Dimension type

When you tag a dimension as a specific type, the dimension can access built-in functionality designed for that type.

For example, if you define a dimension as accounts, you can specify accounting measures for members in that dimension. Essbase calculates the two primary dimension types, time and accounts, before other dimensions in the database. By default, all dimensions are tagged as none.

Dimension type:

• None

Specifies no particular dimension type. Default.

• time,

Defines the time periods for which you report and update data. You can tag only one dimension as time. The time dimension enables several accounts dimension functions, such as first and last time balances.

• accounts,

Contains items that you want to measure, such as profit and inventory, and makes Essbase built-in accounting functionality available. Only one dimension can be defined as accounts.

• attribute

Contains members that can be used to classify members of another, associated dimension. See attribute dimension

• Country_dimension

Contains data about where business activities take place. In a country dimension, you can specify the currency used in each member. For example, Canada has three markets—Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, which use the same currency, Canadian dollars.

• Currency partition

Separates local currency members from the base currency defined in the application. This dimension type is used only in the main database and is only for currency conversion applications. The base currency for analysis may be U.S. dollars, and the local currency members may contain values that are based on the currency type of their region.

Example

Database:Design
   Year (Type: time)
   Measures (Type: accounts)
   Product
   Market
   Scenario
   Pkg Type (Type: attribute)
   Ounces (Type: attribute)