MDX Slicer Specification

An MDX slicer specification starts with WHERE, and is a way of limiting a query to apply only to a specific area of the Essbase database.

The slicer specification is also known as the WHERE clause or the slicer axis. It is a way of limiting a query to apply only to a specific area of the cube.

A slicer specification consists of the WHERE keyword followed by a tuple, member, or set. You can optionally query for certain dimension properties in the slicer specification.

Syntax

[WHERE [<slicer_specification> [<dim_props>]]

      <slicer_specification> ::= <set> | <tuple> | <member>

Note:

The cardinality of the <set> in the slicer should be 1; in other words, if a set is used, it must evaluate to a single tuple.

Note:

The same dimension cannot appear on an axis and the slicer. To filter an axis using criteria from its own dimension, you can use a sub select. See MDX Sub Select.

<dim_props> ::=
        [DIMENSION] PROPERTIES <property> [, <property>...]

Example

For example, you may want an entire query to apply only to Actual Sales in the Sample Basic database, excluding budgeted sales or any other measures. The WHERE clause in the following example narrows the query to that focus:

SELECT
  {([West].children)}
ON COLUMNS,
  {([Diet].children)}
ON ROWS
FROM Sample.Basic
WHERE ([Scenario].[Actual], [Measures].[Sales])