[SL-3378] [Feature] Semantic model dimensions should have type: categorical as default

[siljamardla]

Is this your first time submitting a feature request?

• I have read the expectations for open source contributors
• I have searched the existing issues, and I could not find an existing issue for this feature
• I am requesting a straightforward extension of existing metricflow functionality, rather than a Big Idea better suited to a discussion

Describe the feature

In semantic models for dimension tables we can have a long list of dimensions.
Most of these are going to be type: categorical. At the moment we need to explicitly specify the type for every single dimension, which is rather tedious (imagine a table with 20+ attributes).

Example:

semantic_models:
  - name: dim_customer
    model: ref('dim_customer')
    defaults:
      agg_time_dimension: customer_created_date
    dimensions:
      - name: customer_created_date
        type: time
        type_params:
          time_granularity: day
      - name: customer_name
        type: categorical
      - name: customer_type
        type: categorical

Describe alternatives you've considered

Make type: categorical the default and allow omitting this config.

Example:

semantic_models:
  - name: dim_customer
    model: ref('dim_customer')
    defaults:
      agg_time_dimension: customer_created_date
    dimensions:
      - name: customer_created_date
        type: time
        type_params:
          time_granularity: day
      - name: customer_name       # defaults to categorical
      - name: customer_type         # defaults to categorical

Who will this benefit?

Anyone using MetricFlow

Are you interested in contributing this feature?

Happy to help with requirements and testing

Anything else?

No response

_SL-3378