Apply or Pass-through functions in Microstrategy

Apply (Pass-Through) functions

MSTR Apply functions provide access to functions or syntactic constructs that are not standard in MicroStrategy but are provided by various RDBMS systems..

Syntax common to Apply functions

Apply Function Name ("expression with placeholders", Arg1, Arg2, Arg3, …ArgN)

where:

• Apply Function Name – is a generic name used for the predefined pass-through functions described above
• expression with placeholders – is the string describing the actual expression or syntax that the engine uses while generating the SQL and which is sent to the RDBMS. The placeholders are represented by #0, #1, and so on. "#" is a reserved character for MicroStrategy.
• Arg – is an argument that replaces the parameter markers in the pattern. Arg1 replaces #0, Arg2 replaces #1, and so on.

There are  five pre-defined Apply functions to replace regular, predefined functions of the same type. For more details, click the link corresponding to each function.

•

The “#n” code in Apply function syntax serves as placeholders for the MicroStrategy objects being passed to your database. The index for referencing these objects begins with 0 and increases by  for each successive object passed. For example, ApplySimple("#0 * #1",[col1],[col2])indicates that two items, col1 and col2, referenced as #0 and #1, respectively, are being passed to your database to be multiplied together (by the database). If the number of references in an Apply function (e.g., #0, #1, and so forth) exceeds the number of objects passed in that function, MicroStrategy passes the last available object in place of the extra reference(s). For example, ApplySimple("#0 * #1 * #2 * #3",[col1],[col2]) uses two more references than there are arguments to pass, so MicroStrategy passes #2 and #3, the extra references, as col2, the last available object in the list.

•

To use # as a character rather than a placeholder, use four # characters in a row. See the syntax below for an example.

ApplyComparison(UPPER(#0) like
‘Z####%’, Country@DESC)

The SQL for the function is:

Select a.11[COUNTRY_ID] AS COUNTRY_ID
from [LU_COUNTRY] a11
where upper(a11.[COUNTRY_NAME])
like ‘Z#%’

•

Do not use form groups for the attribute form expression when using Apply functions, because form groups are ignored by the Analytical Engine. Instead, use a single form. For example, instead of using Customer@Name, where Name is defined to contain Customer’s first name, middle name, and last name, use ID or any other single form.

ApplySimple

The ApplySimple function is a single-value function. It is used to insert any single-value, database-specific functions and simple operators directly into SQL.

In general, ApplySimple can be used to create the following objects:

•

Attribute form

For any Apply function, the attribute form in the arguments should be a single form—not a form group. The engine ignores any definitions based on attribute forms.

•

Consolidation

•

Custom group

•

Fact

•

Metric

•

Subtotal

•

Transformation

Example 1 Using an attribute

ApplySimple ("Datediff (YY, #0,getdate ())", [BIRTH_DATE])

Case( ([Order Type]@ID="V") AND ([Order Form]@ID="Visa"), "Visa", "Other")

ApplySimple("Case WHEN #0 ='ABC' THEN 'ABC' ELSE 'Competitive' END", StudioName)

Example 2 Using an attribute

ApplySimple ("Months_between (sysdate,#0)",[CURRENT_DT])

Example 3 Using a compound metric

You can use the "ApplySimple" function in a metric definition in order to calculate the greatest of a given number of values. The syntax is as follows:

ApplySimple ("Greatest (#0, #1, #2)", Metric_1, Metric_2,Metric_3)

Example 4

You need to display the values of Revenue that lie between 0 and 100,000 as "Low", between 100,001 and 200,000 as "Medium", and above 200,000 as "High." You can use the ApplySimple function in a metric definition as follows:

ApplySimple (" CASE WHEN #0 between 0 and 100000 THEN 'Low' WHEN #0 between 100001  and 200000 THEN 'Med' ELSE 'High' END ", Sum (Revenue){~})

Example 5 Rounding

You can use the ApplySimple function in a metric definition to round off the resulting values to a certain number of decimal places. In SQL Server 2000, the syntax is as follows:

("ROUND (#0,1)", [M3])

where M3 is the metric and 1 is the number of decimal places to round to.

Example 6 CASE statement

You can implement an "If/Then" scenario by using ApplySimple. In the string below, M1=Max (Employee) and Dollar Sales is a metric.

ApplySimple ("CASE WHEN #0>10 THEN #1 ELSE ’0’ END", [M1], [DOLLAR SALES])

ApplySimple accepts facts, attributes, and metrics as input.

Examples of object creation

Expression type	Examples
Attribute	ApplySimple(“Datediff(YY,#0,getdate())”, [BIRTH_DATE]), in which [BIRTH_DATE] is an attribute
	ApplySimple(“Months_between(sysdate,#0)”,[CURRENT_DT]), in which [CURRENT_DT] is an attribute
Compound Metric	ApplySimple(“Greatest(#0,#1,#2)”, Metric_1, Metric_2,Metric_3)
	ApplySimple(" CASE WHEN #0 between 0 and 100000 THEN 'Low' WHEN #0 between 100001 and 200000 THEN 'Med' ELSE 'High' END ", Sum(Revenue){~})

Examples in custom expressions

•

ApplySimple("Datediff(YY,#0,getdate())", [BIRTH_DATE])

•

ApplySimple("Months_between(sysdate,#0)", [CURRENT_DT])

Examples: Incorrect usage

•

ApplySimple("Sum(#0)",[Column 1])

•

ApplySimple("Count(#0)",[Column 2])

The two examples immediately above are incorrect and should not be used in your application because of the following two reasons:

•

ApplySimple is a single-value function and therefore can only be used with single-value functions. Sum and Count are both group-value functions and therefore should not be used with ApplySimple.

•

Sum and Count are both MicroStrategy functions and are not database-specific; therefore, they should not be used with ApplySimple or any other Apply functions.

Example 6: Applysimple in a filter

Applysimple in a filter data for this year and last year when the year attribute is available.

1. Right click in the filters folder or any where in MSTR Developer and select Filter.
2. Select Empty Filter in the New Filter dialogue box.
3. Now drag the Year attribute into the filter Editor.
4. Select ID in the qualify on dropdown
5. Select Between in the Operator dropdown.
6. Now you will have two text boxes with Value selected in the corresponding dropdown as shown below:

1. Now change the dropdowns from Value to Custom
2. Enter similar to the below validated applysimple definition in the first custom entry:        ApplySimple("(select max(YEAR)-1 from LKUP_ENTRY_DATE_TABLE)",0)
3. Enter similar to the below validated applysimple definition in the second custom entry: ApplySimple("(select max(YEAR) from LKUP_SD_ENTRY_DATE_TABLE)",0)
4. Click on OK.
5. See the screenshot below:                                                                                          You can use this filter on a report with year attribute to filter the data to only last year and this year.

ApplyAgg

The ApplyAgg function is used to define simple metrics or facts by using database-specific, group-value functions. The ApplyAgg function itself is a group-value function and accepts facts, attributes, and metrics as input.

Syntax

ApplyAgg()

Accepts facts, attributes, and metrics as input.

All placeholders must begin with #0 and increase in increments of 1.

Example

ApplyAgg(“Regrsxx(#0,#1)”, [Argument 1], [Argument 2] {~+}

Example1

ApplyAgg("Regrsxx(#0,#1)", [Argument 1], [Argument 2] {~+})

Example 2 ApplyAgg with CASE

You want to create a metric to sum only those values that have an attribute tag set to a desired value. For instance, there exists an attribute that lists a payment as received, or not received, You want to create a metric counts how much money is owed.

It is necessary to sum all values where the payment is listed as not received, and consider the others as being equal to zero. You can accomplish this by using the following ApplyAgg function:

ApplyAgg ("sum (case when #1 in (’received’) then 0 else #0 end)", [monetary_based_fact],[Other_fact])

With Attribute and metric in metric:

ApplyAgg("sum (case when #0 = '10' then #1 else '0' end)", Max(Format@ID) {~} , [Gross USD]) {~} 

ApplyComparison

ApplyComparison is used to define a filter by populating the WHERE clause in the SQL passed to your RDBMS, and can take facts, attributes, and metrics as input.

The ApplyComparison function is used with RDBMS comparison operators such as >, like, and In.

Depending on your MicroStrategy product and licensing, this function may not be available.

Syntax

ApplyComparison()

Example 1

ApplyComparison ("#0>#1", Store@ID,2)

Example 2

ApplyComparison ("#0 between #1 and #2",? [Value Prompt Date], [Order Date]@ID, [Ship Date]@ID)

Example 3

ApplyComparison ("#0>#1", Store@ID, Month@ID)

ApplyLogic

The ApplyLogic function is used to define custom filters. It is used with logical operators such as AND and OR. ApplyLogic is a logical function.

Syntax

ApplyLogic()

Accepts logic (Boolean) values as input.

Example

ApplyLogic(“#0 and #1”, Year@ID>2003, Month@ID>200301)

ApplyOLAP

OLAP functions are group-value functions that take a set of data as input and generate a set of data as output, usually reordering the set according to some criteria.

ApplyOLAP is the MicroStrategy Apply function tool used for OLAP functionality when you wish to use the native capabilities of your RDBMS. It is used to define compound metrics via database-specific functions such as Rank(). ApplyOLAP, like ApplySimple, is used to define metrics but differs in that it only accepts metrics as input.

Syntax

ApplyOLAP()

Accepts only metrics as input.

Example

ApplyOLAP(“RunningSlope(#0,#1)”, [Metric 1], [Metric 2])

Applysimple in Dossier



ApplySimple in Dossier

Creating Calculated Members in Hierarchy Reports Using MDX Expressions

To Create Calculated Members Using MDX Expressions

1. Open the dossier you want to modify.
2. Right-click an element in the grid and select Calculated Member. The Calculated Member dialog opens. The parent element appears in Parent.
3. In Name, enter a name for the calculated member.
4. In the MDX Expression, enter arguments for the Apply Simple function. This function allows you to enter an MDX expression, within the quotes, to create a calculated member. You can type arithmetic operators (such as + and -) and values directly in the expression.
Create a calculated member for the previous year.
ApplySimple("ParallelPeriod([Date].[Calendar].[Calendar Year], 1, [Date].[Calendar].[Calendar Year].[CY 2018])")
5. You can add hierarchical elements from the left pane to the MDX expression. Expand the hierarchies in the left pane to locate the hierarchical elements you want to add. Then, double-click or drag them to the MDX Expression pane.
6. The targeted element is the default parent. To change the parent, click Set Parent next to the hierarchical element you want to assign as the parent.
7. If you need to delete the expression and begin again, click Clear.
8. Click Save.

Creating Derived Metrics in Hierarchy Reports Using MDX Expressions

You can create derived metrics in hierarchy reports using MDX expressions.

To Create Derived Metrics Using MDX Expressions

1. Open the dossier you want to modify.
2. Create a derived metric and reserve it for future use in a visualization. In the Datasets panel, click More  to the right of the dataset in which you are creating a derived metric and choose Create Metric.
3. Enter a name for the metric in the Metric Name field.
4. Enter the derived metric definition in the right pane using the ApplySimple function. This function allows you to enter an MDX expression to create a derived metric. You can type arithmetic operators (such as + and -) and values directly in the metric expression.
The Apply Simple function does not appear as a selection in the Functions pane. You must enter it manually. In addition, you must add a dummy metric to the end of the function as shown in the example below. This function is not used in the definition. However, it is necessary since all metrics require two arguments for validation.
Create a derived metric for the gross profit margin.
ApplySimple("[Measures].[Gross Profit] / [Measures].[Sales Amount]", [Sales Amount])
Use Objects panes to assist in the creation your derived metric definition. Locate the objects you want to add by using the Search field at the top of the pane. Then, double-click objects to add them to the Formula pane.

5. If you need to delete the metric formula and begin again, click Clear.
6. Click Validate to check if the metric expression is valid.
7. Click Save.