ALIAS (dimension, group, index)

Description:

This function returns the indexed alias of the specified alias group of the specified dimension.

This function is designed specifically to allow you to view the alias of a member under a specific dimension specified in the function. The function displays the name of the alias from a specified alias group at a specified index under the specified dimension.

The function takes as a parameter the name of the dimension which has the alias group with the aliases, the name of the alias group and the index of the alias for any member, which value you wish the function to return.

Syntax: ALIAS (Dimension, Group Index)

• Dimension : Enter the name of the dimension in the above mentioned database what has the Alias Group you want to access.
• Group : Enter the name of the Alias Group you want to access that exists in the dimension mentioned above.
• Index : Enter the index number for the alias in the above mentioned Alias Group within the specified dimension of the specified database / enter the cell reference which has the index as a value.

Remarks

• The name of the dimension must be a valid name and should exist in the database.
• The value for parameter "Index" must be a positive real integer and should correspond to the value that the function has to return.
• There must be the same alias group existing in the database as entered for the Group parameter above.
• All arguments are compulsory and neither argument is optional.

Example

=ALIAS ("Region","Codes", 3)	- returns the 3rd alias from the alias group called "Codes" which belongs to the dimension Region.
=ALIAS ("Version","V-Alias", 1)	- returns the 1st alias from the alias group called "V-Alias" which belongs to the dimension Version.

 

 

Let us take the example of a cube in PowerOLAP which requires data that is the value for the name of an alias which is accessed through its index number and the dimension name which has the hierarchy, both of which are to be given as a parameter to the function. If in the same dimension in another member or in  another dimension in another cube, you want to display this accessed ALIAS name value for the index supplied to the function then it is appropriate to use the ALIAS function to access the alias name at a given index. In this case we can write a formula in the cube in PowerOLAP to access this value for an index number within an Alias Group for a specific dimension with the help of this function and write this value to another member that is supposed to hold this value as fact data or you can also write this value to a different dimension in a different cube.



The screen above shows a formula for the ALIAS function. The formula writes a value into the "MetaDataValues" dimension, into the "Alias" member. In the formula, the ALIAS function takes three parameters, which are, the name of the dimension whose alias groups are accessed, the name of the alias group which has the aliases you wish to access and the index number for the alias whose value has to be returned as the result of the function. This formula accesses the alias based upon these three parameters that are given and then depending upon the index of the alias, the resultant value is returned by the function. The function above accesses the alias groups from the "Time (Periods)" dimension, and from that dimension it accesses the "TimeCodes" alias group and from within that group it accesses the 3rd Alias which is "P2" and this is the value returned.