Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 MDX Step by Step

Chapter 4. Working with Sets

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

• Assemble sets using basic techniques

• Employ sets to retrieve multiple cells through a single query

• Explain the basic components of the SELECT statement

In the last chapter, you learned how a tuple is used to locate a cell within a cube. In this chapter, you build upon that concept, using collections of tuples, known as sets, to retrieve multiple cells. Along the way, you expand your understanding of the SELECT statement and gain exposure to some basic set-building MDX functions.

Set Basics

In Analysis Services, a set is a collection of tuples. Within a set, individual tuples are separated from each other by commas, and the set itself is enclosed in braces ({ }). The following ...