Sample Applications

This section contains examples of commonly used rules applications. Examine these examples to develop an understanding of the syntax and scope of rules.

Calculating Ratios
In the following example, a rule calculates the Gross Margin as a percentage of the Sales in the SalesCube cube. You associate this ratio with the Gross Margin%, a new numeric element in the Account1 dimension.
Sharing Data Between Cubes
The SalesCube cube does not contain price data. The price information for this cube is stored in a separate four-dimensional cube called PriceCube.
Restricting Rules to Simple Values
In the previous exercise, you created a rule that applies to all cells containing sales numbers. This type of rule supersedes consolidations within dimensions, producing incorrect results. In the following exercise, you inspect a quarterly total through a slice worksheet, and restrict the SalesCube rule to simple values, thereby allowing consolidations to function properly.
Calculating an Average Price
Examine the Price, 1Quarter value in the Test worksheet. This number is the sum of the prices for January, February, and March. However, the number should reflect the average price for the three months. The following rules statement yields the desired value:
Linking Two Asymmetrical Cubes
Most companies do not break out overhead costs by product below the Gross Margin line. These numbers, such as rent and utilities, are available only on a regional or divisional basis. In other words, the structure of the cost numbers are not symmetrical with the sales numbers. Therefore you would normally store the data in separate cubes.

Parent topic: Advanced Calculations for Business Data