Structural Metadata and Express Database Objects

Introduction

When you create a data loader program to load values into dimensions, hierarchies, attributes, or financial data items, your program must populate the Express database and metadata objects that are related to each type of Financial Analyzer structure.

Note: All dimensions, hierarchies, attributes, and financial data items must be defined using the Financial Analyzer user interface. You cannot use the data loader feature to create these structures.

Express database objects associated with Financial Analyzer structures

When you create Financial Analyzer dimensions, attributes, and financial data items, they are stored in your database as Express objects. When you create a data loader program, you must specify the Express object or objects that will store the information you are loading. The Oracle Express Administrator Database Browser displays the Express database and metadata objects that are related to the Financial Analyzer structures in your personal database.

The following topics provide information about the Express objects that are associated with each type of Financial Analyzer structure and show an example of how each would appear in the Database Browser.

Dimensions

A Financial Analyzer dimension is stored as an Express dimension. This object stores values that you load into the dimension.

You can view a list of all of the dimensions in your personal database by clicking on the Expand icon next to the Dimension label in the Database Browser. The object name and description for each dimension appear in the Browser window.

Example: The Express dimension object for a sample dimension called Example would appear as follows.

Note: When you create a dimension in Financial Analyzer, a set of Express metadata objects is defined in addition to the Express dimension object. These metadata objects must also be populated when you load dimension values into a dimension. If you fail to populate the dimension metadata objects, you will not be able to appropriately work with or view data associated with the dimension's values. The metadata objects that you must populate are discussed later in this topic.

Attributes

A Financial Analyzer attribute is stored as an Express relation.

You can view a list of all of the relations in your personal database by clicking on the Expand icon next to the Relation label in the Database Browser. The object name (which is created by the system) and description for each relation appear in the Browser window.

Example: The Express relation for a sample attribute called Example Attribute 1 would appear as follows.

Note: You can load information into one-to-many attributes only. You cannot use the data loader feature to load information into many-to-many attributes.

Financial data items

A Financial Analyzer financial data item is stored as either an Express variable or formula.

Note: You can load data into an Express variable but you cannot load data into a formula.

You can view a list of all of the variables in your personal database by clicking on the Expand icon next to the Variable label in the Database Browser. The object name and description for each variable appear in the Browser window.

Example: The Express variable for a sample financial data item called Example FDI 1 would appear as follows.

Express metadata objects associated with Financial Analyzer dimensions

When you create a dimension, a set of dimension metadata objects is also created. These objects are displayed when you click on the Expand icon next to a dimension in the Express Administrator Database Browser. They store information related to the dimension's values.

Example

For a sample dimension called Example, the Oracle Express Administrator Database Browser would display the complete set of metadata objects as follows.

The following topics provide information about each dimension metadata object.

Dimension value name variable

Dimension value names that you load are stored in an Express variable. The variable name is composed of the dimension's object prefix followed by the suffix .desc.

Example: The dimension value name variable for the Example dimension would be called Example.desc.

Row label variable

Row labels for the dimension values that you load are stored in an Express variable. The variable name is composed of the dimension's object prefix followed by the suffix .lbl.row.

Example: The row label variable for the Example dimension would be called Example.lbl.row.

Column label variable

Column labels for the dimension values that you load are stored in an Express variable. The variable name is composed of the dimension's object prefix followed by the suffix .lbl.col.

Example: The column label variable for the Example dimension would be called Example.lbl.col.

Hierarchy relation

The dimension value relationships that make up a hierarchy are stored in a type of Express relation, called a self-relation. In a self-relation the values of a dimension are related to other values of the same dimension. The relation name is composed of a prefix of Fmshrel followed by the dimension's object prefix.

Example: The self-relation for a hierarchy based on the Example dimension would be called Fmshrel.example.

Hierarchy dimension

When you create the first hierarchy based on a particular dimension, an Express hierarchy dimension is defined for the dimension. The values of the hierarchy dimension are the internal system names of all hierarchies that are based on the dimension. The dimension name is composed of a prefix of Fmshdim followed by the dimension's object prefix.

Note: This object is not used in the creation of data loader programs.

Example: The hierarchy dimension associated with the Example dimension would be called Fmshdim.example.