A shared dimension is a Semantic Data Object that multiple fact tables connect through, so a single query can analyze several facts along a common axis — a shared Product, Date, or Account key — without defining duplicate relationships between each fact and the dimension.
There is no shared-dimension request construct. You mark the object as shared in the model, and at query time you simply select fields from the shared object and from the fact objects; the engine combines results across the facts on the shared columns.
Use a shared dimension for cross-fact analysis: reporting two or more fact tables side by side, grouped or filtered along the dimension they have in common.
Performance: Include a shared dimension column in the query. When the queried fact trees share no dimension, they are combined with a cross join (Cartesian product); the shared dimension supplies the join key that avoids it.
A shared dimension is a Semantic Data Object marked with tableType: Shared in the Semantic Data Model. That marking lets multiple fact tables connect through the same dimension table. For definitions, see Semantic Data Object in the Authoring API, including the tableType (Standard / Shared) property.
At query time the shared object behaves like any other queryable object: you select its fields through table_field (by physical column and table name) or semantic_field (by API name).
Select fields from the shared object and from the fact objects; results are combined across the facts on the shared columns. A field from the shared object (for example, a Product or Date key) supplies the join key and a common grouping axis across the facts.
1{
2 "semantic_model": {
3 "apiName": "Sales",
4 "label": "Sales",
5 "semanticDataObjects": [
6 {
7 "apiName": "SemanticAccount__dlm",
8 "label": "semantic account",
9 "dataObjectName": "ssot__Account__dlm",
10 "dataObjectType": "Dmo",
11 "tableType": "Shared",
12 "semanticDimensions": [
13 {
14 "apiName": "semantic__Id__c",
15 "label": "ssot Id c",
16 "dataType": "Text",
17 "dataObjectFieldName": "ssot__Id__c"
18 }
19 // ...
20 ],
21 "semanticMeasurements": [
22 // ...
23 ]
24 }
25 ]
26 // ...
27 }
28}Performance: Each fact tree is aggregated to the shared-dimension grain and then combined pairwise, so cost grows with the number of fact trees combined in a single query.
Filter behavior across shared dimensions is directional: a filter on a fact-specific field affects only the fact tree that contains it, while a filter on a shared-dimension field affects every fact tree connected to that shared table.
Performance: Accurate cardinality within each fact tree still applies and avoids row multiplication before the trees are combined.
| Field (wire name) | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
tableType ("Shared") | String (enum) | N | On a Semantic Data Object in the model. Marks the object as a shared dimension that multiple fact tables connect through. Defined at authoring time — see Related. |
For the full request schema, see Request Reference.
tableType: Shared in the model and referenced by field; you cannot pass a shared-dimension directive in a query.tableType (Standard / Shared) property.
j