Dimension

From OLAP

A Dimension is a structural attribute of a cube that is a list of related names-known as Members-all of which belong to a similar category in the user's perception of a data. For example, all months, quarters and years make up a Time dimension; likewise all cities, regions and countries make up a Geography dimension. A Dimension acts an index for identifying values within a multi-dimensional array and offers a very concise, intuitive way of organizing and selecting data for retrieval, exploration and analysis. Dimensions are the business parameters normally seen in the rows and columns of a report.

Dimensions are lists of related terms used to organize your data. Thus, a natural Dimension name for the Members January, February and March might be Months. Dimensions, in turn, are used to construct Cubes, the multidimensional structures in which you store and model data.