In This Section:
Naming Restrictions for Applications and Databases
Naming Restrictions for Dimensions, Members, and Aliases
When naming applications and databases, follow these rules:
Use no more than 8 bytes when naming non-Unicode-mode applications and databases.
Use no more than 30 characters when naming Unicode-mode applications and databases.
Do not use the characters listed in Table 254 in the name:
For database names, do not use the:
String drxxxxxx (not case-sensitive)
Reserved word Replay
For aggregate storage databases, do not use the following words as application or database names:
DEFAULT LOG METADATA REPLAY TEMP
Application and database names are not case-sensitive. However, on case-sensitive file systems, the application or database name is created exactly as you enter it. Therefore, when creating, renaming, or copying applications and databases on case-sensitive file systems, Essbase ensures that the same application or database name but with different case usage cannot be used. For example, if you create an application name with all uppercase letters (NEWAPP), you cannot then create an application with the same name but with mixed-case letters (Newapp). Also, when manually copying application and database files from one computer to another and then creating an application or database, you must use the same case for the application and database directory names on both computers.
When naming dimensions, members, and aliases in the database outline, follow these rules:
Use no more than 80 bytes when naming non-Unicode-mode dimensions, members, or aliases.
Use no more than 80 characters when naming Unicode-mode dimensions, members, or aliases.
Names are not case-sensitive unless case-sensitivity is enabled.
See “Setting Outline Properties” in the Oracle Essbase Administration Services Online Help.
Even when case-sensitivity is enabled, in an aggregate storage outline for which duplicate member names is enabled, do not use matching names with only case differences for a dimension name. For example, do not name two dimensions “Product” and “product.”
Do not use quotation marks (" "), brackets ([ ]), or tabs in dimension, member, or alias names.
At the beginning of dimension or member names, do not use the characters listed in Table 255:
Do not place spaces at the beginning or end of names. Essbase ignores such spaces.
Do not use these words as dimension, member, or alias names:
Names of other dimensions and members (unless the member is shared), and generation names, level names, and aliases in the database
ALL AND ASSIGN AVERAGE CALC CALCMBR COPYFORWARD CROSSDIM CURMBRNAME DIM DIMNAME DIV DYNAMIC EMPTYPARM EQ EQOP EXCEPT EXP EXPERROR FLOAT FUNCTION GE GEN GENRANGE GROUP GT ID IDERROR INTEGER LE LEVELRANGE LOOPBLOCK LOOPPARMS LT MBR MBRNAME MBRONLY MINUS MISSING MUL MULOP NE NON NONINPUT NOT OR PAREN PARENPARM PERCENT PLUS RELOP SET SKIPBOTH SKIPMISSING SKIPNONE SKIPZERO TO TOLOCALRATE TRAILMISSING TRAILSUM UMINUS UPPER VARORXMBR XMBRONLY $$$UNIVERSE$$$ #MISSING #MI
If you enable Dynamic Time Series members, do not use the following associated generation names:
History
Year
Season
Period
Quarter
Month
Week
Day
In unique member outlines that contain an attribute dimension (and, therefore, an Attribute Calculations dimension), do not use the following names unless you change the default names in the Attribute Calculations dimension:
Sum
Count
Min
Max
Avg
If the outline is tagged as a duplicate member outline, you can use the default names to name other base or attribute members.
See Changing the Member Names of the Attribute Calculations Dimension.
In substitution variable values, environment variable values, calculation scripts, report scripts, filter definitions, partition definitions, or formulas, you must enclose member names in brackets ([ ]) when used within MDX statements, and otherwise in quotation marks (" "), in these situations:
Name contains spaces or any characters listed in Table 256:
In calculation scripts and formulas, you must enclose these member names, which are also Essbase keywords, in quotation marks (" ") for block storage databases, and in brackets ([ ]) for aggregate storage databases:
BEGIN DOUBLE ELSE END FUNCTION GLOBAL IF MACRO MEMBER RANGE RETURN STRING THEN
When using attribute dimensions, Essbase creates the following dimension and members names:
Member names in attribute dimensions:
True
False
Dimension name: Attribute Calculations
Member names in the Attribute Calculations dimension:
Sum
Count
Min
Max
Avg
See Naming Restrictions for Attribute Calculations Dimension Member Names.