Dimensional Reporting Style
The dimensional reporting style is recommended
for dimensionally-modeled relational (DMR) and Online Analytical Processing
(OLAP) data sources. Dimensional data is best represented by crosstabs,
maps, and charts. This data is shown in IBM® Cognos® Report Studio in dimensions,
hierarchies, levels, and members.
In dimensional reporting, you summarize data by using member summaries and within set aggregation. You focus data in dimensional reporting by adding only the relevant members to the edge of a crosstab or to the context filter. You can also enable drilling up and drilling down in dimensional reports.
IBM Cognos Analysis Studio and IBM Cognos Workspace Advanced are also available to work with dimensional data.
- Add Dimensional Data to a Report
For dimensional and mixed model data sources, you can view the full data tree by clicking the view package tree button
in the Source tab. You can
switch to the dimensional-only data tree by clicking the view members
tree button 
. - Creating dimensional custom groups
Create custom groups to classify existing data items into groups that are meaningful to you. - Summarizing Data Dimensionally
Summarize data in your reports to obtain totals, averages, and so on. - Focusing Dimensional Data
In IBM Cognos Report Studio, there are three approaches to focusing dimensional data in a crosstab: - Sorting Dimensional Data
You can sort items to view them in your preferred order. By default, IBM Cognos Report Studio retrieves items in the order defined in the data source. OLAP data sources always have a defined order. The data modeler defines the sorting options in the model. - Working with Dimensional Queries
Queries specify what data appears in the report. In IBM Cognos Report Studio, you create and modify queries using Query Explorer. - Using Dimensional Calculations
Insert a calculation to make your report more meaningful by deriving additional information from the data source. For example, you create an invoice report, and you want to see the total sale amount for each product ordered. Create a calculated column that multiplies the product price by the quantity ordered. - Drilling Up and Drilling Down in Dimensional Reports
When working with dimensional or dimensionally-modeled relational (DMR) data sources, you can create reports that allow the reader to view more general or more detailed information on your data within a predefined dimensional hierarchy (such as Years - Year - Quarter - Month) without having to create different reports.