You can load data into the level 0 members of date-time dimensions using date strings instead of member names. Even if the date hierarchy does not span to the day granularity level, the data source can be specified by individual dates. The load process aggregates the values and stores them at the appropriate level.
Loading data based on date provides the following advantages:
Data can be loaded from any day-level load file, as long as the data file date format is supported.
If you set the data load to “Add to existing cells,” data can be loaded from a day-level load file to a less granular level in the hierarchy; for example to week or month level 0 cells.
Table 201 lists the date format strings you can use when you define the date field in the data load rules file:
Table 201. Date Format Strings
Date Format String | Example |
---|---|
mon dd yyyy | Jan 15 2006 |
Mon dd yyyy | January 15 2006 |
mm/dd/yy | 01/15/06 |
mm/dd/yyyy | 01/15/2006 |
yy.mm.dd | 06.01.06 |
dd/mm/yy | 15/01/06 |
dd.mm.yy | 15.01.06 |
dd-mm-yy | 15–01–06 |
dd Mon yy | 15 January 06 |
dd mon yy | 15 Jan 06 |
Mon dd yy | January 15 06 |
mon dd yy | Jan 15 06 |
mm-dd-yy | 01–15–06 |
yy/mm/dd | 06/01/15 |
yymmdd | 060115 |
dd Mon yyyy | 15 January 2006 |
dd mon yyyy | 15 Jan 2006 |
yyyy-mm-dd | 2006–01–15 |
yyyy/mm/dd | 2006/01/15 |
Long Name | Sunday, January 15, 2006 |
Short Name | 1/8/06 (m/d/yy) |
Note: | Using extra white space not included in the internal format strings returns an error. Trailing characters after the date format has been satisfied are ignored. If you erroneously use a date string of 06/20/2006 with date format mm/dd/yy, the trailing 06 is ignored and the date is interpreted as June 20, 2020. Long Name format is not verified for a day-of-week match to the given date. |