Expert Cube Development with Microsoft SQL Server 2008

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Views are made up of plain text.
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Chapter 1
We can easily search for all the occurrences of a specific column, table or
any kind of value using a simple text editor. We do not need any specialized
development tools, nor need we to dive into unreadable XML code to have a
clear view of how a specific field is used.
If we need to update a view we can do it without opening BI Development
Studio. This means that nearly everybody can do it, although, as it is very
easy to update a view, some sort of security does need to be applied.
Furthermore, as views are simple text, a source control system can handle
them very easily. We can check who updated what, when they did it and
what they changed very easily.
Views can be updated very quickly.
A view can be updated very quickly as it does not require any kind of
processing, we just ALTER it and the work is done. We do not need to use
an UPDATE statement if we want to make simple (and possibly temporary)
changes to the data.
Views can reduce the number of columns we expose.
There is really no need to expose more columns to a cube than it needs.
Showing more columns will only lead to confusion and a chance that the
wrong column will be used for something.
Views can provide default values when needed.
When we have a NULLable column that contains NULL values, we can easily
assign a default value to it using views. We shouldn't really have a NULLable
column in a data mart, but sometimes it happens.
Views can expose a star schema even if the relational model is more complex.
As we've already mentioned, sometimes we end up with a relational
design that is not a perfectly designed star schema. By removing unused
columns, by creating joins when necessary and in general by designing the
appropriate queries, we can expose to Analysis Services a star schema, even
when the relational model has a more complex structure.
Views are database objects.
As views are database objects they inherit two important properties:
° We can configure security for views, and so stop unauthorized
access to data very easily.
° Views can belong to a schema. If we are using schemas for the
definition of subject areas, we can assign views to subject areas.
This will lead to a very clean project where each object belongs
to the subject area that is relevant to it.
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