Universal calculations in MDX

Among many of its functions, MDX language has one special, but rarely used function - Axis function. Through its use it is possible to create calculations that don´t reference any particular dimension/hierarchy of a cube yet work correctly for any of them. These calculations can be used in any MDX query or report and are therefore named “universal”. The paper presents the principles behind these calculations and the techniques how to achieve them. It also explains how they work starting from a simple example and continuing with more advanced ones. Before the final conclusion is made, various approaches and techniques are being analyzed and compared.