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MultiDimensional eXpressions

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22: 281:. A dimension is a primary organizer of measure and attribute information in a cube. MDX does not know of, nor does it assume any, dependencies between dimensions - they are assumed to be mutually independent. A dimension will contain some members (see below) organized in some hierarchy or hierarchies containing levels. It can be specified by its unique name, e.g. 537:
If you create two axes, one must be the column axis and one must be the row axis, although it doesn't matter in which order they appear within the query. If you create a query that has only one axis, it must be the column axis. The square brackets around the particular object identifier are optional
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The XML for Analysis specification referred back to the OLE DB for OLAP specification for details on the MDX Query Language. In Analysis Services 2005, Microsoft added some MDX Query Language extensions like subselects. Products like Microsoft Excel 2007 started to use these new MDX Query Language
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in the data warehouse sense. They can be retrieved by name in a query through an axis PROPERTIES clause of a query. The scalar data value of a member property for some member can be accessed in an expression through MDX, either by naming the property (for example,
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function to specify an array that is not processed by MDX but passed to a user-defined function in an ActiveX library. Objects of other data types are represented as scalar strings indicating the object names, such as measure group name in Microsoft's
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The following example, adapted from the SQL Server 2000 Books Online, shows a basic MDX query that uses the SELECT statement. This query returns a result set that contains the 2002 and 2003 store sales amounts for stores in the state of California.
157:. While it is possible to translate some of these into traditional SQL, it would frequently require the synthesis of clumsy SQL expressions even for very simple MDX expressions. MDX has been embraced by a wide majority of 383:. Set is an ordered collection of tuples with the same dimensionality, or hierarchality in the case of Microsoft's implementation. It can be specified enumerating the tuples, e.g. 309:
OLEDB for OLAP MDX specification does not distinguish between dimension and hierarchy data types. Some implementations, such as Microsoft Analysis Services, treat them differently.
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as long as the object identifier is not one of the reserved words and does not otherwise contain any characters other than letters, numbers or underscores.
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The MultiDimensional eXpressions (MDX) language provides a specialized syntax for querying and manipulating the multidimensional data stored in
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The SELECT clause sets the query axes as the Store Sales member of the Measures dimension, and the 2002 and 2003 members of the Date dimension.
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While it was not an open standard, but rather a Microsoft-owned specification, it was adopted by a wide range of OLAP vendors.
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etc. Note that all members are specific to a hierarchy. If the self-same product is a member of two different hierarchies (
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The WHERE clause defines the "slicer axis" as the California member of the Store dimension.
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George Spofford, Sivakumar Harinath, Chris Webb, Dylan Hai Huang, Francesco Civardi:
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MDX-Solutions: With Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services 2005 and Hyperion Essbase
1163: 1100: 984: 213: 145:. It is also a calculation language, with syntax similar to spreadsheet formulae. 611: 1033: 775: 21: 1139: 912: 292: 612:"Manipulate and Query OLAP Data Using ADOMD and Multidimensional Expressions" 1043: 886: 821: 684: 296: 278: 233: 178: 154: 142: 419:). In limited contexts, MDX allows other data types as well - for example 881: 816: 750: 520:
In this example, the query defines the following result set information
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in a dimension hierarchy. It can be specified by its unique name, e.g.
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extensions. Some refer to this newer variant of MDX as MDX 2005.
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The FROM clause indicates that the data source is the Sales cube.
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Note: You can specify up to 128 query axes in an MDX query.
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Other data types. Member properties are equivalent to
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It can be specified by its unique name, e.g. 284:or it can be returned by an MDX function, e.g. 197:specification was issued by Microsoft in 1999. 387:or returned by MDX function or operator, e.g. 1219: 1185:Data warehousing products and their producers 706: 8: 681:Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) Reference 1226: 1212: 1204: 1129: 1118: 1013: 1002: 740: 729: 713: 699: 691: 106:Learn how and when to remove this message 417:.CurrentMember.Properties("Sales Price") 173:MDX was first introduced as part of the 605: 603: 599: 373:or returned by an MDX function, e.g. 343:or returned by an MDX function, e.g. 7: 670:. SAP Press, 2008, 978-1-59229-249-3 44:adding citations to reliable sources 1070:MultiDimensional eXpressions (MDX) 181:. It was invented by the group of 14: 20: 31:needs additional citations for 1091:Business intelligence software 970:Extract, load, transform (ELT) 965:Extract, transform, load (ETL) 55:"MultiDimensional eXpressions" 1: 1039:Decision support system (DSS) 141:, it is a query language for 1417:Online analytical processing 1065:Data Mining Extensions (DMX) 652:, Mark Whitehorn, Rob Zare: 193:. The latest version of the 131:online analytical processing 119:Multidimensional Expressions 826:Ensemble modeling patterns 796:Single version of the truth 191:Microsoft Analysis Services 177:specification in 1997 from 1438: 1180:Comparison of OLAP servers 339:, by qualified name, e.g. 135:database management system 1128: 1117: 1049:Data warehouse automation 1012: 1001: 739: 734:Creating a data warehouse 728: 540: 452: 1075:XML for Analysis (XMLA) 423:can be used inside the 263:(number or string) etc. 1007:Using a data warehouse 862:Operational data store 232:There are six primary 1024:Business intelligence 243:. Scalar is either a 840:Focal point modeling 812:Column-oriented DBMS 761:Dimensional modeling 430:MeasureGroupMeasures 185:engineers including 40:improve this article 1145:Information factory 918:Early-arriving fact 835:Data vault modeling 786:Reverse star schema 161:and has become the 1096:Reporting software 385:{(., ..), (., ..)} 165:for OLAP systems. 1404: 1403: 1201: 1200: 1197: 1196: 1193: 1192: 1113: 1112: 1109: 1108: 997: 996: 993: 992: 892:Sixth normal form 654:Fast Track to MDX 288:. Hierarchy is a 273:. Dimension is a 222:<Statement> 116: 115: 108: 90: 1429: 1228: 1221: 1214: 1205: 1130: 1119: 1014: 1003: 781:Snowflake schema 741: 730: 715: 708: 701: 692: 650:Mosha Pasumansky 623: 622: 620: 619: 607: 589: 586: 583: 580: 577: 574: 571: 568: 565: 562: 559: 556: 553: 550: 547: 544: 516: 513: 510: 507: 504: 501: 498: 495: 492: 489: 486: 483: 480: 477: 474: 471: 468: 465: 462: 459: 456: 439: 435: 431: 426: 418: 414: 402: 398: 394: 390: 386: 376: 372: 362: 358: 354: 350: 346: 342: 338: 328: 324: 306: 302: 287: 283: 262: 258: 254: 223: 218:XML for Analysis 187:Mosha Pasumansky 111: 104: 100: 97: 91: 89: 48: 24: 16: 1437: 1436: 1432: 1431: 1430: 1428: 1427: 1426: 1422:Query languages 1407: 1406: 1405: 1400: 1384: 1363: 1237: 1235:Query languages 1232: 1202: 1189: 1168: 1124: 1105: 1079: 1053: 1008: 989: 953: 949:Slowly changing 939:Dimension table 927: 901: 878:Data dictionary 866: 830:Anchor modeling 800: 735: 724: 722:Data warehouses 719: 677: 666:Larry Sackett: 639:. Wiley, 2006, 632: 630:Further reading 627: 626: 617: 615: 609: 608: 601: 596: 591: 590: 587: 584: 581: 578: 575: 572: 569: 566: 563: 560: 557: 554: 551: 548: 545: 542: 518: 517: 514: 511: 508: 505: 502: 499: 496: 493: 490: 487: 484: 481: 478: 475: 472: 469: 466: 463: 460: 457: 454: 447: 437: 433: 429: 424: 416: 413:.CurrentMember. 412: 400: 396: 392: 388: 384: 374: 370: 360: 356: 352: 348: 344: 340: 336: 326: 322: 304: 300: 285: 282: 260: 256: 252: 230: 221: 210: 195:OLE DB for OLAP 175:OLE DB for OLAP 171: 151: 133:(OLAP) using a 112: 101: 95: 92: 49: 47: 37: 25: 12: 11: 5: 1435: 1433: 1425: 1424: 1419: 1409: 1408: 1402: 1401: 1399: 1398: 1392: 1390: 1386: 1385: 1383: 1382: 1377: 1371: 1369: 1365: 1364: 1362: 1361: 1356: 1351: 1346: 1341: 1336: 1331: 1326: 1321: 1316: 1311: 1306: 1301: 1296: 1291: 1286: 1281: 1276: 1271: 1266: 1261: 1256: 1251: 1245: 1243: 1242:In current use 1239: 1238: 1233: 1231: 1230: 1223: 1216: 1208: 1199: 1198: 1195: 1194: 1191: 1190: 1188: 1187: 1182: 1176: 1174: 1170: 1169: 1167: 1166: 1161: 1160: 1159: 1157:Enterprise bus 1149: 1148: 1147: 1136: 1134: 1126: 1125: 1122: 1115: 1114: 1111: 1110: 1107: 1106: 1104: 1103: 1098: 1093: 1087: 1085: 1081: 1080: 1078: 1077: 1072: 1067: 1061: 1059: 1055: 1054: 1052: 1051: 1046: 1041: 1036: 1031: 1026: 1020: 1018: 1010: 1009: 1006: 999: 998: 995: 994: 991: 990: 988: 987: 982: 977: 972: 967: 961: 959: 955: 954: 952: 951: 946: 941: 935: 933: 929: 928: 926: 925: 920: 915: 909: 907: 903: 902: 900: 899: 894: 889: 884: 874: 872: 868: 867: 865: 864: 859: 854: 849: 844: 843: 842: 837: 832: 824: 819: 814: 808: 806: 802: 801: 799: 798: 793: 788: 783: 778: 773: 768: 763: 758: 753: 747: 745: 737: 736: 733: 726: 725: 720: 718: 717: 710: 703: 695: 689: 688: 676: 675:External links 673: 672: 671: 664: 647: 631: 628: 625: 624: 598: 597: 595: 592: 541: 532: 531: 528: 525: 453: 446: 443: 442: 441: 404: 378: 364: 330: 312: 264: 229: 228:MDX data types 226: 209: 206: 170: 167: 150: 147: 127:query language 114: 113: 28: 26: 19: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1434: 1423: 1420: 1418: 1415: 1414: 1412: 1397: 1394: 1393: 1391: 1387: 1381: 1378: 1376: 1373: 1372: 1370: 1366: 1360: 1357: 1355: 1352: 1350: 1347: 1345: 1342: 1340: 1337: 1335: 1332: 1330: 1327: 1325: 1322: 1320: 1317: 1315: 1312: 1310: 1307: 1305: 1302: 1300: 1297: 1295: 1292: 1290: 1287: 1285: 1282: 1280: 1277: 1275: 1272: 1270: 1267: 1265: 1262: 1260: 1257: 1255: 1252: 1250: 1247: 1246: 1244: 1240: 1236: 1229: 1224: 1222: 1217: 1215: 1210: 1209: 1206: 1186: 1183: 1181: 1178: 1177: 1175: 1171: 1165: 1162: 1158: 1155: 1154: 1153: 1152:Ralph Kimball 1150: 1146: 1143: 1142: 1141: 1138: 1137: 1135: 1131: 1127: 1120: 1116: 1102: 1099: 1097: 1094: 1092: 1089: 1088: 1086: 1082: 1076: 1073: 1071: 1068: 1066: 1063: 1062: 1060: 1056: 1050: 1047: 1045: 1042: 1040: 1037: 1035: 1032: 1030: 1027: 1025: 1022: 1021: 1019: 1015: 1011: 1004: 1000: 986: 983: 981: 978: 976: 973: 971: 968: 966: 963: 962: 960: 956: 950: 947: 945: 942: 940: 937: 936: 934: 930: 924: 921: 919: 916: 914: 911: 910: 908: 904: 898: 897:Surrogate key 895: 893: 890: 888: 885: 883: 879: 876: 875: 873: 869: 863: 860: 858: 855: 853: 850: 848: 845: 841: 838: 836: 833: 831: 828: 827: 825: 823: 820: 818: 815: 813: 810: 809: 807: 803: 797: 794: 792: 789: 787: 784: 782: 779: 777: 774: 772: 769: 767: 764: 762: 759: 757: 754: 752: 749: 748: 746: 742: 738: 731: 727: 723: 716: 711: 709: 704: 702: 697: 696: 693: 686: 682: 679: 678: 674: 669: 665: 663: 662:1-84628-174-1 659: 655: 651: 648: 646: 645:0-471-74808-0 642: 638: 634: 633: 629: 613: 606: 604: 600: 593: 539: 535: 529: 526: 523: 522: 521: 451: 445:Example query 444: 422: 409: 405: 382: 379: 371:(..., ..., .) 368: 365: 334: 331: 320: 317:. Level is a 316: 313: 310: 298: 294: 291: 280: 276: 272: 268: 265: 250: 246: 242: 239: 238: 237: 235: 227: 225: 219: 216:released the 215: 207: 205: 201: 198: 196: 192: 188: 184: 180: 176: 168: 166: 164: 160: 156: 148: 146: 144: 140: 136: 132: 128: 124: 120: 110: 107: 99: 88: 85: 81: 78: 74: 71: 67: 64: 60: 57: –  56: 52: 51:Find sources: 45: 41: 35: 34: 29:This article 27: 23: 18: 17: 1313: 1164:Dan Linstedt 1069: 667: 653: 636: 616:. Retrieved 610:Carl Nolan. 536: 533: 519: 448: 407: 380: 366: 332: 314: 308: 270: 266: 240: 231: 214:XMLA Council 212:In 2001 the 211: 202: 199: 172: 159:OLAP vendors 152: 137:. Much like 122: 118: 117: 102: 93: 83: 76: 69: 62: 50: 38:Please help 33:verification 30: 1368:Proprietary 1101:Spreadsheet 1034:Data mining 776:Star schema 614:. Microsoft 401:Descendants 353:.FirstChild 345:.PrevMember 1411:Categories 1389:Superseded 1140:Bill Inmon 944:Degenerate 913:Fact table 618:2008-03-05 594:References 440:functions. 425:SetToArray 408:attributes 305:.Hierarchy 286:.Dimension 259:(string), 257:UniqueName 255:(number), 234:data types 183:SQL Server 155:OLAP cubes 149:Background 143:OLAP cubes 66:newspapers 1058:Languages 1044:OLAP cube 1029:Dashboard 980:Transform 932:Dimension 887:Data mart 822:Data mesh 791:Aggregate 756:Dimension 685:Microsoft 389:Crossjoin 293:hierarchy 290:dimension 275:dimension 271:Hierarchy 267:Dimension 253:Aggregate 179:Microsoft 96:July 2016 1173:Products 1017:Concepts 882:Metadata 871:Elements 817:Data hub 805:Variants 751:Database 744:Concepts 434:KPIValue 163:standard 1396:CODASYL 1289:Gremlin 1284:GraphQL 1279:Datalog 1123:Related 975:Extract 958:Filling 923:Measure 683:, from 561:Members 552:COLUMNS 470:COLUMNS 438:KPIGoal 349:.Parent 236:in MDX 169:History 125:) is a 80:scholar 1349:XQuery 1339:SPARQL 1334:SMARTS 1264:Cypher 1133:People 660:  643:  543:SELECT 455:SELECT 393:Filter 333:Member 327:.Level 261:.Value 249:string 245:number 241:Scalar 82:  75:  68:  61:  53:  1354:XPath 1254:ALPHA 1084:Tools 857:ROLAP 852:MOLAP 847:HOLAP 576:WHERE 573:Sales 503:WHERE 500:Sales 421:Array 397:Order 375:.Item 367:Tuple 319:level 315:Level 295:of a 277:of a 247:or a 224:tag. 208:mdXML 87:JSTOR 73:books 1380:LINQ 1329:QUEL 1304:LINQ 1299:LDAP 1294:ISBL 985:Load 906:Fact 771:OLAP 766:Fact 687:Docs 658:ISBN 641:ISBN 570:FROM 567:ROWS 497:FROM 494:ROWS 403:etc. 359:and 341:.... 297:cube 279:cube 129:for 59:news 1375:YQL 1359:YQL 1344:SQL 1324:OCL 1319:OQL 1314:MDX 1309:MQL 1274:DMX 1269:DAX 1259:CQL 1249:.QL 436:or 381:Set 337:... 139:SQL 123:MDX 42:by 1413:: 656:. 602:^ 564:ON 549:ON 491:ON 467:ON 399:, 395:, 391:, 351:, 347:, 323:.. 1227:e 1220:t 1213:v 880:/ 714:e 707:t 700:v 621:. 588:) 585:. 582:. 579:( 558:. 555:, 546:. 515:) 512:. 509:. 506:( 488:} 485:. 482:, 479:. 476:{ 473:, 464:} 461:. 458:{ 377:. 361:. 357:. 329:. 311:) 301:. 269:/ 121:( 109:) 103:( 98:) 94:( 84:· 77:· 70:· 63:· 36:.

Index


verification
improve this article
adding citations to reliable sources
"MultiDimensional eXpressions"
news
newspapers
books
scholar
JSTOR
Learn how and when to remove this message
query language
online analytical processing
database management system
SQL
OLAP cubes
OLAP cubes
OLAP vendors
standard
OLE DB for OLAP
Microsoft
SQL Server
Mosha Pasumansky
Microsoft Analysis Services
OLE DB for OLAP
XMLA Council
XML for Analysis
data types
number
string

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