DR 09-0099 - SML: No Normative References or Definitions for "MDX" and "OLAP"

[Chris Rae]

We discussed this DR in Tokyo at some length - I have in my notes that we agreed to add definitions of "implementation-defined" and "implementation-specific" to the standard, then to refer MDX to the newly-minted "implementation-defined". I also agreed to make sure that we have MDX-related examples in the primer (which we do) and that Microsoft properly referenced their MDX documentation in their implementer notes (which I haven't done yet, but will do - it's not necessary for the resolving of this DR).

I've updated the text for this DR, and the new version is attached. The major difference is the addition of the two terms above to the definitions and the modification of the "MDX" definition - for the definition of the terms I borrowed heavily from ISO/IEC 9075, the SQL standard, which uses:

implementation-defined: Possibly differing between SQL-implementations, but specified by the
implementor for each particular SQL-implementation.

implementation-dependent: Possibly differing between SQL-implementations, but not specified
by ISO/IEC 9075, and not required to be specified by the implementor for any particular SQL-implementation.

They also refer to a third definition:

SQL-implementation: A processor that processes SQL-statements. A conforming SQL-implementation
is an SQL-implementation that satisfies the requirements for SQL-implementations as defined
in Clause 8, "Conformance".

I chose not to do this by instead incorporating the definition of an "implementation" inline.

Your thoughts,

Chris

-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Rae [mailto:Chris.Rae at microsoft.com] 
Sent: 25 August 2010 15:12
To: francis at franciscave.com; e-SC34-WG4 at ecma-international.org
Subject: RE: DR 09-0099 - SML: No Normative References or Definitions for "MDX" and "OLAP"

Hello Francis - many thanks for taking a look at this. Your definitions are a lot better than mine. I think the OLAP one is pretty clear now - I'd agree that the MDX one is still a little vague but unfortunately I think that's the nature of the beast - the "MDX" expressions in IS 29500 are not there to be processed by the spreadsheet application itself, they're just to be passed on to an OLAP data provider that the spreadsheet application connects to via any means it chooses.

We should discuss this DR in Tokyo - I've attached a new version of my faux-tracked-changes document using Mr Cave's definitions.

Chris

-----Original Message-----
From: Francis Cave [mailto:francis at franciscave.com]
Sent: 24 August 2010 16:56
To: e-SC34-WG4 at ecma-international.org
Subject: RE: DR 09-0099 - SML: No Normative References or Definitions for "MDX" and "OLAP"

Hi Chris

I don't think this quite does the job. Here are your definitions:

-----

MDX - A multi-dimensional expression language, passed to an OLAP provider.
The method of interpreting of this is defined by the server-side OLAP provider implementation.

OLAP - A type of online analytical processing database which uses a multi-dimensional data model.

-----

The second sentence of the 'MDX' definition contains a typo: the second "of"
should be deleted. However, this is a trivial point.

The problem with these definitions is that they introduce further terms that could cause uncertainty for implementers. What is an "OLAP provider"? What is an "online analytical processing database"? Can these uncertainties be avoided by either stripping out or providing further explanation of potentially puzzling terms? For example:

-----

MDX - A multi-dimensional expression language, used to construct queries on a multi-dimensional OLAP database. The method of interpreting expressions in this language is defined by the OLAP database implementation.

OLAP - An acronym for "online analytical processing", an approach to data analysis; hence the name of a specific type of database, used in online analytical processing, which uses a multi-dimensional data model.

-----

These definitions are still somewhat circular, but perhaps beg fewer questions?

Francis



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chris Rae [mailto:Chris.Rae at microsoft.com]
> Sent: 24 August 2010 21:39
> To: e-SC34-WG4 at ecma-international.org
> Subject: DR 09-0099 - SML: No Normative References or Definitions for 
> "MDX" and "OLAP"
> 
> http://cid-
> c8ba0861dc5e4adc.office.live.com/view.aspx/Public%20Documents/2009/DR-
> 09-0099.docx
> 
> This DR covers the use of the terms "OLAP" and "MDX" in the standard 
> without accompanying definitions. It also points out a few uses of 
> "mdx" when "MDX" was meant.
> 
> Proposed changes are attached - essentially I'm defining both terms 
> inside "terms and definitions" and then correcting the "mdx" instances 
> that should have been "MDX".
> 
> Your thoughts,
> 
> Chris


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