Preface

The Oracle OLAP Application Developer's Guide explains how SQL and Java applications can extend their analytic processing capabilities by using the OLAP option in the Enterprise edition of the Oracle Database.

The preface contains these topics:

• Intended Audience

• Documentation Accessibility

• Structure

• Related Documents

• Conventions

Intended Audience

This manual is intended for applications developers. To use this manual, you should know SQL and have a general familiarity with the Oracle tools available to SQL developers and database administrators.

Documentation Accessibility

Our goal is to make Oracle products, services, and supporting documentation accessible, with good usability, to the disabled community. To that end, our documentation includes features that make information available to users of assistive technology. This documentation is available in HTML format, and contains markup to facilitate access by the disabled community. Standards will continue to evolve over time, and Oracle is actively engaged with other market-leading technology vendors to address technical obstacles so that our documentation can be accessible to all of our customers. For additional information, visit the Oracle Accessibility Program Web site at

http://www.oracle.com/accessibility/

Accessibility of Code Examples in Documentation

JAWS, a Windows screen reader, may not always correctly read the code examples in this document. The conventions for writing code require that closing braces should appear on an otherwise empty line; however, JAWS may not always read a line of text that consists solely of a bracket or brace.

Accessibility of Links to External Web Sites in Documentation

This documentation may contain links to Web sites of other companies or organizations that Oracle does not own or control. Oracle neither evaluates nor makes any representations regarding the accessibility of these Web sites.

Structure

The following paragraphs describe the chapters that comprise this manual.

Part I, " Fundamentals"

Part I introduces the basic concepts, tools, and capabilities of the OLAP option.

Chapter 1, " Overview"

This chapter introduces the powerful analytic resources available in an Oracle Database installed with the OLAP option.

Chapter 2, " The Multidimensional Data Model"

This chapter describes the multidimensional data model and how it is implemented in relational tables, analytic workspaces, and the OLAP Catalog.

Chapter 3, " The Sample Schema"

This chapter describes the GLOBAL sample schema that is used for the examples in this manual.

Chapter 4, " Developing Java Applications for OLAP"

This chapter presents the rich development environment and the powerful tools that you can use to create OLAP applications.

Part II, " Fundamentals of Creating and Using Analytic Workspaces"

Part II provides instructions for creating standard form analytic workspaces from a relational schema using a set of graphical tools.

Chapter 5, " Defining a Logical Multidimensional Model"

This chapter describes the OLAP Catalog and the methods for working with OLAP metadata so that you can describe your data as logical multidimensional objects.

Chapter 6, " Creating an Analytic Workspace "

This chapter explains how to create a standard form analytic workspace by using the wizards in Analytic Workspace Manager.

Chapter 7, " SQL Access to Analytic Workspaces "

This chapter introduces various SQL packages that provide access to the data in an analytic workspace.

Chapter 8, " Exploring a Standard Form Analytic Workspace "

This chapter describes the objects created in a standard form analytic workspace. It serves as a guide to your own analytic workspace, and you can examine the property sheets of the objects described here by opening the Object View in Analytic Workspace Manager.

Part III, " Acquiring Data From Additional Sources"

Part III describes ways that you can create a new analytic workspace or enhance an existing one with data from sources other than a star or snowflake schema.

Chapter 9, " Adding Measures to a Standard Form Analytic Workspace "

This chapter explains how to add calculated measures as a permanent addition to a standard form analytic workspace.

Chapter 10, " Predicting Future Performance"

This chapter explains how to forecast future results based on past performance and make this information available in a new standard form cube.

Chapter 11, " Acquiring Data From Other Sources "

This chapter introduces the data acquisition facilities in the OLAP DML, which you can use to create a standard form analytic workspace, or add data to an existing workspace, from sources other than a star or snowflake schema.

Part IV, " Database Administration for OLAP "

Part IV explains how to perform administrative tasks associated with the OLAP option.

Chapter 12, " Administering Oracle OLAP"

This chapter identifies the administrative tasks associated with the OLAP option and provides performance tips.

Chapter 13, " Materialized Views for the OLAP API "

This chapter explains how to create materialized views that can be used by the Business Intelligence Beans when relational tables (instead of an analytic workspace) are used to store the data.

Appendix A, " Database Standard Form for Analytic Workspaces "

This appendix specifies the rules for a database standard form analytic workspace.

Appendix B, " Upgrading From Express Server"

This appendix provides upgrade instructions and identifies some of the major differences between Oracle Express Server 6.3 and Oracle OLAP.

Appendix C, " Programs Used to Create GLOBALX"

This appendix provides additional source code used to create the example in

Glossary

The glossary contains definitions of terms that are specific to OLAP.

Related Documents

For more information, see the following manuals in the Oracle Database 10g documentation set:

• Oracle OLAP Application Developer's Guide

  Explains how SQL and Java applications can extend their analytic processing capabilities by using Oracle OLAP in the Enterprise Edition of Oracle Database.

• Oracle OLAP Reference

  Explains the syntax of PL/SQL packages and types and the column structure of views related to Oracle OLAP.

• Oracle OLAP DML Reference

  Contains a complete description of the OLAP Data Manipulation Language (OLAP DML) used to define and manipulate analytic workspace objects.

• Oracle OLAP Developer's Guide to the OLAP API

  Introduces the Oracle OLAP API, a Java application programming interface for Oracle OLAP, which is used to perform online analytical processing of the data stored in an Oracle database. Describes the API and how to discover metadata, create queries, and retrieve data.

• Oracle OLAP Java API Reference

  Describes the classes and methods in the Oracle OLAP Java API for querying analytic workspaces and relational data warehouses.

• Oracle OLAP Analytic Workspace Java API Reference

  Describes the classes and methods in the Oracle OLAP Java API for building and maintaining analytic workspaces.

Conventions

The following conventions are also used in this manual: