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Edit a Dimension

After creating a dimension, you can edit it to change its name, type, and other properties. You can also model additional hierarchies, levels, and secondary attributes.

Edit a dimension​

To edit a dimension:

  1. In Design Center, open a model and switch to the Canvas tab.

  2. Find the dimension you want to edit, open its context menu, and select Edit. The Edit Dimension panel opens.

  3. Edit the following properties as needed:

    • Type: Select a new type for the dimension: Standard or Time. Note that when switching from a standard dimension to time, you must edit all levels within the dimension to assign them a time unit.
    • Unique name: Enter a new unique name for the dimension. This value must be unique across all repositories and subrepositories.
    • Label: Enter a new label for the dimension.
    • Description: Enter a new description for the dimension.

  4. Click Apply to save your changes.

Add hierarchies to a dimension​

Some dimensions have multiple hierarchies; for example, a date dimension might have one hierarchy for calendar date and one hierarchy for fiscal date. You can add additional hierarchies to a dimension after it is created.

In most cases, dimensions that have multiple hierarchies share the same key level. For example, if the most granular level of date is day, then that should be a shared level for all hierarchies in the date dimension. You can duplicate a level to a second hierarchy after it is created.

To add hierarchies to a dimension:

  1. In the Hierarchies section of the panel, open the context menu, and select Create Hierarchy. The Create Hierarchy panel opens.
  2. Complete the fields in the panel as described in Add a Normal Dimension.

Add levels to a dimension​

You can add additional levels to dimensions after they have been created. A dimension hierarchy should go from the most granular level on the bottom to the most general level on the top.

To add levels to a dimension:

  1. In the Hierarchies section of the panel, click the context menu for the hierarchy you want to add a level to and select Create Level. The Create Level panel opens.
  2. Complete the fields in the panel as described in Add a Normal Dimension.

Add secondary attributes to a dimension​

Dimension attributes that are not the dimension's key, and not part of a hierarchy are called secondary attributes. Secondary attributes cannot be used to create relationships between datasets and dimensions.

To add secondary attributes to a dimension:

  1. In the Hierarchies section of the panel, click the context menu for the level you want to add a secondary attribute to and select Create Secondary Attribute. The Create Secondary Attribute panel opens.
  2. Complete the fields in the panel as described in Edit a Secondary Dimensional Attribute.