Subsets
- Adam Davis
Subsets are lists of elements that are part of the dimension. Subsets are used to filter the elements to what is required for the purpose of the subset. Apliqo FPM includes predefined subsets that are used for filters, picklists and for reporting. The FPM Module Administrator can modify these subsets to suit the organisation or create new subsets for reporting.
Subsets can be displayed using an alias instead of the element principal name. An alias provides a user-friendly description of the elements.
There are three classes of subsets that can be defined in Apliqo FPM: Standard Subsets, Static Subsets and Dynamic Subsets.
Standard Subsets are common subsets apply to most dimensions. The default settings for the Standard Subsets are appropriate to Apliqo FPM.
Static Subsets is a defined list elements that are members of the subset. The static subset will only change if the static subset definition is updated, or the element is removed from the dimension.
Dynamic Subsets are defined by using a query language called Multidimensional Expressions, or MDX for short. Each time the dimension is updated the dynamic subsets are re-evaluated according to their MDX expression. This means the members of the dynamic subsets change as the dimension changes. Knowledge of MDX expression language will allow you to define advance dynamic subsets. The Dynamic Subset UI has a MDX Helper that will help define common dynamic subsets.
In summary, Static Subset are easy to use and gives you the most control over this subset. Dynamic Subsets require less ongoing maintenance but requires knowledge of the MDX expression language.