Book Image

Microsoft Tabular Modeling Cookbook

By : te Braak
Book Image

Microsoft Tabular Modeling Cookbook

By: te Braak

Overview of this book

Business Intelligence Semantic Models (BISM) is a technology that is designed to deliver analytical information to users through a variety of mechanisms that include model structure, definition, and design. This book demonstrates how to create BISM models so that information can be presented to users in an intuitive and easy-to-use format. Once the model is defined, we also show you how it can be managed and maintained so that the data in it remains current and secure. Microsoft Tabular Modeling Cookbook is an all-encompassing guide to developing, managing, creating, and using analytical models using the Business Intelligence Semantic Model (BISM). This title covers a range of modeling situations and common data analysis related problems to show you the techniques required to turn data into information using tabular modeling. Microsoft Tabular Modeling Cookbook examines three areas of tabular modeling: model development, model management and maintenance, and reporting. This book is a practical guide on how to develop semantic models and turn business data into information. It covers all phases of the model lifecycle from creation to administration and finally reporting. It also shows you how to create models which are designed to analyze data. All sections of BISM modeling from development to management and finally reporting are covered. The sections on development examine a wide range of techniques and tricks required to build models, including moving data into the model, structuring the model to manipulate the data, and finally the formulas required to answer common business questions; all of these are discussed in this book in detail. Finally, the book examines methods of reporting on the data within the model, including the creation of data-driven workbooks and reports for a powerful end user experience.
Table of Contents (13 chapters)
12
Index

Creating hierarchies for drilldown interaction


Hierarchies allow the model designer to specify navigation paths for the user. Usually, this is done in order to group members of a particular type together. A simple example of this is grouping months of a year together.

Getting ready

This recipe assumes a continuation from the recipe Sorting data.

How to do It…

  1. Switch to the Diagram View of the model.

  2. Change the year_name column to Year.

  3. Select the Month Name and Year columns by holding down the Ctrl key while selecting each column.

  4. Right-click the Year column and select the Create Hierarchy option, so that a new hierarchy is created within the view.

  5. Rename the hierarchy to Month By Year by right-clicking the hierarchy name and selecting Rename from the pop-up menu.

  6. Return to Excel and refresh the PowerPivot field list to show the new hierarchy in the dates table.

  7. Remove the Months member from the existing Pivot and add the Month By Year hierarchy. Note that all years are shown (since these are the...