A Name Definition is a definition for types and objects in Profitbase Studio and other Profitbase systems. It can e.g. be a column definition for a measure or dimension, or it can be a system name like language, module type etc.
Name Definitions consist of a unique ID (name like e.g. AccountID), a Name and a Description.
Items are grouped in categories for different use. Only items in some of these categories can be edited by the user, while others are for internal use.
All items Name and Description can be translated to different languages (although not all changes will be used). The language code itself has its own category and definition.
Each item can also be associated with a data type. This only applies if the item is used as a column in a data table, and when it is not a reserved system column.
Profitbase supplies a set of standard Name Definition Items. These cannot be deleted, but the name and description can be changed for editable categories. These will have $PB in the Created by field.
Item IDs are referenced through the data model in Profitbase Studio. This means that items that are in use, cannot be deleted.
Click the <Templates, Name Definitions> section and select Name Definitions to view the list of Name Definitions and Data Types.
The default tab selected is the Name Definition builder where all categories are displayed. When the "All" Category is selected, you may only add Language Definitions to some of the Name Definitions.
To define a new Name Definition, select a Category using the pull down menu.
Items in the following categories can be edited.
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Calculated Cube Dimension Member |
This contains definitions for BL Columns for use in Cubes. |
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Description |
By default this contains the standard Description Column. |
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Dimension ID |
This contains definitions for Dimension IDs. It will be used as a Column Type in tables and in model definitions like Dimension Trees and BL. |
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Dimension Name |
This contains names for Dimension IDs, Dimension Integer IDs and Dimension Properties in Data Source Dimension Tables. These names has a certain pattern using underscore(_) to separate id, name and language i.e. DimensionID_Name_EN-US. |
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Dimension Property |
This contains definitions for Dimension Property IDs. It will be used as a Column Type in tables and in model definitions like Dimension Trees and BL. |
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Dimension Type |
This is used for categorizing Dimension Tree types (in templates and solutions). |
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Display Folder |
Predefine name of Display Folders for use in BL/Cubes. |
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Item Not Found |
Define text used for item ids with no description. |
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KPI |
This contains definitions for KPI IDs. It will be used in BL definitions for Cubes. |
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Language |
This contains definitions for Language Codes. These codes must be official Microsoft Language Codes, e.g. EN for English, EN-US for US-English or FR for French (2 or 5 chars). |
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Measure |
This contains definitions for Measures. It will be used as a Column Type in tables and in model definitions. Data Type can be changed to optimize solution. |
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Module |
This defines Module Types used in templates and in Cube Measure Groups / Module Definitions. |
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Named Set |
This contains definitions for Named Sets used in Cube scripts. |
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Profitbase Reserved Keyword |
This is keywords used by the system. User can change data type. |
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Solution Tag Placeholder |
This defines SQL placeholder tags used in Data Sources and Scripts. |
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System |
This contains definitions for special items (system items) critical for the solution. It e.g. contains dimension id Company ID that is used in Dim.Keys, it contains Transdate that is required in fact tables etc. |
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Time Dimension Attribute |
This contains Time Dimension Attributes |
| Time Dimension Hierarchy | This contains Time Dimension Hierarchy |
| Time Dimension Item | This contains Time Dimension Item |
| Time Dimension Level Text | This contains Time Dimension Level Text |
| Time Dimension Property | This contains Time Dimension Property |
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Unknown from Fact Folder |
This contains definitions for Folders where ‘unknown from Fact’ items are stored in Dimension Trees after Cube processing. |
These are system definitions provided by Profitbase.
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Aggregate Function |
This contains system definitions for Cube Measure Aggregate Functions used in Cube BL. |
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Business Logic Type |
This contains categories for available business logic types used in BL. |
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Calculated Cube Measure |
This contains predefined system definitions for Calculated Cube Measures. |
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Calculated Fact Dimension |
This contains predefined system definitions for Calculated Fact Dimensions. |
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Calculated Fact Measure |
This contains predefined system definitions for Calculated Fact Measures. |
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Calendar Type |
This contains system definitions for supported Calendar Types. |
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Connection Method |
This contains system definitions for how connections are handled, e.g. as SSIS, Linked Server or Direct. |
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Connection Type |
This contains system definitions for Data Source Connection Types, e.g. MSSQL, File, Excel. |
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CubeStorageMode |
This contains system definitions for supported Cube Partition Storage Modes. |
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Data Warehouse Type |
This contains system definitions to support Teradata Data Warehouse databases. |
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Day Formats |
This contains predefined system definitions for Day Formats. |
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Dim Format |
This contains predefined system definitions for how dimension items are formatted (in dim trees). |
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Dim Item Id |
This contains predefined system definitions for how dimension items is prefixed for uniqueness with Dimension Keys |
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Dim Table Type |
NA - This contains system definitions for type of dimension tree. |
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Dimension Mode |
This contains system definitions for supported Dimension Tree Modes, e.g. if Parent/Child, Level Based or Wide Dimension Tree. |
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Dimension tag |
NA – reserved for Tags for use as place holders for Dimension Columns. |
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Dimension Tree |
NA – reserved for Dimension Tree Type |
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DW Process Group |
This contains system definitions for Data Warehouse Process Group Types. |
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Expired |
System Items that are reserved but not in use/not supported are placed here. |
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Fact Column Type |
This contains predefined system definitions for Indexes and Primary Keys used in Data Sources. |
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Fact Function Types |
This contains predefined system definitions for Function Types used in Fact Management. |
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Fact status update types |
This contains system definitions for dates used in fact table Reload and Update. |
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Fact Table |
This contains system definitions for supported Fact Table Types |
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Fact Update Mode |
This contains system definitions for supported fact table update modes (standard, incremental, full). |
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Link Column Type |
This contains system definitions for Dimension Source mapping, e.g. if a column is ItemID, Description, ParentID or CompanyID. |
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Module Group |
This contains system definitions for supported Module Group Types, e.g. if an OLAP, Sim or WebPlan module. |
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Month Format |
This contains predefined system definitions for Month Formats. |
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NA |
This contains the definition for the ‘Not in use’ item. |
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Partition Boundary Type |
This contains system definitions for supported column types used for Partition Boundaries. |
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Partition Type |
This contains predefined system definitions for supported Partitioning Types, e.g. Historic, Current |
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Column Prefix and Suffix |
This contains predefined system definitions for Prefixes and Suffixes used on Name Definitions columns used in mostly Time Dimensions. |
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Provider Type |
This contains system definitions for Provider Types, e.g. OLEDB, ODBC. |
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Quarter Format |
This contains predefined system definitions for Quarter Formats. |
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Sort Type |
This contains system definitions for supported Sort Types used in Dimension Trees. |
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Staging Type |
This contains system definitions for supported Staging Types, e.g. 1 or 2 level staging types. |
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Time Dimension Attribute Hierarchy |
This contains predefined system definitions for Time Dimension Attribute Hierarchies. |
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Time Dimension Formatting |
This contains predefined system definitions for Time Dimension Formatting. |
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Trade Calendar Week Type |
This contains predefined system definitions for Trade Calendar Week Types |
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Week Format |
This contains predefined system definitions for Week Formats |
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Weekday Format |
This contains predefined system definitions for Weekday Formats |
Select a Category. Click and enter the following information:
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ID |
Enter a unique alpha and or numeric identification. No spaces and only alpha and numeric characters are allowed. |
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Data Type |
Use the pull down list to select the Data Type. |
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Name |
Define a Name for the item. |
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Description |
Define a description for the item. |
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Created |
The date the item was created. Date is automatically assigned by the system. |
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Created by |
User who created the item; User name is automatically assigned by the system based on the User Login. |
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Last Changed |
Date of last change. Date is automatically assigned by the system. |
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Last Ch.By |
User who changed the item; User name is automatically assigned by the system based on the User Login. |
Below the Name Definition table is a section Language Settings.
When a row is selected in the Name Definition table, the language table will be filled with the selected item’s translations. Translations are applied to Names and Descriptions.
Click to define a new translation.
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Language |
Select the language code. |
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Name |
Translate the Name of the item. |
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Description |
Translate the description of the item. |
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Created |
The date the translation was created. Date is automatically assigned by the system. |
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Created by |
User who created the translation; User name is automatically assigned by the system based on the User Login. |
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Last Changed |
Date of last change. Date is automatically assigned by the system. |
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Last Ch.By |
User who changed the translation; User name is automatically assigned by the system based on the User Login. |
Click on Save to save changes. Click on Delete to remove translation.
Next to the Select Category drop down list is a Translate button.
To translate Name Definitions, select a category from the Select Category drop down list and hit Translate. If you do not select a category, you will get a list of all the Name Definitions, which may be a very large list.
In the Name Definition Translation window, the Name Definition elements in the category you selected are displayed with their default Id, and optionally Name and Description.
For each of the languages defined in your Solution Database, the translated value for each Name Definition element is also displayed.
To translate an element, simply type a translation for each language and hit Save.
Using Excel to translate elements
You can copy and paste data between Excel and the Name Definition Translation window. By copying the Name Definitions which you want to translate into an excel sheet, you can send the sheet around the organization and then copy the result back into the Name Definition Translation window.
To copy data from the Name Definitions window to excel, select the records in the grid and hit Copy or Ctrl + C, and then paste into excel.
To copy data from excel to the Name Definitions window, do the following
Select the data you want to copy from excel.
Note that you cannot paste system defined values into the grid, meaning records with "System" in their column headers if you look in the Name Definition Translation window.
Put the caret in the field where you want the data to be copied into and hit Paste or Ctrl + V. This will copy the data record by record into the Name Definition Translation data grid.
Hit Save to save the translation definition to the database.
Select the Data Types tab to display the Data Types Builder. The following Data Types are defined:
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NA |
Used as type for definitions that does not require a type. |
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ID |
Used for all identifiers and properties. |
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Date |
Used for Date and Time Stamp; Data is based on the ISO 8601 or US format where YYYY-MM-DD is the Date format and HH:MM:SS is the Time format, where HH is 0 to 24 hours and 00:00:00 is midnight. |
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PBKey |
Used for numeric key. |
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Standard Measure |
Number format for standard measure; normally for monetary values. Aggregate in cube. |
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Description String |
Type for description string. |
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Dimension |
Type for dimension name. |
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Float |
Single-precision floating point - 32-bit. Aggregate in cube. |
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Percent |
Percent defined as float. Does not aggregate in cube. |
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Ratio |
Ratio is factor as regular number. Does not aggregate in cube. |
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IntID |
Integer Dimension ID. Bigint data type by default. |
Clickand enter the following information to create a new Data Type:
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ID |
The Data Type ID is automatically assigned by the system. |
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Name |
Enter a unique Data Type name. This name will be used when defining Name Definitions. |
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Description |
Enter a description if desired. |
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Definition |
Enter a Data Type Definition. |
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Created |
Date Data Type was created. Date is automatically assigned by the system. |
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Created by |
User who created the Data Type; User name is automatically assigned by the system based on the User Login. |
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Last Changed |
Date of last change. Date is automatically assigned by the system. |
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Last Ch.By |
User who changed the Data Type; User name is automatically assigned by the system based on the User Login. |
Click onto save changes. Click onto remove Data Type.