String Functions: The .Properties Function, Part II
In this, the second half of a two-part article, we will continue to expose another useful function within the MDX toolset, the .Properties function. As we noted in The .Properties Function, Part I, the general purpose of the .Properties function is to return a member property value. We also discussed enhancements to the .Properties function that allows it go beyond returning a string containing the member property value (the capability that the function had in Analysis Services 2000): .Properties can now return a strongly typed result, through the use of a special flag incorporated within Analysis Services 2005 MDX for that purpose.
In this article, we will delve further into the .Properties function, having covered its basic use in Part I. We will explore the use of .Properties with the TYPED flag, whereby the property value is returned in its internal data type. We will introduce the newly extended function, commenting upon its operation and what we can employ it to deliver. As a part of our discussion, we will:
- Examine the syntax surrounding the function;
- Undertake illustrative examples of the uses of the function in practice exercises;
- Briefly discuss the results datasets we obtain in the practice examples.
Tags: mdx