How to Link Attributes

When you are creating a dossier, you can:

Display data from multiple datasets in the same visualization.
Use a visualization based on one dataset as a filter to update the data displayed in a visualization based on another dataset.
Group data from one dataset based on an attribute that exists in another dataset.

To achieve any of these goals, you must link the attributes that are shared in common across multiple datasets.

You have one dataset that contains Customer ID, Customer Name, and Profit data, and another dataset that contains Customer ID and Shipping Cost data. You can link the two Customer ID attributes, allowing you to display Customer Name, Profit, and Shipping Cost in one visualization, group Shipping Cost data by Customer Name, etc.

When you import a new dataset directly into a dossier that contains at least one dataset, the new dataset is automatically linked to attributes that already exist in the dossier by default. MicroStrategy attempts to link attributes that share the same name.

You can also manually link attributes when you are editing a dossier. Manually linking attributes allows you to link attributes across multiple existing datasets. The attributes that you link to each other should uniquely identify each record, to ensure that the results are calculated accurately. In most cases, an ID attribute can be used to link attributes. The attributes that you link must be the same data type. You can link an attribute to attributes in one or more datasets.

When you link data in one dossier, all other dossiers that contain the linked attributes are automatically updated.

An attribute that is linked across multiple datasets appears with a link icon and appears as one attribute when added to a visualization.

You can choose to unlink attributes that are already linked, if the link is incorrect for your needs. Unlinked attributes with the same name are treated as two separate attributes when they appear in a visualization.

To manually link data while importing

While importing data, open the Preview Dialog to prepare the data.
In the top pane, drag the attribute on top of the attribute you want to link to.
Click the checkbox to confirm.

If you rename an attribute to an existing attribute name, Workstation asks you if you want to link the attributes.

To manually unlink data while importing

While importing data, open the Preview Dialog to prepare the data.

Linked attributes appear with a Link icon in the top pane of the Preview dialog.
Right-click the attribute to unlink and select Unmap.

Be aware that linking actually replaces the source attribute. Even if you unmap the linked attributes later, you cannot recover information for the source attribute.

You can also link metrics. You should know for certain that they have the same underlying fact. Renaming a metrics to another metric with the same name also triggers the linking functionality.

To link attributes, they must have compatible data types. See the compatibility matrix below to see which data types are compatible.

Attribute 1	Attribute 2
Integer	Integer, Long, Big Integer, Double
Long	Integer, Long, Big Integer, Double
Big Integer	Integer, Long, Big Integer
Float	Float, Double
Double	Integer, Long, Float, Double
Big Decimal	Big Decimal
Date	Date, Date Time
Date Time	Date, Date Time, Time
Time	Date Time, Time
Text	Text, Email, HTML Tag, Phone Number, Symbol, URL
Email	Text, Email, HTML Tag, Phone Number, Symbol, URL
HTML Tag	Text, Email, HTML Tag, Phone Number, Symbol, URL
Phone Number	Text, Email, HTML Tag, Phone Number, Symbol, URL
Symbol	Text, Email, HTML Tag, Phone Number, Symbol, URL
URL	Text, Email, HTML Tag, Phone Number, Symbol, URL

How to Link Attributes

To manually link data while importing

To manually unlink data while importing

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