Naming Restrictions for Dimensions, Members, and Aliases

When naming dimensions, members, and aliases, follow these rules:

• Use no more than 80 characters for dimension, member, or alias names.

• Names are not case-sensitive for dimensions, non-shared members, and aliases. Do not use matching names with only case differences; for example, do not name two members "zzz" and "ZZZ," or a base member "zzz" and a shared member "ZZZ."

  In other words, shared member names must use the same name and case of the base member. When you rename a base member (even if all you do is change the case), the shared member names will be updated to match the base member names.

• Do not use dimension names that are the same name as a member property or a column header in the metadata load file; for example, Data Type.

• HTML tags cannot be used in member names, dimension names, aliases, and descriptions.

• The TAB key is restricted and cannot be used in dimension, member, and alias names.

• The following is a list of characters that are restricted and cannot be used in dimension, member, and alias names:

  Table A-2 Restricted Characters in Dimension, Member, and Alias Names

  Character	Meaning
  "	quotation mark
  [ ]	bracket
  \	backslash
  /	slash

  Note:

  • Brackets [ ] are permitted but not recommended in block storage outlines. They cause errors when converting to aggregate storage outlines.

  • Do not use the ASCII substitute character (zero-width space character) 0x1A in member names and aliases.

• The following is a list of characters that cannot be used at the beginning of dimension, member, and alias names:

  Table A-3 Restricted Characters at the Beginning of Dimension, Member, and Alias Names

  Character	Meaning
  @	at sign
  &	ampersand
  \	backslash
  [ ]	brackets
  ,	comma
  -	dash, hyphen, or minus sign
  =	equal sign
  <	less than sign
  ( )	parentheses
  .	period
  +	plus sign
  "	quotation mark
  /	slash
  _	underscore
  |	vertical bar

  Note:

  Member names with the preceding characters are not allowed in business process data export jobs.

• Spaces cannot be placed at the beginning or end of names.

• For time periods in custom calendars, don't use spaces in prefixes.

• The following cannot be used as dimension, member, or alias names:

  • Calculation script commands, operators, and keywords

  • Function names and function arguments

  • Names of other dimensions and members (unless the member is shared)

  • If Dynamic Time Series is enabled, don't use History, Year, Season, Period, Quarter, Month, Week, or Day.

  • In unique member outlines that contain an attribute dimension, you cannot use Sum, Count, Min, Max, and Avg as member or dimension names. Using these names causes duplicate name conflicts.

    Note:

    The members that are created in the attribute calculations dimension (Sum, Count, Min, Max, and Avg) are not considered reserved words because you can change these names in the attribute calculations dimension and then use the standard name in an attribute or standard dimension.

    If the outline is tagged as a duplicate member outline, and an attribute dimension (and, therefore, the attribute calculations dimension) exists before you use Sum, Count, Min, Max, and Avg as a base member, the duplicate name is allowed. However, if, you use Sum, Count, Min, Max, and Avg as a base member before creating an attribute dimension, the duplicate name isn't allowed.

• The following is a list of words that are restricted and cannot be used in dimension, member, and alias names:

  Table A-4 Restricted Words in Dimension, Member, and Alias Names

  Restricted Word	Restricted Word	Restricted Word
  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	LOCAL	LOOPBLOCK
  LOOPPARMS	LT	MBR
  MBRNAME	MBRONLY	MINUS
  MISSING	MUL	MULOP
  NE	NON	NONINPUT
  NOT	OR	PAREN
  PARENPARM	PERCENT	PLUS
  RELOP	REQUEST	SET
  SKIPBOTH	SKIPMISSING	SKIPNONE
  SKIPZERO	STATUS	TO
  TOLOCALRATE	TRAILMISSING	TRAILSUM
  TYPE	UMINUS	UPPER
  VARORXMBR	XMBRONLY	$$UNIVERSE$$
  #MISSING	#MI