Setting Dimension and Member Properties

After you create and organize your Hyperion Essbase OLAP Server outline, as described in Creating and Changing Database Outlines you are ready to specify how the dimensions and members in the outline behave. This chapter describes each dimension and member property and how to set them in the Outline Editor in Hyperion Essbase Application Manager.

Note:

For information on setting Dynamic Time Series members, see Calculating Time Series Data

Setting the Dimension Type

When you tag a dimension as a specific type, it 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. The two primary dimension types are time and accounts. This means that Hyperion Essbase calculates dimensions tagged as time and accounts before other dimensions in the database. By default, all dimensions are tagged as None.

Note:

The time and accounts properties are inherited by all members that are in these dimensions. The Country and Currency properties are not inherited by their members.

The following sections describe how to tag dimensions:

Tagging a Time Dimension

Use dimensions tagged as time to describe how often you collect and update data. The time dimension enables several accounts dimension functions, such as first and last time balances. In the Sample Basic database, for example, the Year dimension is tagged as time, as are its descendants--all Qtr members and the months (such as Jan).

Follow these rules when tagging a dimension as time:

You can only tag one dimension in an outline as time.
When you tag a dimension as time, all members in that dimension inherit the time property.

Note: You can create an outline that does not have a time dimension.
You can add time members to dimensions that are not tagged as time.

Setting the Time Property

To use a button to tag a dimension as time:

Select the dimension that you want to tag; for example, Year.
Click the Time button, , to display "Time" next to the dimension name.

To tag a dimension as time using the Dimension Properties dialog box:

Select the dimension that you want to tag; for example, Year.
Click the Data Dictionary button, , press the Enter key, or select Edit > Properties to open the Dimension Properties dialog box.
Select Time in the Dimension Type box.
Click OK.

Tagging an Accounts Dimension

Tag a dimension as accounts if it contains items that you want to measure, such as profit or inventory.

Follow these rules when tagging an accounts dimension:

You can only tag one dimension in an outline as accounts.
When you tag a dimension as accounts, all members in that dimension inherit the accounts property.
To calculate members of the accounts dimension on the second pass through the outline, see Setting Two-Pass Calculation Properties.

Note: You can create an outline that does not have an accounts dimension.

The following sections describe built-in functionality for accounts dimensions:

Setting the Accounts Property
Introducing Time Balance Properties
AverageInventory (TB Average), Cola, East, Actual, Jan(+), 60 AverageInventory (TB Average), Cola, East, Actual, Feb(+), 62 AverageInventory (TB Average), Cola, East, Actual, Mar(+), 67 AverageInventory (TB Average), Cola, East, Actual, Qtr1(+), 63 Introducing Skip Properties
Setting Variance Reporting Properties
Setting Hyperion Essbase Currency Conversion Properties.

Note: To perform the tasks in the following sections, the Measures dimension in the Sample Basic database must be tagged as accounts.

Setting the Accounts Property

To use a button to tag a dimension as accounts:

Select the dimension that you want to tag; for example, Measures.
Click the Accounts button, , to display "Accounts" next to the dimension name.

To tag a dimension as accounts using the Dimension Properties dialog box:

Select the dimension that you want to tag; for example, Year.
Click the Data Dictionary button, , press the Enter key, or select Edit > Properties to open the Dimension Properties dialog box.
Select Accounts in the Dimension Type box.
Click OK.

Introducing Time Balance Properties

When you set a time balance property on a member in an accounts dimension, it affects how Hyperion Essbase calculates the parent of that member in the time dimension. By default, a parent in the time dimension is calculated based on the consolidation and formulas of its children. For example, the Qtr1 member is the sum of its children (Jan, Feb, and Mar). However, setting a time balance property causes parents, for example Qtr1, to roll up differently.

Example of Setting the Time Balance as None

This is the default value. When you set the time balance property as none, Hyperion Essbase rolls up parents in the time dimension in the usual way--a parent's value is based on the formulas and consolidation properties of its children.

Example of Setting the Time Balance as First

Set the time balance as first when you want the parent value to represent the value of the first member in the branch (often at the beginning of a time period).

For example, let's assume that you have a member named OpeningInventory that represents the inventory at the beginning of the time period. If the time period was Qtr1, then OpeningInventory represents the inventory you had at the beginning of Jan. When you ask for the OpeningInventory for Qtr1, you want it to be the same as the OpeningInventory for Jan. That is, if you had 50 cases of Cola at the beginning of Jan, you also had 50 cases of Cola at the beginning of Qtr1.

To do this, tag OpeningInventory as first. Now Hyperion Essbase calculates the value of OpeningInventory for Qtr1 as the same as the OpeningInventory for Jan. Figure 9-1 shows this sample consolidation:

Figure 9-1: Consolidation of OpeningInventory Tagged as First

OpeningInventory (TB First), Cola, East, Actual, Jan(+), 50
OpeningInventory (TB First), Cola, East, Actual, Feb(+), 60
OpeningInventory (TB First), Cola, East, Actual, Mar(+), 70
OpeningInventory (TB First), Cola, East, Actual, Qtr1(+), 50
Example of Setting the Time Balance as Last

Set the time balance as last when you want the parent value to represent the value of the last member in the branch (often at the end of a time period).

For example, let's assume that you have a member named EndingInventory that represents the inventory at the end of the time period. If the time period was Qtr1, then EndingInventory represents the inventory you had at the end of Mar. When you ask for the EndingInventory for Qtr1, you want it to be the same as the EndingInventory for Mar. That is, if you had 70 cases of Cola at the end of Mar, you also had 70 cases of Cola at the end of Qtr1.

To do this, tag EndingInventory as last. Now Hyperion Essbase calculates the value of EndingInventory for Qtr1 as the same as the EndingInventory for Mar. Figure 9-2 shows this sample consolidation:

Figure 9-2: Consolidation of EndingInventory Tagged as Last

EndingInventory (TB Last), Cola, East, Actual, Jan(+), 50
EndingInventory (TB Last), Cola, East, Actual, Feb(+), 60
EndingInventory (TB Last), Cola, East, Actual, Mar(+), 70
EndingInventory (TB Last), Cola, East, Actual, Qtr1(+), 70
Example of Setting the Time Balance as Average

Set the time balance as average when you want the parent value to represent the average value of its children.

For example, let's assume that you have a member named AverageInventory that represents the average of the inventory for the time period. If the time period was Qtr1, then AverageInventory represents the average of the inventory you had during Jan, Feb, and Mar.

To do this, tag AverageInventory as average. Now Hyperion Essbase calculates the value of AverageInventory for Qtr1 as the average of the values for Jan, Feb, and Mar. Figure 9-3 shows this sample consolidation:

Figure 9-3: Consolidation of AverageInventory Tagged as Average

AverageInventory (TB Average), Cola, East, Actual, Jan(+), 60
AverageInventory (TB Average), Cola, East, Actual, Feb(+), 62
AverageInventory (TB Average), Cola, East, Actual, Mar(+), 67
AverageInventory (TB Average), Cola, East, Actual, Qtr1(+), 63
Introducing Skip Properties

If you set the time balance as first, last, or average, you must set the skip property to tell Hyperion Essbase what to do when it encounters missing values or values of 0.

The following table describes how each setting determines what Hyperion Essbase does when it encounters a missing or zero value.


If you select...	Hyperion Essbase...
None	Does not skip data when calculating the parent value. However, if Hyperion Essbase encounters `#MISSING` data when calculating an average, it doesn't divide by the total number of members. It divides by the number of members with actual values. This means that setting the skip property to None or `#MISSING` is the same for Average (but not for First and Last).
Missing	Skips `#MISSING` data when calculating the parent value.
Zeros	Skips data that equals zero when calculating the parent value.
Missing and Zeros	Skips both `#MISSING` data and data that equals zero when calculating the parent value.

If you mark a member as last with a skip property of missing or missing and zeros, then the parent of that time period matches the last non-missing child. In Figure 9-4, for example, EndingInventory is based on the value for Feb, because Mar does not have a value.

Figure 9-4: Example of Skip Property

Cola, East, Actual, Jan, EndingInventory (Last), 60
Cola, East, Actual, Feb, EndingInventory (Last), 70
Cola, East, Actual, Mar, EndingInventory (Last), #MI
Cola, East, Actual, Qtr1, EndingInventory (Last), 70

Setting Time Balance Properties

To use buttons to set a time balance property:

Select the member that you want to set the property for; for example, OpeningInventory.
Click the button that corresponds to the property that you want to set.
- To set the time balance property as first, click the First button, . "TB First" displays next to the member's name.
- To set the time balance property as last, click the Last button, . "TB Last" displays next to the member's name.
- To set the time balance property as average, click the Average button, . "TB Average" displays next to the member's name.
- To set the time balance property as none, click the None button, .
Click the button that corresponds to the skip property that you want to set.
- To not skip any values, click the None button, .
- To skip missing values, click the Missing button, .
- To skip zero values, click the Zero button, .
- To skip both zero and missing values, click the Zero and Missing button, .

To tag a dimension as accounts using the Dimension Properties dialog box:

Select the member that you want to set the property for; for example, OpeningInventory.
Click the Data Dictionary button, , press the Enter key, or select Edit > Properties to open the Dimension Properties dialog box.
Click the Accounts tab.
Select None, First, Last, or Average in the Time Balance box.
Select None, Missing, Zeros or Missing and Zeros in the Skip box.
Click OK.

Setting Variance Reporting Properties

Variance reporting properties determine how Hyperion Essbase calculates the difference between actual and budget data in a member with the @VAR or @VARPER function in its the member formula. Any member that represents an expense to the company requires an expense property.

When you are budgeting expenses for a time period, the actual expenses should be lower than the budget. When actual expenses are greater than budget, the variance is negative. The @VAR function calculates Budget - Actual. For example, if budgeted expenses were $100, and you actually spent $110, the variance is -10.

When you are budgeting non-expense items, such as sales, the actual sales should be higher than the budget. When actual sales are less than budget, the variance is negative. The @VAR function calculates Actual - Budget. For example, if budgeted sales were $100, and you actually made $110 in sales, the variance is 10.

By default, members are non-expense.

To use a button to set an expense property:

Select the member that you want to set the property for; for example, COGS.
Click the Expense tag button, . "Expense Reporting" displays next to the member name.

To tag an accounts member as expense or non-expense using the Member Properties dialog box:

Select the member that you want to set the property for; for example, COGS.
Click the Data Dictionary button, , press the Enter key, or select Edit > Properties to open the Member Properties dialog box.
Click the Accounts tab.
Select Expense or Non Expense.
Click OK.

Setting Hyperion Essbase Currency Conversion Properties

Currency conversion properties define categories of currency exchange rates. These properties are used only in currency databases. For more information on currency properties, see Designing and Building Currency Conversion Applications.


If you select...	Hyperion Essbase...
None	Determines that the member has no relationship to Currency Conversion. This is the default.
No Conversion	Does not convert the member because it is not a currency value. It could be a value such as a quantity or percentage.
Category	Converts the member. You can enter the type of conversion required. This could be a value, normally in dollars.

To set currency conversion properties in the Outline Editor:

Select the member. The member must be in a currency database and be part of a dimension tagged as accounts.
Click the Data Dictionary button, , press the Enter key, or select Edit > Properties to open the Dimension Properties dialog box.
Click the Account Info tab.
Select None, No Conversion, or Category from the Currency Conversion box.

Tagging a Country Dimension

Use country dimensions to track business activities in multiple countries. If you track business activity in the United States and Canada, for example, your country dimension should contain states, provinces, and countries. If a dimension is tagged as country, you can set the currency name property. The currency name property defines what type of currency this market region uses.

In a country dimension, you can specify the type of currency used in each member. For example, in the Interntl application and database shipped with Hyperion Essbase, Canada has three markets: Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. They use the same currency, Canadian dollars.

This dimension type is used for currency conversion applications. For more information, see Designing and Building Currency Conversion Applications.

To tag a dimension as country:

Select the dimension that you want to tag; for example, Market.
Click the Country button, , to display "Country" next to the dimension name.
If you want to set the currency name, click the Data Dictionary button, , press the Enter key, or select Edit > Properties to open the Dimension Properties dialog box.
Figure 9-5: Country Dimension Tagged in Dimension Properties Dialog Box
Enter the currency name, such as US$, in the Currency Name text box.
Click OK.

Tagging a Currency Partition

Use currency partition members to separate local currency members from a base currency defined in your application. If your base currency for analysis is US dollars, for example, the local currency members would contain values based on the currency type of the region, such as Canadian dollars.

This dimension type is used for currency conversion applications. For more information, see Modify the Scenario Dimension.

Tagging an Attribute Dimension

Use attribute dimensions to report and aggregate data based on characteristics of standard dimensions. In the Sample Basic database, for example, the Product dimension is associated with the Ounces attribute dimension. Members of the Ounces attribute dimension categorize products based on their size in ounces. For information about attribute dimensions, see Working with Attributes.

Keep in mind the following information about attribute dimensions when you tag a dimension as attribute:

You can tag only sparse dimensions as attribute.
Before you can save an outline to the server, each attribute dimension must be associated with a standard, sparse dimension as its base dimension.
Attribute dimensions must be the last dimensions in the outline.
Attribute dimensions have a type setting: text, numeric, Boolean, or date. Text is the default setting. For more information, see Attribute Types.
If you remove the attribute tag from a dimension, Hyperion Essbase Application Manager removes prefixes or suffixes from its member names. Prefixes and suffixes are not visible in the outline. For more information, see Defining a Prefix or Suffix Format for the Names of Members of Attribute Dimensions.

Setting the Attribute Property

To use a button to tag a dimension as attribute:

Select the dimension that you want to tag; for example, Ounces.
Click the Attribute button, .

Outline Editor displays "Attribute" next to the dimension name.

To tag a dimension as attribute using the Dimension Properties dialog box:

Select the dimension that you want to tag; for example, Ounces.
Click the Data Dictionary button, , press the Enter key, or select Edit > Properties to open the Dimension Properties dialog box.
Select Attribute in the Dimension Type box.
Click OK.

Setting the Attribute Type

Attributes have a text, Boolean, date or numeric type property. Although assigned at the dimension level, the type applies only to the level 0 members of the dimension. Hyperion Essbase sets text as the default attribute dimension type. See Attribute Types for more information.

To use buttons to set the attribute type:

Select the attribute dimension; for example, Ounces.
Click the button corresponding to the type that you specify:
- For text, click the button, for example, for member names Bottle and Can.
- For Boolean, click the button, for example, for attributes describing binary situations such as TRUE and FALSE.
- For date, click the button, for example, for 09-15-1999. Date attributes cannot support member names like September 15, 1999.
- For numeric, click the button, for example, for attribute names you use in calculations such as 12 or 16.

To set the attribute type in the Dimension Properties dialog box:

Select the dimension that you want to tag; for example, Ounces.
Click the Data Dictionary button, , press the Enter key, or select Edit > Properties to open the Dimension Properties dialog box.
Select the dimension type in the drop-down list box next to Attribute in the Dimension Type box.

Note: To enable the drop-down list box, select the Attribute option.
Click OK.

Setting Two-Pass Calculation Properties

By default, Hyperion Essbase calculates outlines from the bottom up--first calculating the values for the children and then the values for the parent. Sometimes, however, the values of the children may be based on the values of the parent or the values of other members in the outline. To obtain the correct values for these members, Hyperion Essbase must first calculate the outline and then re-calculate the members that are dependent on the calculated values of other members. The members that are calculated on the second pass through the outline are called two-pass calculations.

For more information on bottom-up calculations, see Understanding Bottom-Up Versus Top-Down Calculation.

For example, to calculate the ratio between Sales and Margin, Hyperion Essbase needs first to calculate Margin, which is a parent member based on its children, including Sales. To ensure that the ratio is calculated based on a freshly calculated Margin figure, tag the Margin % ratio member as a two-pass calculation. Hyperion Essbase calculates the database once and then calculates the ratio member again. This produces the correct result.

Note:

Even though two-pass calc is a property that you can give to any non-attribute dimension member, it works only on members of accounts dimensions, Dynamic Calc members, and Dynamic Calc And Store members. If two-pass calc is assigned to other members, Hyperion Essbase ignores it.

To set a member to be calculated on the second pass in the Outline Editor:

Select the member that you want to set the property for; for example, Margin %.
Click the Two-Pass tag button, . "Two Pass Calc" displays next to the member name.

To set a member to be calculated on the second pass using the Member Properties dialog box:

Select the dimension or member; for example, Margin %.
Click the Data Dictionary button, , press the Enter key, or select Edit > Properties to open the Member Specification dialog box.
Select Two Pass Calculation.
Click OK.

Introducing Member Consolidation Properties

Member consolidation properties determine how children roll up into their parents. By default, new members are given the addition (+) operator, meaning that members are added. For example, Jan, Feb, and Mar figures are added and the result stored in their parent, Qtr1.

Note:

Hyperion Essbase does not use consolidation properties with members of attribute dimensions. The Attribute Calculations dimension provides consolidation totals for attribute dimensions. See Calculating Attribute Data.

Table 9-1 describes each operator.

*Table 9-1: Consolidation Operators*
Operator	Description
+	Adds the member to the result of previous calculations performed on other members. This is the default operator.
-	Multiplies the member by -1 and then adds it to the sum of previous calculations performed on other members.
*	Multiplies the member by the result of previous calculations performed on other members.
/	Divides the member into the result of previous calculations performed on other members.
%	Divides the member into the sum of previous calculations performed on other members. The result is multiplied by 100 to yield a percentage value.
~	Does not use the member in the consolidation to its parent.

Calculating Members with Different Operators

When siblings have different operators, Hyperion Essbase calculates the data in top-down order. The following sectiondescribes how Hyperion Essbase calculates the members in Figure 9-6.

Figure 9-6: Sample Roll Up

Parent1
   Member1 (+)   10
   Member2 (+)   20
   Member3 (-)   25
   Member4 (*)   40
   Member5 (%)   50
   Member6 (/)   60
   Member7 (~)   70

Hyperion Essbase calculates Member1 through Member4 in Figure 9-6 as follows:

Figure 9-7: Sample Roll Up for Members 1 through 4

(((Member1 + Member2) + (-1)Member3) * Member4) = X
(((10 + 20) + (-25)) * 40) = 200

If the result of Figure 9-7 is X, then Member5 consolidates as follows:

Figure 9-8: Sample Roll Up for Member 5

(X/Member5) * 100 = Y
(200/50) * 100 = 400

If the result of Figure 9-8 is Y, then Member6 consolidates as follows:

Figure 9-9: Sample Roll Up for Member 6

Y/Member6 = Z
400/60 = 66.67

Because it is set to No Consolidation(~), Hyperion Essbase ignores Member7 in the consolidation.

Setting Member Consolidation Properties

Note:

Consolidation properties do not apply to members of attribute dimensions.

To set the consolidation property for a member using the toolbar in the Outline Editor:

Select the member.
Click the button corresponding to the consolidation you specify:
- For addition, click the button.
- For subtraction, click the button.
- For multiplication, click the button.
- For division, click the button.
- For percents, click the button.
- To exclude the member from the consolidation, click the button.

To set the consolidation property for a member using the Member Properties dialog box:

Select the member.
Click the Data Dictionary button, , press the Enter key, or select Edit > Properties to open the Member Properties dialog box.
Figure 9-10: Setting Consolidation Properties
Select the operator from the Consolidation box on the Member Info page.

Setting Storage Properties

You can determine how and when Hyperion Essbase stores the data values for a member. For example, you can tell Hyperion Essbase to only calculate the value for a member when a user requests it and then discard the data value. Table 9-2 lists each storage property and tells you when to set it and where to go to learn how to set it.

*Table 9-2: Choosing Storage Properties*
Use this property...	When you want to...	For more information, see...
Store	Store the data value with the member.	Storing Data
Dynamic Calc And Store	Not calculate the data value until a user requests it, and then store the data value.	Dynamically Calculating Data
Dynamic Calc	Not calculate the data value until a user requests it, and then discard the data value.	Dynamically Calculating Data
Never share	Not allow members to be shared implicitly.	Implied Sharing
Label only	Create members for navigation only, that is, members that contain no data values.	Creating Label Only Members
Shared member	Share values between members. For example, the 100-20 member is stored under the 100 parent and shared under Diet parent.	Sharing Members

Storing Data

By default, Hyperion Essbase stores each data value with the associated member. For example, if 50 cases of Cola were sold in January in Massachusetts, Hyperion Essbase stores 50 at the intersection of Cola, Jan, Massachusetts.

To use a button to tag a member as stored:

Select the member.
Click the Store button, .

To tag a member as stored using the Member Properties dialog box:

Select the member.
Click the Data Dictionary button, , press the Enter key, or select Edit > Properties to open the Member Properties dialog box.
Select Store Data in the Data Storage box on the Member Info page.
Click OK.

Dynamically Calculating Data

When a member is Dynamic Calc, Hyperion Essbase does not calculate the value for that member until a user requests it. After the user views it, Hyperion Essbase does not store the value for that member. If you tag a member as Dynamic Calc And Store, Hyperion Essbase performs the same operation as for a Dynamic Calc member, except that Hyperion Essbase does store the data value for that member after the user views it.

For more information on Dynamic Calc or Dynamic Calc And Store members, see Dynamically Calculating Data Values

Note:

Hyperion Essbase automatically tags members of attribute dimensions as Dynamic Calc. You cannot change this setting.

To use buttons to tag a member as Dynamic Calc or Dynamic Calc And Store:

Select the member.
Click the Dynamic Calc button, , or the Dynamic Calc And Store button, . "Dynamic Calc" or "Dynamic Calc And Store" displays next to the member names.

To tag a member as Dynamic Calc or Dynamic Calc And Store using the Member Properties dialog box:

Select the member.
Click the Data Dictionary button, , press the Enter key, or select Edit > Properties to open the Member Properties dialog box.
Select Dynamic Calc or Dynamic Calc And Store in the Data Storage box on the Member Info page.
Click OK.

Creating Label Only Members

Label only members have no data associated with them. Use them to group members or to ease navigation and reporting from the Hyperion Essbase Spreadsheet Add-in. Typically, you should give label only members the no consolidation property. For more information on the no consolidation property, see Setting Member Consolidation Properties.

Note:

You cannot associate attributes with label only members. If you tag as label only a base dimension member that has attributes associated with it, Hyperion Essbase removes the attribute associations and displays a warning message.

To use a button to tag a member as label only:

Select the member; for example, Inventory.
Click the Label Only button, . "Label Only" displays next to the member name.

To tag a member as label only using the Member Properties dialog box:

Select the member.
Click the Data Dictionary button, , press the Enter key, or select Edit > Properties to open the Member Properties dialog box.
Select Label Only in the Data Storage box on the Member Info page.
Click OK.

Sharing Members

The data values associated with a shared member come from another member with the same name. The shared member stores a pointer to data contained in the other member and the data is only stored once. To define a member as shared, there must be an actual non-shared member of the same name. For example, in the Sample Basic database, the 100-20 member under 100 stores the data for that member. The 100-20 member under Diet points to that value.

Shared members are typically used to calculate the same member across multiple parents. For example, you might want to calculate a Diet Cola member in both the 100 and Diet parents.

Using shared members lets you use members repeatedly throughout a dimension. Hyperion Essbase stores the data value only once, but it displays in multiple locations. This offers considerable space saving as well as processing efficiency.

Rules for Shared Members

Follow these rules when creating shared members:

The shared members must be in the same dimension. For example, both 100-20 members in the Sample Basic database are in the Product dimension.
Shared members cannot have children.
You can have an unlimited number of shared members with the same name.
You cannot assign UDAs, formulas, consolidation properties, or account properties to shared members.
You cannot associate attributes with shared members.
You can assign aliases to shared members.
You should not create an outline where shared members are located before actual members in a dimension.

Implied Sharing

The shared member property defines a shared data relationship explicitly. Some members are shared even if you don't explicitly set them as shared. These members are said to be implied shared members.

Hyperion Essbase assumes (or implies) a shared member relationship in the following situations:

A parent has only one child. In this situation, the parent and the child contain the same data. Hyperion Essbase ignores the consolidation property on the child and stores the data only once--thus the parent has an implied shared relationship with the child. In Figure 9-11, for example, the parent 500 has only one child, 500-10, so the parent shares the value of that child.
Figure 9-11: Implied Sharing of a Parent with One Child
A parent has only one child that consolidates to the parent. If the parent has four children, but three of them are marked as no consolidation, then the parent and child that consolidates contain the same data. Hyperion Essbase ignores the consolidation property on the child and stores the data only once--thus the parent has an implied shared relationship with the child. In Figure 9-12, for example, the parent 500 has only one child, 500-10, that rolls up to it. The other children are marked as No Consolidate(~), so the parent implicitly shares the value of 500-10.
Figure 9-12: Implied Sharing of a Parent with Multiple Children

If you do not want a member to be shared implicitly, mark the parent as Never Share so that the data is duplicated, and is not shared. See Setting the Shared Member Property.

Setting the Shared Member Property

To tag a member as shared in the Outline Editor:

Select the shared member.
Click the Shared Member button, . "Shared Member" displays next to the member name.
If the shared member and the actual member roll up to multiple parents, their values are counted twice in a consolidation of the database. If you want to prevent this, select the shared member and click the No Consolidate button, . The tilde character (~) displays next to the member's name.

Setting UDAs

You can create your own user-defined attributes for members. A user-defined attribute (UDA) is a word or phrase about the member. For example, you might create a UDA called Debit. Use UDAs in:

Calc scripts. After you define a UDA, you can query a member for its UDA in a calc script. For example, you could multiply all members with the UDA Debit by -1 so that they display as either positive or negative (depending on how the data is currently stored). See Developing Calc Scripts.
Data loading. You can change the sign of the data as it is loaded into the database based on its UDA. See Flipping Field Signs.

If you want to perform a calculation, selectively retrieve data based on attribute values, or provide full crosstab, pivot, and drill-down support in the spreadsheet, create attribute dimensions instead of UDAs. See Differences Between Attributes and UDAs.

Rules for UDAs

Follow these rules when creating UDAs:

You can define multiple UDAs per member.
You cannot set the same UDA twice for one member.
You can set the same UDA for different members.
A UDA name can be the same as a member, alias, level, or generation name. When you name UDAs, follow the same naming rules as for members. See Rules for Naming Dimensions and Members.
You cannot create a UDA on shared members.
You cannot create a UDA on members of attribute dimensions.
A UDA applies to the specified member only. Descendants and ancestors of the member don't automatically receive the same UDA.

Creating UDAs

To create a UDA in the Outline Editor:

Select the member to create the UDA for; for example, East.
Click the Data Dictionary button, , press the Enter key, or select Edit > Properties to open the Member Properties dialog box and click the UDAs tab.
Figure 9-13: UDAs Page
Enter the UDA in the UDAs text box or select it from the list box; for example, Major Market.
Click the Add button to add it to the UDAs list. The UDAs box lists all UDAs for the selected member.
Click OK.

Setting Comments on Dimensions and Members

You can add comments to dimensions and members. The Outline Editor displays these comments to the right of the dimension or member in the following format:

/* comment */

To add comments to dimensions or members:

Select the dimension or member that you'd like to add the comment to; for example, Market.
Click the Data Dictionary button, , press the Enter key, or select Edit > Properties to open the Dimension Properties dialog box.
Figure 9-14: Comments in the Dimension Specification Dialog Box
Enter the comment in the Comment text box; for example, US Markets Only. A comment can be up to 255 characters.
Click OK.
The comment displays to the right of the dimension or member in the Outline Editor.

Figure 9-15: Sample Dimension Comment

Setting Formulas for Dimensions and Members

You can apply formulas to standard dimensions and members. You cannot set formulas for attribute dimensions and their members. The formula determines how Hyperion Essbase calculates the outline data. For more information about formulas, see Developing Formulas.

To add a formula to a dimension or member:

Select the dimension or member to which to add the formula; for example, Variance %.
Click the Formula button, , or press the = sign on the keyboard to open the Formula Editor:
Figure 9-16: Formula Editor
Type the formula into the edit field; for example, @VARPER(Actual, Budget).
Select File > Close to close the Formula Editor. Hyperion Essbase checks the formula's syntax. If the syntax is correct, the formula displays next to the member's name. If not, open the Formula Editor and check the syntax.
For more information about using the Formula Editor, see Creating Formulas.