MaxL is the multi-dimensional database access language for Essbase. MaxL is a practical, expressive interface for administering and querying the Essbase system. With the MaxL language, you use statements to make requests. MaxL statements usually begin with a verb, and read like English sentences.
Beginning with Release 7.0, MaxL has two functional domains:
MaxL DDL is the data-definition language for Essbase.
Data definition means structural control of a database system. This includes operations like creation, deletion, and updating of users, applications, databases, and database objects. Therefore, statements in MaxL DDL include verbs like CREATE, ALTER, DROP, GRANT, and DISPLAY.
MDX is the data-manipulation language for Essbase.
Data manipulation means access to to the actual data within a database system. MDX provides the ability to perform advanced data extraction and querying by means of statements that typically include the verb SELECT. The equivalent conceptual tool would be Report Writer.