Comments on: Fun with Serial Dates http://blog.todmeansfox.com/2008/06/06/fun-with-serial-dates/ Business Intelligence, Data Warehousing, SQL, Visual FoxPro. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:20:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Tod McKenna http://blog.todmeansfox.com/2008/06/06/fun-with-serial-dates/#comment-1792 Tod McKenna Mon, 09 Jun 2008 06:56:15 +0000 http://blog.todmeansfox.com/2008/06/06/fun-with-serial-dates/#comment-1792 Exactly! I suppose no one thinks about moving away from Excel anytime soon :-s Storing bad data to accommodate external software is always a bad idea. Although we discussed adding an extra metric to the fact table (the serial date in our context is actually a business metric stored in the fact!), we determined that the size of the fact table would grow unnecessarily too large. The date dimension is an interesting option, but because we're dealing with a number that for us is semi-additive, doesn't "feel" like it would work. But I'll explore that option more. Actually, adding the serial date in actual, SQL Server, and Excel varieties is an excellent idea in general!! Exactly! I suppose no one thinks about moving away from Excel anytime soon :-s

Storing bad data to accommodate external software is always a bad idea. Although we discussed adding an extra metric to the fact table (the serial date in our context is actually a business metric stored in the fact!), we determined that the size of the fact table would grow unnecessarily too large.

The date dimension is an interesting option, but because we’re dealing with a number that for us is semi-additive, doesn’t “feel” like it would work. But I’ll explore that option more.

Actually, adding the serial date in actual, SQL Server, and Excel varieties is an excellent idea in general!!

]]> By: Tjomme http://blog.todmeansfox.com/2008/06/06/fun-with-serial-dates/#comment-1789 Tjomme Mon, 09 Jun 2008 05:47:32 +0000 http://blog.todmeansfox.com/2008/06/06/fun-with-serial-dates/#comment-1789 Tod, In your data warehouse you can also add an extra column to the data dimension to capture the Excel date. Use this field when you move data to Excel. Make sure you keep on working with SQL Server conform dates in the data warehouse. At least it stays conform in one system. Otherwise you will have problems when somebody would go directly to the database. What will you do when the logic in Excel changes? Regards, Tjomme Tod,
In your data warehouse you can also add an extra column to the data dimension to capture the Excel date. Use this field when you move data to Excel. Make sure you keep on working with SQL Server conform dates in the data warehouse. At least it stays conform in one system. Otherwise you will have problems when somebody would go directly to the database.
What will you do when the logic in Excel changes?

Regards,
Tjomme

]]> By: Dave Crozier http://blog.todmeansfox.com/2008/06/06/fun-with-serial-dates/#comment-1752 Dave Crozier Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:35:18 +0000 http://blog.todmeansfox.com/2008/06/06/fun-with-serial-dates/#comment-1752 Tod, Don't know if this helps any with your date transformation: http://www.screencast.com/users/RDCrozier/folders/Jing/media/a6ed6820-912d-442f-befd-040f49677529 or http://tinyurl.com/5pe6tl Dave Crozier Tod,
Don’t know if this helps any with your date transformation:

http://www.screencast.com/users/RDCrozier/folders/Jing/media/a6ed6820-912d-442f-befd-040f49677529

or
http://tinyurl.com/5pe6tl

Dave Crozier

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