Query

MDX

Multidimensional Expressions

Caution Vendor-led Originally Microsoft (1997); referenced by the XMLA specification Since 1997

Judgement: Caution

Multidimensional query language; surviving only in MS Analysis Services.

Query language for multidimensional databases — the OLAP-cube counterpart to SQL. Used to express slice, dice, and rollup operations against star/snowflake schemas exposed as cubes.

Originated with Microsoft OLE DB for OLAP and adopted by Microsoft Analysis Services, Mondrian, SAP BW, AtScale, and Oracle Essbase. Still pervasive in enterprise BI estates even though greenfield analytics has largely moved to SQL plus semantic layers.

At a glance

Category
Query
Governance
Originally Microsoft (1997); referenced by the XMLA specification
Status
Legacy; ubiquitous in OLAP/cube tooling, no significant new adoption
First released
1997

Links

Related standards

Other standards in Query.

See MDX in context

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