Member functions

Member function available are:

 

1.       Lag(x)

2.       Previous member

3.       Next member

4.       Null to member

5.       Member to null

6.       First sibling

7.       Last sibling

8.       First Child

9.       Last Child

10.   Children

11.   Descendants

 

Next Member

 

1.     Drag the member Acapulco from the level Cities (You can use Finder to find it easily) to the Columns

2.     Right-click on it, and select Next Member from the Member functions submenu

3.     New member will be added to the list, as the result. It will be the next member from the level, in this case Guadalajara. As with the Element functions, the initiator member will be disabled

 

Figure 6-15: The result of the Next Member function

 

 

 

 

First Sibling

 

1.     Drag the member Beverly Hills from the level Cities (You can use Finder to find it easily) to the Columns

2.     Right-click on it, and select First Sibling from the Member functions submenu

3.     New element will be added to the list, as the result. It will be the first sibling from the level, in this case Altadena. As with the Element functions, the initiator member will be disabled

 

Figure 6-16: The result of the First Sibling function

 

Children

 

1.     Drag the member Beverly Hills from the level Cities (You can use Finder to find it easily) to the Columns

2.     Right-click on it, and select Children from the Member functions submenu

3.     New element will be added to the list, as the result. It will contain all the children of the member, in this case Customers. As with the Element functions, the initiator member will be disabled

 

Figure 6-17: The result of the function Children

Time Functions

Our Designer has a special ability to apply MDX Time Functions to time dimension members.

Functions that can be applied (without the need to learn MDX language and syntax) are:

1.     Parallel Periods

2.     Periods to Date

3.     Last Periods

 

 

Parallel Periods

This function will return set of this member, and the same member from other time period.

Example: We need to compare June 2000 to the same month from the previous year.

1.     Using Finder, find and select June 2000 (tip: search the months that contain „2000“, and then check the sixth month)

2.     Drag it and drop to column

Figure 6-18: June (or the sixth month) of the year 2000 is added to the columns

 

3.     Right-click the element, select Time Functions, and then select Parallel Periods from the Time functions submenu

Selecting the Parallel Periods function

 

4.     The function dialog will appear

Parallel Periods function dialog

 

5.     Click the button Add and then select the level Year

6.     Set value to the 1 (meaning 1 year before this period)

7.     Click Create

8.     A new member will be added, representing June from years 1999 and 2000

New element has been added to the columns, representing the same motnth from a year before.

 

Period to date

Returns a set of periods (members) from a specified level starting with the first period and ending with a specified member.

Example: We need to select the period from the beginnig of the quarter to the selected element.

1.     Right click the member June 2000 from the previous example, and select the function Period to Date from the Time functions submenu.

Selecting Period to Date upon the member 2000 M 6

 

2.     The function dialog will appear

Selecting Quarter

 

3.     Click the button Add, and select the level Quarter

4.     Click Create

5.     The returned set will contain the members from the beginning of the second quarter to June 2000

The returned set representing the second quarter of the year 2000

 

 

Last Periods

Returns a set of periods (members) from a specified member.

Example: We need to select period from the beginnig of the year 2000 to June 2000

1.     Right-click the member June 2000 from the previous example, and select the function Last Periods from the Time Functions submenu

Selecting Last Periods upon the member 2000 M 6

 

2.     The Function dialog appears

Selecting period of 6 months prior and including the initiator member

 

3.     Select the value 6 (6 months back from and including the current time member)

4.     Click Create

 

5.     The returned set represent the first six months of the year 2000

The returned set representing the first 6 months of the year 2000