Setting the Label Mode

Alias tables are database tables storing alternate description labels for dimension members.

Essbase and Financial Management enable administrators to define multiple alias tables. Web Analysis Studio enables you to specify which alias table to use. The alias table selection is saved as a database connection property.

You can specify to display the member ID or its description label from the alias table.

The ID number is a column of unique values distinguishing members from all other members.
Description displays the alias table description. Web Analysis Studio uses the Description label when no label mode is specified.

Financial Management users have an additional label mode option. They can select the Both option to display the ID label and description.

You can set the default label mode before querying using Data Layout options or the last step in the document creation wizard, and after querying using the data object shortcut menu. You can specify which description label to use in dimensions, using Dimension Browser and the data object shortcut menu.

The Description label comes from the alias table setting, saved per database connection and per active user as a database user preference.

To set the default label mode for the current database connection:

Right-click dimension header.
Right-click and select Data Display.
Select Default Label Mode from the drop-down list.
Select IDs or Descriptions.

To set the label mode for a dimension:

Right-click a dimension header.
Right-click and select Data Display.
Select the dimension-specific Label Mode from the drop-down list.
Select Use Default, IDs or Descriptions.

Default label mode coordinates the label mode of the selected dimension with all other dimensions displaying the default label mode. Default label mode can be set for all dimensions in a query through Data Layout, and per dimension by Dimension Browser or the Data Display shortcut menu.