Building the Essbase Outline
[ 80 ]
For example:
In the above formula:
TOTAL SALES = SALES + (DISCOUNTS * (-1))
Member storage
When you create a member in Essbase, you need to tag the member with a storage
property on how the data is stored for this member. By default, when a member is
created, it is tagged as Store Data. You can change the member storage option in
Member Properties | Data Storage.
The different storage options available to you are explained as follows:
• Store Data: Stores the data value with the member. The data can be the result
of a calculation, data load from an external source, or an Essbase "Lock and
Send" directly from Microsoft Excel using the Essbase Add-in for Microsoft
Excel. The data is physically stored in the database.
• Dynamic Calc and Store: The rst time the data is requested, Essbase will
dynamically calculate it and then store it with the member. Essbase will
automatically recalculate the data and update the stored values on the next
request for data if a component value used in the member formula changes.
At the rst call for a dynamically calculated and stored member's data value,
the data is dynamically calculated and physically stored in its proper cell in
the database. Unless a component value of the now stored data value has
changed, the data is not dynamically calculated again.
• Dynamic Calc: Essbase does not physically store the calculated data value
at all and only calculates it on demand. This is a good option if database size
is an issue as it helps keep the database smaller. Some care must be exercised
because dynamic calculations tend to consume large amounts of resources.
Balance is the key here.
• Never Share: Does not allow Essbase to implicitly share this member. What
this means in Essbase is when you have a member that only has one child
member that member implicitly takes the value of the only child. There are

times when you do not want this to occur. You can still share this member
explicitly by creating another member of the same name and selecting
Shared Member as its storage option.
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[ 81 ]
• Label Only: Members you create as placeholders only. The Label Only
option is a way to help organize your database outline without affecting
database size. Label Only members do not contain any data. No data is
physically stored in this member.
• Shared Member: For convenience, you may want to have a member appear
in different groups take values from different groups or simply use a
member's data somewhere else in the outline. The Shared Member allows
you to do this with relative ease. Yes, the same effect could be achieved with
specic calculation coding, but that can be complex and confusing. Look at
the following screenshot to see how you would use a shared member:
In the following screenshot you will see how easy it is to set the outline member
properties using the EAS tool.
This material is copyright and is licensed for the sole use by Paul Corcorran on 5th July 2009
8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 79423
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Building the Essbase Outline
[ 82 ]
Member formulas
One of the coolest things in Essbase is that you can create a formula which will be
attached to a member in the database outline. If the member is tagged as Dynamic
Calc, the formula will execute when the user is trying to retrieve the data for that
member. If the member is tagged as Store Data, the formula will execute when a

calculation script is executed against that member.
Member formulas can be constructed by using some of the available commands
and functions of which a few are listed here:
• Conditional coding functions like
IF, ELSEIF, and ENDIF
• Boolean (true or false) functions like ISMBR, ISCHILD, and ISDESC
• Relationship functions like @LEV, @GEN, and @CURGEN
• Mathematical operators like +, -, *, and /
• Math functions like
@ABS, @SUM, and @MOD
The steps to add a formula to the member
TOTAL NET REVENUE are as follows:
1. Select the TOTAL NET REVENUE member and click on Edit the
formula for the selected member as shown in the following screenshot:
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8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 79423
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Chapter 3
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2. Enter the formula as shown below in the formula editor. The formula states
that the member
TOTAL NET REVENUE is calculated as GROSS REVENUE less
DISCOUNTS
"TOTAL NET REVENUE"="GROSS REVENUE" - "TOTAL DISCOUNTS";
The member
TOTAL NET REVENUE is tagged as Dynamic Calc. When a
database user executes a retrieve for the data stored in the
TOTAL NET
REVENUE
member, the TOTAL NET REVENUE value will be dynamically

calculated as TOTAL NET REVENUE = TOTAL REVENUE - TOTAL DISCOUNTS.
3. As shown below in the Formula editor screen, once you have entered
the formula, you can click on Verify to verify it and then click on OK to
save the formula. It should be pointed out that the formula is only saved
in a temporary buffer until the database outline has been saved.
This material is copyright and is licensed for the sole use by Paul Corcorran on 5th July 2009
8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 79423
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Building the Essbase Outline
[ 84 ]
After you have clicked OK in the Formula editor, you can see the new formula in
the Essbase outline next to the appropriate outline member. The following screenshot
shows the formula attached to the outline member TOTAL NET REVENUE:
Member alias
As the name implies, a member alias, is an alternate name for a database outline
member. This is a very useful feature for several reasons.
For instance, let's say there is an Esscar car dealership whose member name in the
database outline is
Hood Esscar Best Dealers with the dealer ID code set up as
an alias (
03030-USA). The dealership is purchased by a person named Robin and
he has decided to change the name of the dealership to Robin Hood Esscar Best
Dealers
. This dealership, for all Esscar purposes is the same dealership, so a simple
outline change to the member name is all that is required while leaving the alias
the same to identify the dealer to the system.
As a best practice, it is always advisable, wherever possible, to load data using the
aliases and not the descriptions. If the aliases are left alone, any cosmetic naming
changes to the database outline will only consist of the outline change. If the aliases
are also changed, any special mappings must also be changed.

When constructing an Essbase database, it is always advisable for you
to plan appropriately and consistently. When setting up your outline,
you must decide if the member names will reect the full text name of
the data element, or will you use alias tables for this purpose. Report
generation, data loading, and data calculation can depend heavily on
member names or aliases. To avoid confusion and simplify things, it is
best to develop a strategy on how to use member's names and aliases
and stick to it consistently!
This material is copyright and is licensed for the sole use by Paul Corcorran on 5th July 2009
8601 ave. p #1, , lubbock, , 79423
Download at Boykma.Com