Attribute Discretization: Customize Grouping Names

In this article, we will gain some hands-on exposure to going beyond the First Group Member – Last Group Member default that Analysis Services uses in creating group labels within the various discretization methods, and enacting the generation of custom labels for our groups. Our examination will include:

• A brief review (for those joining our “discretization subseries” for the first time) of attribute discretization in Analysis Services, potential benefits that accrue from discretization in our UDMs, and how the process can help us to meet the primary objectives of business intelligence.
• Examination, via the browser in the Dimension Designer, of the pre-existing members of a select attribute hierarchy, noting the absence of grouping and discussing shortcomings of this default arrangement.
• A discussion of customized discretization group labeling within Analysis Services.
• Enablement of the Automatic discretization method within the dimension attribute Properties pane.
• Reprocessing the cube to enact the new Automatic discretization of the select attribute members.
• Another examination, via the browsers in both the Dimension Designer and the Cube Designer, of the members of our attribute hierarchy selection, noting the new, more intuitive grouping established by the newly enacted Automatic discretization method, together with the default labels provided by Analysis Services.
• Modification of a copy of the naming template supplied with Analysis Services
• Reprocessing the cube to enact the modified naming template we have supplied, within the context of Automatic discretization of the selected attribute members.
• A final examination, via the browsers in both the Dimension Designer and the Cube Designer, of the members of a select attribute hierarchy, noting the new, more intuitive grouping, together with more user-friendly labels, established by the newly enacted Automatic discretization method.