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Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) is a query language for OLAP databases, much like SQL is a query language for relational databases. It is also a calculation language, with syntax similar to spreadsheet formulas.

Contents 1 History 1.1 mdXML 2 MDX data types 2.1 Scalar 2.2 Hierarchy 2.3 Level 2.4 Member 2.5 Tuple 2.6 Set 2.7 Other data types 3 Example Query 4 Books 5 External links

MDX was first introduced as part of the OLE DB for OLAP (ODBO) specification in 1997 from Microsoft (where it was invented by Mosha Pasumansky). The specification was quickly followed by commercial release of Microsoft OLAP Services 7.0 in 1998, and later by Microsoft Analysis Services. The latest version of the OLE DB for OLAP (ODBO) specification was issued by Microsoft in 1999.

While it was not an open standard, but rather a Microsoft owned specification, it was adopted by the wide range of OLAP vendors. This included both vendors on the server side such as ALG Software, Applix, Descisys, Microstrategy, Panoratio, SAS, SAP, Whitelight, NCR and vendors on the client side such as Panorama, Proclarity, AppSource, Cognos, Business Objects, Brio Technology, Crystal Reports, Microsoft Excel, etc.

With the invention of XML for Analysis, which standardized MDX as a query language, even more companies- such as Hyperion Solutions- began supporting MDX.

The XML for Analysis specification referred back to the OLE DB for OLAP (ODBO) specification for details on the MDX Language. In Analysis Services 2005, Microsoft has added some MDX Language extensions like sub-queries. Products like Microsoft Excel 2007 have started to use these new MDX extensions.

In 2001 the XMLA Council released the XML for Analysis standard, which included mdXML as a query language. In the current XMLA 1.1 specification, mdXML is essentially MDX wrapped in the XML tag.

There are six primary data types in MDX

Scalar is either a number or a string. It can be specified as a literal, e.g. number 5 or string "OLAP" or it can be returned by an MDX function, e.g. Aggregate (number), UniqueName (string), .Value (number or string) etc.

Hierarchy is a dimension hierarchy of a cube. It can be specified by its unique name, e.g. [Time].[Fiscal] or it can be returned by an MDX function, e.g. .Hierarchy.

Level is a level in a dimension hierarchy. It can be specified by its unique name, e.g. [Time].[Fiscal].[Month] or it can be returned by an MDX function, e.g. .Level.

Member is a member in a dimension hierarchy. It can be specified by its unique name, e.g. [Time].[Fiscal].[Month].[August], by qualified name, e.g. [Time].[Fiscal].[2006].[Q2].[August] or returned by an MDX function, e.g. .PrevMember, .Parent, .FirstChild etc.

Tuple is an ordered collection of one or more members from different hierarchies. Tuples can be specified enumerating the members, e.g. ([Time].[Fiscal].[Month].[August], [Customer].[By Geography].[All Customers].[USA], [Measures].[Sales]) or returned by an MDX function, e.g. .Item.

Set is an ordered collection of tuples with the same hierarchality (dimensionality). It can be specified enumerating the tuples, e.g. {([Measures].[Sales], [Time].[Fiscal].[2006]), ([Measures].[Sales], [Time].[Fiscal].[2007])} or returned by MDX function or operator, e.g. Crossjoin, Filter, Order, Descendants etc.

In limited contexts, MDX allows other data types as well - for example Array can be used inside the SetToArray function, Dimension can be used inside Leaves function etc. Objects of other data types are represented as scalar strings indicating the object names, such as measure group name in the MeasureGroupMeasures function or KPI name in for example the KPIValue or KPIGoal functions.

The following example, adapted from the SQL Server 2000 Books Online, shows a basic MDX query that uses the SELECT statement. This query returns a result set that contains the 2002 and 2003 store sales amounts for stores in the state of California.

SELECT
   { [Measures].[Store Sales] } ON COLUMNS,
   { [Date].[2002], [Date].[2003] } ON ROWS
FROM Sales
WHERE ( [Store].[USA].[CA] )

In this example, the query defines the following result set information:

• The SELECT clause sets the query axes as the Store Sales Amount member of the Measures dimension, and the 2002 and 2003 members of the Date dimension.
• The FROM clause indicates that the data source is the Sales cube.
• The WHERE clause defines the "slicer axis" as the California member of the Store dimension.

Note: You can specify up to 128 query axes in an MDX query.

• George Spofford, Sivakumar Harinath, Chris Webb, Dylan Hai Huang, Francesco Civardi: MDX-Solutions: With Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services 2005 and Hyperion Essbase. Wiley, 2006, ISBN 0-471-74808-0
• Mosha Pasumansky, Mark Whitehorn, Rob Zare: Fast Track to MDX. ISBN 1-84628-174-1

• MDX Reference from SQL Server 2005 Books Online
• Links to MDX resources
• Simba MDX/mdXML page
• Chapter 6 from G Spofford's book MDX Solutions with Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services 2005 and Hyperion Essbase