The Multidimensional Data Modeling Toolkit

Book excerpt: The Multi-dimensional Data Modeling Toolkit represents over 15 years of hands-on experience developing multidimensional analytic applications for over a dozen companies in a variety of application areas. Written in a tutorial style, this book gives, in plain English, a step-by-step development of the defining principles of OLAP analysis through the lens of the programming language at the heart of Oracle's OLAP database option. You will find this book packed with examples, tricks and techniques, concrete illustrations of the programming elements needed to implement. The basics will all be there as well as advanced techniques that you can use to address the most demanding requirements. OLAP will be addressed as an analysis platform. You will learn how to make business intelligence applications smarter by upping the analytical octane. You will learn both the classic applications of OLAP analysis as well as more exotic approaches. You will learn where OLAP fits in among other analytical approaches such as statistics and data mining. So whether you are a developer wanting to learn Oracle's counterpart to Microsoft's MDX, or an analyst wanting to understand the quantitative possibilities of OLAP, The Multi-dimensional Data Modeling Toolkit will show you what you need to know to go from beginner to expert in the application of OLAP analytics with Oracle OLAP DML.