SSAS 2k5/8: Sorting the Dimensions list in Excel

  • Hi guys,

    while building your cubes you can sort your Dimensions connected to your cubes manually in "Cube Structure".

    But if you browse it or your import it into excel the sorting is in alphabethical order.

    Is there a way to influence it?

    Cheers

    Mitch

  • I don't believe there is any way to change that unless you renamed your dimensions in the cube structure. I am wondering why you would want them sorted in a non-alphabetical way. Seems to me that would be kind of confusing for the end users when looking for a particular entity to analyze.

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    Dan English - http://denglishbi.wordpress.com

  • Take a Role Playing Date Dimension for example. Naming the Dimensions "Booking Date", "Cancellation Date" and "Invoice Date" etc, will ensure that all the Dimensions that relate to "Time" are not grouped together in the Dimension List.

    To me, this is flawed.

    It would make much more sense to be able to Group or Order the Dimension List in Excel so that :-

    1) All Role Playing Dimensions are next to each other in the list (without having to name the Dimensions in any particular way)

    2) Individual Business Areas can be Grouped together in a more natural way, that suits the individual Business.

    It may be possible to rename the Dimensions in SSAS; but it not always convenient to have to think about how the Dimensions are going to be listed, in the Presentation Layer, at the Dimensional Modelling Stage. And is it not actually an easy task to go and rename Objects in SSAS, due to high levels of Dependent Objects in the Cube.

    And besides; why would Microsoft allow us to physically order Dimensions, in the Cube Structure Tab in SSAS, only for Excel to completely ignore the wishes of the Developer ?

  • paulbw (2/21/2012)


    And besides; why would Microsoft allow us to physically order Dimensions, in the Cube Structure Tab in SSAS, only for Excel to completely ignore the wishes of the Developer ?

    Excel ignores a lot of wishes of the Developer 😀

    (and SSRS as well)

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