Home

	Expand Search

WarehouseArchitect - User's Guide

Part 3 WarehouseArchitect Model

Chapter 14: Defining Multidimensional Objects

Defining facts and dimensions

Defining facts and dimensions

What is a fact?A fact corresponds to the focus of a decision support investigation, for example, Sales, Revenue, and Budget are facts.

You attach facts to fact tables. When you create a fact table, a fact with the same name as the table is automatically created.

What is a dimension?A dimension defines the axis of the investigation of a fact. For example, Product, Region, and Time are the axes of investigation of the Sales fact.

You attach dimensions to dimension tables. When you create a dimension table, a dimension with the same name as the table is automatically created.

Creating a fact or a dimension

• To create a fact or a dimension:
  1. Select WAM-->List of Facts to create a fact.

     or

     Select WAM-->List of Dimensions to create a dimension.

     A list of objects of the selected type appears.

     

  2. Click a blank line in the list.

     or

     Click the New button.

     An arrow appears at the beginning of the line.

  3. Type a name and a code.

     or

     Type a name and click the Equals button in the Code column.

     or

     Type a code and click the Equals button in the Name column.

  4. Click the Table column and attach the fact or dimension to a table.

  5. Click OK in each dialog box.

Attaching a fact or a dimension to a table

You attach facts to fact tables, and dimensions to dimension tables.

You can only attach one table to each fact or dimension.

When you attach a fact or dimension to a table with no table type, the table becomes a fact table or a dimension table.

• To attach a fact or a dimension to a table:
  1. Select WAM-->List of Facts.

     or

     Select WAM-->List of Dimensions.

     A list of objects of the selected type appears.

     

  2. Select a fact.

     or

     Select a dimension.

     An arrow appears at the beginning of the line.

  3. Click the Table column and click the Ellipses button.

     The List of Tables appears.

     If you selected the List of Facts in step 1, the List of Tables displays fact tables, and tables with no table type.

     If you selected the List of Dimensions in step 1, the List of Tables displays dimension tables, and tables with no table type.

     

  4. Select a table.

  5. Click OK.

     The name of the selected table appears in the Table column.

  6. Click OK.