Time Editor

The Time Editor can rapidly create a time-based dimension while defining various settings. Besides generating an element hierarchy based on the user's settings, the Time Editor will also create several attributes with additional information about the time dimension’s elements.

Enabling the Time Editor

To enable the Time Editor, you must first assign a specific dimension to the type “Time”. This can be done in the Advanced section of a dimension’s properties page.

Note: after defining the type “Time” for a dimension, the type cannot be changed again. See Assigning Dimension Types for more information.

After setting the dimension type, the Time Editor tab appears.

Time Editor Settings

1. Past/Now/Future	Defines the range of years
2. Levels	Sets the levels for which elements will be created: Year Year – Quarter Year – Quarter -Month Year – Quarter -Month – Month_YTD Year – Quarter -Month – Day Year – Month Year –Month – Month_YTD Year -Month – Day
3. Fiscal year start	Sets additional hierarchy with fiscal year elements
4. Additional elements	Creates additional elements for the checked options: Additional data element on year level (yyyy-~) Additional data element on month level (yyyy-MM-~) Additional global data element Opening period (yyyy-00) Special periods (possible values: 13, 14, 15, or 16)
5. Current-year hierarchies	Creates additional elements for the checked options: Year-to-date: the values of a year will be accumulated from the beginning of the year up to a certain date. Year-to-go: the values of a year will be accumulated from a date up to the end of the year. Quarter-to-date: the values of a quarter will be accumulated from the beginning of the quarter up to a certain date. Quarter-to-go: the values of a quarter will be accumulated from a date up to the end of the quarter. Month-to-date: the values of a month will be accumulated from the beginning of the month up to a certain date. Month-to-go: the values of a month will be accumulated from a date up to the end of the month.
	Full parallel hierarchies: this option allows you to place YTG or YTD elements under special root-level elements. If the option is checked, the following structure will be created: One dedicated hierarchy that contains no current-year hierarchies (e.g. "All months") to gain easy access to all "normal" elements. For each current-year hierarchy, a different hierarchy with separate root nodes is created (e.g. "All Months_YTD"). The additional hierarchies are generated to achieve the following results: The value of a total-year element, e.g. "2017_YTD", will be the sum over all months. If "full parallel hierarchy" is turned off, the structure of a total-year element, e.g. "2017_YTD", will be identical to the structure for a year element, e.g. "2017". This makes it easier to switch from one variant to the other. All logic concerning e.g. quarters, fiscal year offset and additional elements will be identical. These results require the inclusion of normal base elements in the current year hierarchies.
6. Rolling months	Setting for additional hierarchy with rolling months.
7. Weeks	Week hierarchy: setting for additional hierarchy with week elements.
	First day of the week:	Defines the first day of the week.
	Minimum days in the first week:	Defines how many days are needed for the first week of the year.
8. Mode	Extend dimension:	The updated dimension includes all already-existing elements and the newly created elements.
	Rebuild dimension:	The updated dimension includes only the newly created elements.
	Extend and preserve dimension:	The updated dimension includes newly created consolidations without losing existing custom consolidations, such as half years.
9. Update Dimension	Creates the elements of the time-based dimension according to the selected settings. After the update has finished, the user will be shown a detailed log of the procedure.

Attributes

The Time Editor creates attributes such as name, description, next/previous month, and time aggregation, providing additional information about the elements in the time dimension. Several other attributes are possible. Which attributes are created depends on the settings in the time editor.

The attributes YearValue, MonthValue, QuarterValue, and DayValue can be used to traverse a time dimension to a different day, month, quarter, or year element. When a time dimension is modified, these attributes are automatically created and populated. The DayValue attribute also has the advantage of being an integer in Excel date format. All attributes are unique within the dimension, which allows easy lookup of elements from the attribute value by using the PALO.EALIAS() function.

The levels Year-Quarter-Month-Month_YTD and Year-Month-Month_YTD in the Time Editor create the attribute PriorPeriod. This attribute defines the logical period before the specified YTD element.

Example

Time Editor setting:

The setting above has the following result (in the screenshot are only displayed the first elements, as result of the setting have been created 456 elements):

The following attributes have been created: Name, Description, TimeAggregation, YearValue, QuarterValue, NextMonth, MonthValue, PreviousMonth, DayValue, NextYear, and YearToDate.

Note: The mode „Rebuild dimension“ deletes all existing elements and attributes. The updated dimension includes only the newly by the time editor created elements and attributes.

Updated July 8, 2024