Class: Chicago::Schema::Dimension

Inherits:
Table
  • Object
show all
Defined in:
lib/chicago/schema/dimension.rb

Overview

A dimension in the star schema.

Dimensions contain denormalized values from various source systems, and are used to group and filter the fact tables. They may also be queried themselves.

You shouldn’t need to initialize a Dimension yourself - they should be created via StarSchema#define_dimension.

Instance Attribute Summary collapse

Attributes inherited from Table

#description, #natural_key, #table_name

Attributes included from NamedElement

#label, #name

Instance Method Summary collapse

Methods inherited from Table

#[], #qualify

Constructor Details

#initialize(name, opts = {}) ⇒ Dimension

Creates a new Dimension, named name.

Parameters:

  • name —

    the name of the dimension

  • opts (Hash) (defaults to: {}) —

    a customizable set of options

Options Hash (opts):

  • columns (Array)
  • identifiers (Array)
  • null_records (Array) —

    an array of attribute hashes, used to create null record rows in the database. Hashes must have an :id key.

  • natual_key (Array<Symbol>) —

    an array of symbols, representing a uniqueness constraint on the dimension.

  • description (Object) —

    a long text description about the dimension.

Raises:



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# File 'lib/chicago/schema/dimension.rb', line 56

def initialize(name, opts={})
  super
  @columns = opts[:columns] || []
  @identifiers = opts[:identifiers] || []
  @null_records = opts[:null_records] || []
  @table_name = sprintf(DIMENSION_TABLE_FORMAT, name).to_sym
  @key_table_name = sprintf(KEY_TABLE_FORMAT, @table_name).to_sym
  @predetermined_values = !! opts[:predetermined_values]
  check_null_records
end

Instance Attribute Details

#columns ⇒ Object (readonly) Also known as: column_definitions

Returns an array of Columns defined on this dimension.

See Also:



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# File 'lib/chicago/schema/dimension.rb', line 25

def columns
  @columns
end

#identifiers ⇒ Object (readonly)

Returns all the human-friendly identifying columns for this dimension.

There is no expectation that identifying values will be unique, but they are intended to identify a single record in a user friendly way.



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# File 'lib/chicago/schema/dimension.rb', line 36

def identifiers
  @identifiers
end

#key_table_name ⇒ Object (readonly)

The table used to generate/store dimension keys.



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# File 'lib/chicago/schema/dimension.rb', line 39

def key_table_name
  @key_table_name
end

#null_records ⇒ Object (readonly)

Records representing missing or not applicable dimension values.



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# File 'lib/chicago/schema/dimension.rb', line 42

def null_records
  @null_records
end

Instance Method Details

#create_null_records(db, overridden_table_name = nil) ⇒ Object

Creates null records in a Database.

This will overwrite any records that share the id with the null record, so be careful.

Optionally provide an overridden table name, if you need to create null records for a temporary version of the table.



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# File 'lib/chicago/schema/dimension.rb', line 74

def create_null_records(db, overridden_table_name=nil)
  table_to_populate = overridden_table_name || table_name
  unless @null_records.empty?
    db[table_to_populate].insert_replace.
      insert_multiple(@null_records)
    if db.table_exists?(key_table_name)
      ids = @null_records.map {|r| {:dimension_id => r[:id]} }
      db[key_table_name].insert_replace.insert_multiple(ids)
    end
  end
end

#has_predetermined_values? ⇒ Boolean

Returns true if the set of values for this dimension is pretermined.

Examples of this may be date dimensions, currency dimensions etc.

Returns:

  • (Boolean) 


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# File 'lib/chicago/schema/dimension.rb', line 104

def has_predetermined_values?
  @predetermined_values
end

#identifiable? ⇒ Boolean

TODO:

change to be consistent with identifiers

Returns true if this dimension can be identified as a concrete entity, with an original_id from a source system.

Returns:

  • (Boolean) 


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# File 'lib/chicago/schema/dimension.rb', line 95

def identifiable?
  !! original_key
end

#main_identifier ⇒ Object

Returns the main identifier for this record.



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# File 'lib/chicago/schema/dimension.rb', line 87

def main_identifier
  @identifiers.first
end

#original_key ⇒ Object

TODO:

make configurable.

Returns the column that represents the id in the original source for the dimension.

Currently this column must be called original_id



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# File 'lib/chicago/schema/dimension.rb', line 114

def original_key
  @original_key ||= @columns.detect {|c| c.name == :original_id }
end

#visit(visitor) ⇒ Object

Dimensions accept Visitors



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# File 'lib/chicago/schema/dimension.rb', line 119

def visit(visitor)
  visitor.visit_dimension(self)
end