Modifying Default Table Names
The metadata for the tables and views in a data source view are derived from the metadata for these objects in the underlying data source. Business Intelligence Development Studio uses the metadata for the objects in the data source view to define dimensions, attributes, and measure groups. However, BI Development Studio uses the FriendlyName property of an object instead of its Name property. You can change the value of the FriendlyName property for objects in the data source view, to increase the user-friendliness of the names of the dimension and cube objects that are created from the data source view. You can also change the names of these objects after you define them. For more information, see Working with Data Source Views (Analysis Services) and Viewing or Changing Data Source View, DataTable and DataColumn Properties in a Data Source View.
In the following task, you will change the friendly name of each table in the Adventure Works DW data source view by removing the "dim" and "fact" prefixes from these tables. This will increase the user-friendliness of the cube and dimension objects that you will define in the next lesson.
Note
You can also change the friendly names of columns, define calculated columns, and join tables or views in the data source view to increase their user-friendliness. You will learn about these options in subsequent lessons in this tutorial.
To modify the default name of a table
In the Diagram pane of Data Source View Designer, right-click the FactInternetSales table, and then click Properties.
The hidden Properties window appears, displaying the properties for the FactInternetSales object in the Adventure Works Tutorial data source view.
Click the Auto Hide button on the title bar of the Properties window so that this window will remain unhidden.
It is easier to change the properties for each table in the data source view when the Properties window remains open. If you do not pin the window open by using the Auto Hide button, the window will close when you click a different object in the Diagram pane.
Change the FriendlyName property for the FactInternetSales object to InternetSales.
When you click away from the cell for the FriendlyName property, the change is applied. In the next lesson, you will define a measure group that is based on this fact table; the name of the fact table will be InternetSales instead of FactInternetSales because of the change you made in this lesson.
Click dbo.DimProduct in the Tables pane, click DimProduct in the Diagram pane, or select dbo.DimProduct DataTable in the list box of the Properties window, and then change the FriendlyName property to Product.
In the next lesson, you will define a dimension that is based on the DimProduct table; the name of this dimension will be Product instead of DimProduct, because of the change you made in this procedure.
Change the FriendlyName property of each remaining table in the data source view in the same way, to remove the "Dim" prefix.
When you have finished, click the Auto Hide button to hide the Properties window again.
The following image shows the data source view in Data Source View Designer, with the newly modified object names.
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On the File menu, or on the toolbar of BI Development Studio, click Save All.
This saves the changes you have made to this point in the Analysis Services Tutorial project, so that you can stop the tutorial here if you want and resume it later.
You have successfully changed the default table names in the data source view to increase the user friendliness of the dimensions and measure groups that you will define based on these tables.
Note
A completed project for Lesson 1 is available by downloading and installing the updated samples. For more information, see Obtaining Updated Samples in Installing Samples.
Next Lesson
Lesson 2: Defining and Deploying a Cube
See Also
Other Resources
Working with Data Source Views (Analysis Services)
Viewing or Changing Data Source View, DataTable and DataColumn Properties in a Data Source View