Introducing Dimension Status

The current status list of a dimension is an ordered list of currently accessible values for the dimension. Values that are in the current status list of a dimension are said to be "in status." The current status list of a dimension determines the selection of the data from all of the objects that are dimensioned by it.

For dimensions, only those dimension values that are in the current status list are accessed. For dimensioned objects, only those data values that are indexed by dimension values in the current status list are accessed.

As a loop is performed through a dimensioned object, the order of the dimension values in the current status list is used to determine the order in which the values of the object are accessed.

Whether or not a dimension value is in status merely restricts your view of the value during a given session; it does not permanently affect the values that are stored in the analytic workspace.

When you first attach an analytic workspace, the current status list of each dimension consists of all of the values of the dimension that have read permission, in the order in which the values are stored. This list of values is called the default status list for the dimension.

A status list of a dimension surrogate is the same as the status list of its dimension. A surrogate does not have a current or default status list separate from its dimension.

Changing the Current Status List

You can change the current status list for a dimension by using:

• The LIMIT command to change the values and the order of the values in the current status list of a dimension.
• The SORT command to arrange the order of values in the current status list of a dimension.

Changing the Default Status List

You can change the default status list of a dimension in the following ways:

• You can add, delete, move, merge, and rename values in a dimension by using the MAINTAIN command. However, with a concat dimension you use the MAINTAIN command only to move its values to a different order in the dimension.
• You can change the read permission of values that are associated with a dimension by using the PERMIT command or the PERMITRESET command.

  
  

  See Also: "Maintaining Dimensions and Composites" for information on storing and maintaining dimension values. "Adding Security to an Analytic Workspace" for information on setting permissions on workspace objects.

Identifying and Retrieving Status Lists

You can use the following commands and functions to identify and retrieve the status of dimension values.

Command or function	Description
INSTAT function	Checks whether a dimension value is in the current status list of a dimension.
STATFIRST function	Retrieves the first value in the current status list of a dimension.
STATLAST function	Retrieves the last value in the current status list of a dimension.
STATUS command	Sends to the current outfile the status of one or more values in a dimension, or the status of all dimensions in an analytic workspace.
VALUES function	Retrieves different values depending on the keyword that you specify: If you specify the NOSTATUS keyword, then the function retrieves the default status list of a dimension list. If you specify the STATUS keyword, then the function retrieves the current status list of a dimension. Depending on whether you specify the INTEGER keyword, the function either returns a multiline text value that contains one dimension value per line or returns, as integers, the position numbers of the dimension values.

Saving and Restoring Dimension Status

You can save the current status of a dimension in the following ways.

• If you want to save the current status (or the value of a dimension) for use in any session, then use a named valueset. Use the DEFINE VALUESET command to define the valueset.
• If you want to save the current status (or the value of a dimension, a valueset, an option, or a single-cell variable) for use in the current program, then use the PUSHLEVEL and PUSH commands. You can restore the current status values using the POPLEVEL and POP commands.
• If you want to save, access, or update the current status (or the value of a dimension, a valueset, an option, a single-cell variable, or a single-cell relation) for use in the current session, then use a named context. Use the CONTEXT command to define the context.

Contexts are the most sophisticated way to save object values for use in an analytic workspace. With contexts, you can access, update, and commit the saved object values. In contrast, PUSH and POP simply allow you to save and restore values. Typically, you only used the PUSH and POP commands within a program to make changes that apply only during the program execution.