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In this extremely simple example, we created a profit column based on the total product cost and the sales amount. The MDX expression used here is very simple; as you can see, you don't need to write the whole select statement, you just need to write the expression that calculates or applies conditions.

The MDX expression can be made more complex with the help of functions and metadata information listed in the bottom-left side of the preceding screenshot. You can drag-and-drop functions or measures or dimension hierarchies in the expression box and create the expression easily. There are also some properties for calculated columns, such as font, color, and format string, which can be set in this window.

You can also create Named Sets in this window, which can be a subset of the dimension attribute members, for example, a list of the top 50 customers based on the sales amount. You can write MDX scripts to create a Named Set again.

As you've seen in this section, MDX plays an important role in creating calculations and writing complex query scripts on the SSAS Multidimensional cube, so our recommendation for SSAS developers is to improve their MDX skills. The more professionally you can write MDX, the better you will be able to create more powerful cubes for business requirements.