Multidimensional cube functions

Abstract

Cube functions may be used to obtain data from a multidimensional database. The cube functions may be contained within one or more cells of a spreadsheet. These cube functions behave similarly to the standard functions that may be included within a spreadsheet. Exemplary cube functions include obtaining: a cube member, a cube value, a cube set, a ranked member, a KPI, a member property and a count relating to a set. The cube functions within the spreadsheet may access the cube data from one or more multidimensional databases. Using the cube formulas in individual cells allows the user to add/delete rows and/or columns from within the spreadsheet.

1 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for interacting with an OLAP cube, comprising:
 parsing a cube function having parameters; wherein the cube function is included within a cell of a spreadsheet and wherein the cube function is directed at obtaining data from an OLAP cube; wherein the cube function is from cube functions comprising: a cube member function that identifies an item in the OLAP cube and returns a name for the member; a cube value function that identifies an aggregated value from the OLAP cube; a cube set function that defines a set that is to be built for the spreadsheet by an OLAP server storing the OLAP cube; and a member property function that identifies a value of a member property in the OLAP cube and a count relating to a set within the OLAP cube;   determining an OLAP cube from which to obtain data from one of the parameters of the cube function; and   fetching the data from the determined OLAP cube in response to the parameters of the cube function.   
     
     
         28 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 27 , wherein determining the OLAP cube from which to obtain data comprises locating a connection name that determines the OLAP cube to obtain data from. 
     
     
         29 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 27 , wherein parsing the cube function comprises parsing the parameters to locate one or more names, wherein the names identify at least one of a member and a tuple within the OLAP cube; and wherein each of the located names is used a slicer to define a portion of the OLAP cube for which an aggregated value is to be fetched from the OLAP cube. 
     
     
         30 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 27 , wherein parsing the cube function comprises parsing the parameters to locate a name that identifies a member of the OLAP cube and using the name to fetch at least one of a unique MDX member name, a MDX tuple, and a caption for the member of the OLAP cube. 
     
     
         31 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 27 , wherein parsing the cube function comprises parsing the parameters to locate an expression that identifies a set that is at least one of a set of members within the OLAP cube and a set of tuples within the OLAP cube; and then using the query to fetch the set from the OLAP cube; and when a sort parameter exists within the parameters; using the sort parameter to sort the set. 
     
     
         32 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 27 , wherein parsing the cube function comprises parsing the parameters to locate a set and a rank; wherein the rank is used to fetch at least one of the elements from the set. 
     
     
         33 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 27 , wherein parsing the cube function comprises parsing the parameters to locate a KPI name and a KPI component; wherein the KPI name and the KPI component are used to fetch a member from the OLAP cube. 
     
     
         34 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 27 , wherein parsing the cube function comprises parsing the parameters to locate a set and wherein a number of the members within the set is determined. 
     
     
         35 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 27 , wherein parsing the cube function comprises parsing the parameters to locate a name and a member; wherein the name and member are used to obtain a value of a member property in the OLAP cube. 
     
     
         36 . A system for interacting with a multidimensional database from a spreadsheet, comprising:
 a processor and a computer-readable storage medium; and   a spreadsheet application that is coupled to a network and is configured to perform steps, comprising:
 parsing a cube function having parameters that is located within a cell of the spreadsheet to generate an MDX query; wherein the MDX query locates data within a multidimensional database; wherein the cube function is from cube functions comprising a cube member function that identifies an item in the multidimensional database and returns a name for the member; a cube value function that identifies an aggregated value from the multidimensional database; a cube set function that defines a set that is to be built for the spreadsheet by an OLAP server storing the multidimensional database; and a member property function that identifies a value of a member property in the multidimensional database and a count relating to a set within the multidimensional database; 
 determining the multidimensional database to query based on at least one of the parameters of the cube function; 
 querying a server identified by the determined multidimensional database using the MDX query; 
 receiving data from the server that is returned in response to the MDX query; and 
 updating the cell and any other dependent cells in response to the received data. 
   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the MDX query requests at least one of the following from the multidimensional database: a ranked member; a KPI member; a member property of an item within the multidimensional database and a count relating to a set within the multidimensional database. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein different cells of the spreadsheet request data from different multidimensional databases. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein parsing the cube function comprises parsing the parameters to locate names, wherein the names identify a member and a tuple within the OLAP cube; and wherein each of the located names is used a slicer to define a portion of the OLAP cube for which an aggregated value is to be fetched from the OLAP cube. 
     
     
         40 . A method for interacting with an OLAP cube, comprising:
 parsing a cube function having parameters; wherein the cube function is included within a cell of a spreadsheet and wherein the cube function is directed at obtaining data from an OLAP cube; wherein the spreadsheet includes cells that do not include data from a multidimensional database;   determining an OLAP cube from which to obtain the data by accessing one of the parameters of the cube function; and   fetching the data from the determined OLAP cube in response to the parameters of the cube function.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein parsing the cube function comprises parsing the parameters to locate names that identify at least one of a member and a tuple within the OLAP cube; and wherein each of the located names is used a slicer to define a portion of the OLAP cube for which an aggregated value is to be fetched from the OLAP cube. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein parsing the cube function comprises parsing the parameters to locate a name that is used to fetch at least one of a unique MDX member name, a MDX tuple, and a caption for the member of the OLAP cube. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein parsing the cube function comprises parsing the parameters to locate an expression that identifies a set that is at least one of a set of members within the OLAP cube and a set of tuples within the OLAP cube; and then using the query to fetch the set from the OLAP cube; and when a sort parameter exists within the parameters; using the sort parameter to sort the set. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein parsing the cube function comprises parsing the parameters to locate a set and a rank; wherein the rank is used to fetch at least one of the elements from the set. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein parsing the cube function comprises parsing the parameters to locate a set and wherein a number of the members within the set is determined. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein parsing the cube function comprises parsing the parameters to locate a name and a member; wherein the name and member are used to obtain a value of a member property in the OLAP cube.