MDX Query Fundamentals (Analysis Services)

Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) lets you query multidimensional objects, such as cubes, and return multidimensional cellsets that contain the cube's data. This topic and its subtopics provide an overview of MDX queries.

The following topics describe MDX queries and the cellsets they produce, and provide more detailed information about basic MDX syntax.

Note

For more information about performance issues related to MDX queries and calculations, see the section “Writing Efficient MDX” in the SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services Performance Guide.

In This Section

Topic	Description
The Basic MDX Query (MDX)	Provides basic syntax information for the MDX SELECT statement.
Restricting the Query with Query and Slicer Axes (MDX)	Describes what query and slicer axes are and how to specify them.
Establishing Cube Context in a Query (MDX)	Provides a description of the purpose of the FROM clause in an MDX SELECT statement.
Building Named Sets in MDX (MDX)	Describes the purpose of named sets in MDX, and the techniques needed to create and use them in MDX queries.
Building Calculated Members in MDX (MDX)	Provides information about calculated members in MDX, including the techniques needed to create and use them in MDX expressions.
Building Cell Calculations in MDX (MDX)	Details the process of creating and using calculated cells.
Creating and Using Property Values (MDX)	Details the process of creating and using dimension, level, member, and cell properties.
Manipulating Data (MDX)	Describes the basics behind manipulating data using drillthrough and rollup, and also describes pass order and solve order in MDX.
Modifying Data (MDX)	Describes how to use writebacks to temporarily or permanently change multidimensional data.
Using Variables and Parameters (MDX)	Describes how to use variables and parameters within MDX queries.

See Also

Other Resources

Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) Reference