, business terms and skills. See Modeling and Domain Packages. |
| Ask observability | A record of every Ask run. See How Ask answered. |
| Source control | Review your changes and share them through git. See Version and diff your work. |
| Settings | Project and dbt, Database, AI provider, agent memory. |
Help, at the bottom of the rail, has a short setup guide inside the app.
Command palette¶
Press Cmd+K (macOS) or Ctrl+K to open the command palette. Type to find a command, such as "New notebook…" or "Go to Lineage".
Guided Setup¶
The first time you open a project, and after you upgrade ZLens, the workbench starts with Guided Setup: dbt project, database, AI provider (optional), then a choice of where to start. Click Close setup to skip it. Open it again from Settings → Overview → Guided Setup.
Themes¶
Use the theme menu at the top right to switch between Paper, White and Obsidian.
What is saved where¶
| You make | It is saved as |
|---|---|
| A notebook | notebooks/<name>.dqlnb (results go in a git-ignored .run.json beside it) |
| A block | a .dql file under blocks/ or domains/<domain>/blocks/ |
| An App | apps/<app-id>/dql.app.json and apps/<app-id>/dashboards/*.dqld, once you publish it |
| Settings, chats, run history | .dql/ (git-ignored) |
See Project layout for the full list.