Lesson 3: Rename Columns
In this lesson, you will rename many of the columns in each table you imported. Renaming makes columns more identifiable and easier to navigate in both the model designer as well by users selecting fields in a client application. To learn more, see Rename a Table or Column (SSAS Tabular).
Important
Renaming columns is not necessary to complete this tutorial; however, remaining lessons, in particular those that include creating relationships and creating calculated columns and measures using DAX formulas, refer to the column friendly names described in this lesson. If you choose not to rename columns, you will have to edit the DAX formulas in lessons 5, 6, and 7 to use the original source column names provided in this lesson.
Estimated time to complete this lesson: 20 minutes
Prerequisites
This topic is part of a tabular modeling tutorial, which should be completed in order. Before performing the tasks in this lesson, you should have completed the previous lesson: Lesson 2: Add Data.
Rename Columns
To rename columns
In the model designer, click the Customer table (tab).
When you click a tab, that table becomes active in the model designer window.
Double click the CustomerKey column name, then type
Customer Id, and then press ENTER.Tip
You can also rename a column in the Column Name property in the column's Properties window, or in Diagram View.
Rename the remaining columns in the Customer table, as well as the columns in the remaining tables, replacing the source name with the friendly name:
Customer Table
Source Name Friendly Name GeographyKey Geography Id CustomerAlternateKey Customer Alternate Id FirstName First Name MiddleName Middle Name LastName Last Name NameStyle Name Style BirthDate Birth Date MaritalStatus Marital Status EmailAddress Email Address YearlyIncome Yearly Income TotalChildren Total Children NumberChildrenAtHome Number of Children At Home EnglishEducation Education EnglishOccupation Occupation HouseOwnerFlag Owns House NumberCarsOwned Number of Cars Owned AddressLine1 Address Line 1 AddressLine2 Address Line 2 Phone Phone Number DateFirstPurchase Date of First Purchase CommuteDistance Commute Distance Date
Source Name Friendly Name FullDateAlternateKey Date DayNumberOfWeek Day Number of Week EnglishDayNameOfWeek Day Name DayNumberOfMonth Day of Month DayNumberOfYear Day of Year WeekNumberOfYear Week Number of Year EnglishMonthName Month Name MonthNumberOfYear Month CalendarQuarter Calendar Quarter CalendarYear Calendar Year CalendarSemester Calendar Semester FiscalQuarter Fiscal Quarter FiscalYear Fiscal Year FiscalSemester Fiscal Semester Geography
Source Name Friendly Name GeographyKey Geography Id StateProvinceCode State Province Code StateProvinceName State Province Name CountryRegionCode Country Region Code EnglishCountryRegionName Country Region Name PostalCode Postal Code SalesTerritoryKey Sales Territory Id Product
Source Name Friendly Name ProductKey Product Id ProductAlternateKey Product Alternate Id ProductSubcategoryKey Product Subcategory Id WeightUnitMeasureCode Weight Unit Code SizeUnitMeasureCode Size Unit Code EnglishProductName Product Name StandardCost Standard Cost FinishedGoodsFlag Is Finished Product SafetyStockLevel Safety Stock Level ReorderPoint Reorder Point ListPrice List Price SizeRange Size Range DaysToManufacture Days to Manufacture ProductLine Product Line Dealer Price Dealer Price ModelName Model Name LargePhoto Large Photo EnglishDescription Description StartDate Product Start Date EndDate Product End Date Status Product Status Product Category
Source Name Friendly Name ProductCategoryKey Product Category Id ProductCategoryAlternateKey Product Category Alternate Id EnglishProductCategoryName Product Category Name Product Subcategory
Source Name Friendly Name ProductSubcategoryKey Product Subcategory Id ProductSubcategoryAlternateKey Product Subcategory Alternate Id EnglishProductSubcategoryName Product Subcategory Name ProductCategoryKey Product Category Id Internet Sales
Source Name Friendly Name ProductKey Product Id CustomerKey Customer Id PromotionKey Promotion Id CurrencyKey Currency Id SalesTerritoryKey Sales Territory Id SalesOrderNumber Sales Order Number SalesOrderLineNumber Sales Order Line Number RevisionNumber Revision Number OrderQuantity Order Quantity UnitPrice Unit Price ExtendedAmount Extended Amount UnitPriceDiscountPct Unit Price Discount Pct DiscountAmount Discount Amount ProductStandardCost Product Standard Cost TotalProductCost Total Product Cost SalesAmount Sales Amount TaxAmt Tax Amt CarrierTrackingNumber Carrier Tracking Number CustomerPONumber Customer PO Number OrderDate Order Date DueDate Due Date ShipDate Ship Date
Next Step
To continue this tutorial, go to the next lesson: Lesson 4: Mark as Date Table.