Multidimensional Expressions (MDX)

What Does Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) Mean?

Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) is a query language for handling multidimensional data. Microsoft uses this language to work with these types of data sets in server analysis. Multidimensional data is created when the contents of a data set exceed two dimensions, and when traditional Structured Query Language (SQL) no longer serves as a sufficient extractor.

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Techopedia Explains Multidimensional Expressions (MDX)

Multidimensional Expressions was originally developed by Microsoft. It emerged in the late 1990s and is often used in the context of online analytical processing (OLAP) systems.

Multidimensional Expressions helps to manage data that has more than two dimensions where traditional SQL query language may not fit the bill. Think about all of the modeling that goes on with complex data sets today. Multidimensional expressions is one tool or resource that developers and engineers can use to direct this more sophisticated data through more sophisticated data handling systems.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…