Width_Bucket - don't understand?!

Teresa Modesta

I came across something on the internet over the weekend about an OBIEE function called width_bucket - which I had not used before - can anyone help me understand the point of it because whatever I read I am just not following the purpose of it.

Robert Angel

Try this, the blog is also good for some other relatively new functionality; -

OBIEE in IL: OBIEE 12c Advanced Analytic part 2: BIN and WIDTH_BUCKET

Robert Angel

As to its purpose see this paragraph in particular, and the last part of it for the concept in a nutshell, so essentially it is like a bin (case) statement but with the following differences, you might also want to look at the plsql docs on width_bucket.

Note the following differences between the BIN and WIDTH_BUCKET functions:

• Unlike the BIN function, the WIDTH_BUCKET function is not treated as a new dimensional attribute for the purposes of aggregation. Instead, the WIDTH_BUCKET function is applied on top of the query result similar to the other display functions such as RANK, TOPN, BOTTOMN, NTILE, PERCENTILE, MAVG, and MEDIAN.
• The BY clause of the BIN function defines the grain at which the binned expression is evaluated prior to binning. If the binned expression is a measure, then the measure is grouped at the grain specified in the BY clause before being binned.
• The BY clause of the WIDTH_BUCKET function defines the groups in the query result set over which the WIDTH_BUCKET calculation is applied. The buckets within different groups are calculated independently.
• The BY clause of the BIN function is mandatory if the binned expression is a measure. Otherwise, for non-measure expressions, the BY clause is optional.
• The BY clause is always optional in the WIDTH_BUCKET function. If the BY clause is omitted from the WIDTH_BUCKET function, then the function operates over the entire result set.
• Use the BIN function when you want to compute a set of discrete buckets on top of a continuous valued attribute or measure and you want to treat that new set of discrete buckets as if it were a new dimension attribute that is intended to be included in the GROUP BY clause of other base measures in the query.
• Use the WIDTH_BUCKET function when you want to compute a discrete set of buckets on top of an already aggregated query result set.

Teresa Modesta

"Penny" dropped.

It makes sense now.

Not sure how it is useful to me yet, but you never know!!!!!

Thank you.