What Does Dimension Table Mean?
A dimension table is a database table referencing defining pieces
of information or attributes for particular records in a primary database table.
Experts may describe a dimension table as part of a “database schema” or a database
conceptual map that shows the logical construction of the database. Typically,
any dimension table has a primary key that links all of the dimension records
to the individual primary records.
Techopedia Explains Dimension Table
The idea with dimension tables is that users can do specific and precise queries to filter and group dimension information for research and business intelligence purposes. The use of a surrogate key helps to join the dimension data to the data from the primary record.
For example, a dimension table may hold certain “measurements” or attributes about a company’s products, such as weight, size, shipping protocol, bar code information or warehouse location information. Enterprise users would then use SQL to search for records meeting particular attributes. In many cases, dimension tables are de-normalized, a process that involves adding redundant data after normalization. De-normalization of dimension tables can be done to reduce the necessity of join commands, or for other purposes.
