Updated on 2025-05-20 GMT+08:00

Creating a Dimension

If the data you need to analyze cannot be directly obtained from the data table and requires processing based on raw data, you can create a dimension. By creating a dimension, you can transform raw data into more meaningful information. For example, you can create a dimension called profit based on the original data of sales prices and costs. This section describes how to create a dimension.

Prerequisites

Procedure

  1. Log in to the DataArts Insight console.
  2. Click in the upper left corner of the management console to select a region. Then, select an enterprise project in the upper right corner.
  3. On the top menu of the console, click Project. On the displayed My Projects page, click the name of the desired project.
  4. In the navigation pane on the left, choose Data Management > Datasets.
  5. On the displayed page, click the name of the dataset you created.
  6. On the displayed page, click Create Dimension.
    Figure 1 Creating a dimension

  7. After setting the parameters, click Confirm.
    1. Creation Method: Select Edit Formula. The options for Data type are Numeric, Text, Date, and Date Time. For details about the parameters, see Table 1.
      • When using expressions, make sure to use parentheses in the English input method.
      • Use functions supported by each data source.
      Table 1 Parameter descriptions

      Parameter

      Description

      Data type

      Options: Numeric, Text, Date, and Date Time.

      Condition

      This parameter is available only when Data type is set to Numeric or Text.

      • If you create or change a data type, you need to save the settings before setting this parameter.
      • This parameter is a field-level configuration item. It only takes effect for the field.

      Default Filter

      Default filters can be added only for numeric and text dimensions.

      • If you create or change a data type, you need to save the settings before setting this parameter.
      • After a default filter is added, the dataset applies the filter. If no other filter criteria are added in the intelligent Q&A and dashboard scenarios, the data filtered by the default filter is automatically returned.

      Click to reference a function.

      Functions used to process data. You can select date, text, and numeric functions.

      Click the reference field

      Dimensions and metrics of a dataset.

      Field expression

      Field expression that helps you understand the data processing process.

      Table 2 Date functions

      Function

      Usage

      Description

      CURRENT_DATE

      CURRENT_DATE()

      Returns the current date.

      CURRENT_TIME

      CURRENT_TIME()

      Returns the current time.

      NOW

      NOW()

      Return system's current date and time.

      UNIX_TIMESTAMP

      UNIX_TIMESTAMP()

      Returns the current time as a UNIX timestamp.

      UNIX_TIMESTAMP

      UNIX_TIMESTAMP(d)

      Returns the time d as a UNIX timestamp.

      FROM_UNIXTIME

      FROM_UNIXTIME(d)

      Converts the time in the UNIX timestamp format to the time in the common format.

      MONTH

      MONTH(d)

      Returns the month value in the date d, ranging from 1 to 12.

      DAYOFWEEK

      DAYOFWEEK(d)

      Calculates the day of the week corresponding to date d.

      DAYOFYEAR

      DAYOFYEAR(d)

      Calculates the day of the year corresponding to date d.

      DAYOFMONTH

      DAYOFMONTH(d)

      Calculates the day of the month corresponding to date d.

      QUARTER

      QUARTER(d)

      Returns the season of date d as a value between 1 and 4.

      HOUR

      HOUR(t)

      Returns the hour value in t.

      MINUTE

      MINUTE(t)

      Returns the minute value in t.

      SECOND

      SECOND(t)

      Returns the second value in t.

      DATEDIFF

      DATEDIFF(d1,d2)

      Calculates the number of days between d1 and d2.

      ADDDATE

      ADDDATE(d,n)

      Calculates the date that is n days after the start date d.

      ADDDATE

      ADDDATE(d, INTERVAL expr type)

      Calculates the date that is the result of adding a time segment to the start date d.

      SUBDATE

      SUBDATE(d,n)

      The date n days before date d.

      SUBDATE

      SUBDATE(d,INTERVAL expr type)

      The date resulting from subtracting a time segment from date d.

      DATE_FORMAT

      DATE_FORMAT(d,f)

      Displays the date d as required by expression f.

      TIME_FORMAT

      TIME_FORMAT(t,f)

      Displays the time t as required by expression f.

      Table 3 Text functions

      Function

      Usage

      Description

      CHAR_LENGTH

      CHAR_LENGTH(s)

      Returns the number of characters in string s.

      LENGTH

      LENGTH(s)

      Returns the length of string s.

      CONCAT

      CONCAT(s1,s2,...)

      Combines multiple strings such as s1 and s2 into one string.

      CONCAT_WS

      CONCAT_WS(x,s1,s2,...)

      Uses the first parameter as the separator, which is associated with all following parameters.

      UPPER

      UPPER(s)

      Converts letters in string s into uppercase letters.

      LOWER

      LOWER(s)

      Converts letters in string s into lowercase letters.

      LEFT

      LEFT(s,n)

      Returns the first n characters of string s.

      RIGHT

      RIGHT(s,n)

      Returns the last n characters of string s.

      LPAD

      LPAD(s1,len,s2)

      Uses string s2 to fill the beginning of s1 so that the string length reaches len.

      RPAD

      RPAD(s1,len,s2)

      Uses string s2 to fill the end of s1 so that the string length reaches len.

      LTRIM

      LTRIM(s)

      Deletes the space at the beginning of the string s.

      RTRIM

      RTRIM(s)

      Deletes the space at the end of the string s.

      TRIM

      TRIM(s1 FROM s)

      Removes the string s and the string s1 at the end.

      REPEAT

      REPEAT(s,n)

      Repeats the string s for n times.

      REPLACE

      REPLACE(s,s1,s2)

      Replaces the string s1 in the string s with the string s2.

      SUBSTRING

      SUBSTRING(s,n,len)

      Obtains a string whose length is len from the nth position in the string s.

      LOCATE

      LOCATE(s1,s)

      Obtains the start position of s1 from the string s.

      INSTR

      INSTR(s,s1)

      Obtains the start position of s1 from the string s.

      REVERSE

      REVERSE(s)

      Reverses the sequence of the string s.

      MD5

      MD5(str)

      You can hash the string str to encrypt data that does not require decryption.

      Table 4 Numeric functions

      Function

      Usage

      Description

      ABS

      ABS(x)

      Returns the absolute value of x.

      CEIL

      CEIL(x)

      Returns the smallest integer greater than or equal to x.

      FLOOR

      FLOOR(x)

      Returns the largest integer less than or equal to x.

      RANDOM

      RANDOM()

      Returns a random number ranging from 0.0 to 1.0.

      SIGN

      SIGN(x)

      Returns the sign of x, which is either -1, 0, or 1 depending on whether x is negative, zero, or positive.

      PI

      PI()

      Returns pi.

      TRUNC

      TRUNC(x, y)

      Returns the value of x rounded to y decimal places.

      ROUND

      ROUND(x)

      Returns the integer closest to x.

      ROUND

      ROUND(x, y)

      Returns the value of x rounded to y decimal places, with any truncated part being rounded off.

      POWER

      POWER(x,y)

      Returns the value of x raised to the power of y.

      SQRT

      SQRT(x)

      Returns the square root of x.

      EXP

      EXP(x)

      Returns the value of e raised to the power of x.

      MOD

      MOD(x,y)

      Returns the remainder when x is divided by y.

      LOG

      LOG(x)

      In the ORA- or TD-compatible mode, this operator means the logarithm with 10 as the base. In the MySQL-compatible mode, this operator means the natural logarithm.

      RADIANS

      RADIANS(x)

      Converts the angle to a radian.

      DEGREES

      DEGREES(x)

      Converts the radian to an angle.

      SIN

      SIN(x)

      Calculates the sine value given in radians.

      ASIN

      ASIN(x)

      Calculates the arc sine value given in radians.

      COS

      COS(x)

      Calculates the cosine value given in radians.

      ACOS

      ACOS(x)

      Calculates the arc cosine value given in radians.

      TAN

      TAN(x)

      Calculates the tangent value given in radians.

      ATAN

      ATAN(x)

      Calculates the arc tangent value given in radians.

      COT

      COT(x)

      Calculates the cotangent value given in radians.

    2. Visual editing: You can only derive grouping dimensions based on a single dimension. If you need to derive more complex new dimensions based on multiple dimensions, use the formula editor.
      1. Select a grouping field.
      2. Set the group and select the group field value.
      3. Click Refresh Preview and then Confirm.