Join Author Bill Pearson in an exploration of the MDX Data Model. In this article, we expose the syntax for the basic building blocks of the MDX query, tuples, sets, and axes, and set the stage for more advanced components and syntax in subsequent articles.
About the Series...
This is the second article of the
series, MDX Essentials. The primary focus of this series will be an
introduction to the MDX language. The series is designed to provide hands-on
application of the fundamentals of the Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) language,
with each tutorial progressively adding features designed to meet specific
real-world needs.
For more information about the series in general, as well as
the software and system requirements needed for getting the most out of the
series, please see the first article, MDX at
First Glance: Introduction to MDX Essentials.
What We Accomplished in our Last Article
In the first article of the series,
we introduced the MDX query in its simplest form. We
took a look at some of the basic keywords and then began a discussion of the
element(s) of the MDX language that will carry forward as we progress through
the series. We performed practice activities, as we will do throughout the entire MDX Essentials series, to reinforce
the concepts we introduced.
We
explored the rudiments of MDX queries from a syntax perspective and introduced
the respective semantics as they arose. We provided a brief introduction to
MDX, and then discussed several basic keywords commonly used within its
syntax. We examined a breakdown of a simple MDX query into its component
parts, comparing and contrasting MDX to SQL where useful. Finally, we created
and executed basic MDX queries that served to both demonstrate and reinforce
our discussions surrounding keywords and components.
Introduction to the Structure of the MDX
Data Model
In this article, we will introduce the MDX data
model, together with numerous of its most basic and most common components.
These components will include tuples, axes, and sets. We
will focus on the composition and uses of, and provide hands-on exposure to,
these syntactical building blocks. Rules of syntax will be emphasized and
will provide a basis for more complex query building as we progress through the
series. Finally, we will work practice exercises to demonstrate tangible
results, and to reinforce our discussions with examples.
This lesson will
include:
- A brief discussion of tuples and sets, the
building blocks of MDX queries;
- An examination of axes and their role in the data
model;
- A examination of general MDX query results;
- Illustrations and examples of the concepts presented
throughout the session.
Let's begin by discussing the MDX data model and the
components that underpin it, with an eye toward gaining a grasp of how the
respective elements work and interact to provide us with the robust
functionality that is the MDX language.
Page 2: The Building Blocks: Tuples and Sets
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