OLAP functionality is performed using SQL Anywhere by utilizing various
extensions to SQL statements and window functions. Multidimensional data
analysis, data mining, trend analysis, goal seeking, cost allocations, time series
analyses and altering exceptions can be performed with a single SQL statement.
Extensions to SELECT statement: Grouping input rows, analyze the groups and
including the findings in the final result, are the operations that could be done in
SELECT statement. They include extensions to GROUP BY clause – GROUING
SETS, CUBE and ROLLUP clauses and WINDOW clause.
WINDOW aggregate functions: Configurable sliding window concept is supported
for using aggregate functions, which moves down the input rows as they are
processed. Computing percentiles, moving averages and cumulative sums are
performed in a single SQL statement, which reduces the complexity of using self joins, correlated sub queries, temporary tables and at times, the combination of all
these three.
Window ranking functions: These functions facilitates to form a single statement
SQL queries , to obtain the information , like shipped top ten products in a given
year by total sales.