SQLite for Data Analysis

Before I started using a Mac as my main computer, I would often find myself using Microsoft Access to do some data analysis for a one-off project. Now that I’m using a Mac, I needed to find a tool to do what I used to do with Microsoft Access. In my search I came across SQLite. SQLite is an excellent lightweight database that is extremely fast and a great tool for a data analyst....

May 8, 2015
Star Schema Dimensional Model

Dimension Table: 7 Best Practices

A dimension table is one of the 2 primary building blocks of a dimensional data model. The other primary type of table is the fact table. This post will describe 7 best practices for designing a dimension table. What is the purpose of a Dimension Table A dimension table is the primary way to filter and group results from a fact table. A fact table is almost useless by itself, as you need to give some descriptive attributes to provide context to the data....

May 6, 2014

What is Dimensional Modeling

Dimensional modeling is a data modeling technique in data warehouse design. Dimensional models use facts and dimensions to describe data for the business. Facts are typically numeric values that are additive (can be aggregated). Dimensions are descriptive elements used for grouping, labeling, and filtering facts. In the schema below: units_sold is a fact date, store, and product are dimensions all the other data elements are attributes of a dimension Dimensional models are typically represented using a star schema....

June 22, 2012