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title: Analytics Glossary
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/analytics/264-0-0/bi_glossary.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.bi_glossary.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
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content_type: documentation
content_hash: b2e98d7489873551f0a381be25e6ef8674040ca303da55dae2fe18c669277e6d
description: Familiarize yourself with common Analytics terminology.
products:
  - CRM Analytics
  - Cross Cloud
release: "264"
---
# Analytics Glossary

Familiarize yourself with common Analytics terminology.

## App

An _app_ contains dashboards, lenses, and datasets in any combination that makes sense for sharing your data analysis with colleagues. Apps are like folders. They allow users to organize their data projects—private and shared—and to control sharing.

## App template

An _app template_ is a ready-made dashboard package that is automatically populated with Salesforce data.

## Binding

A _binding_ is an expression to reference information in a query via string replace. Bindings allow for setting dynamic variables for chart and query configurations.

## Column Chart

A _column chart_ is a name for a vertical bar chart.

## Co-group

A _co-group_ is used to combine data from two or more data streams. The data streams can be joined using common fields.

## Component

A _component_ is a widget that contains other widgets and pages. Use components to manage and reuse groups of charts, tables, filters, text, and more in multiple dashboards.

## Connected data

_Connected data_ is an object or file from a data source that is synced. This data isn’t queryable until it’s converted into a dataset.

## Dashboard

A _dashboard_ is a curated set of charts, metrics, and tables based on the data in one or more lenses.

## Dashboard JSON file

A _dashboard JSON file_ defines the components that a dashboard contains and describes how they’re connected.

## Data Monitor

The _data monitor_ tool allows you to monitor dataflow and system jobs. You can also use it to start, stop, reschedule, download, and upload dataflows.

## Dataflow

A _dataflow_ is a set of instructions that specifies what data to extract from Salesforce objects or datasets, how to transform the datasets, and which datasets to make available for querying.

## Dataflow definition file

A _dataflow definition file_ is a JSON file that contains transformations that represent the dataflow logic.

## Dataflow job

A _dataflow job_ processes the logic in a dataflow.

## Dataset

A _dataset_ is a collection of related data that is stored in a denormalized, yet highly compressed form that is optimized for interactive exploration.

## Dataset builder

The _dataset builder_ is a point-and-click user interface that allows you to easily select and extract data from related Salesforce objects to create a single dataset.

## Data sync

A _data sync_ is the method used to refresh connected data in Analytics.

## Date

A _date_ can be represented as a day, month, year, and, optionally, time. You can group, filter, and perform math on dates.

## Designer

_Designer_ is the interface where you create dashboards.

## Derived dimensions

A _derived dimension_ is a qualitative value that is not part of a dataset, but is instead calculated in a query.

## Derived measures

A _derived measure_ is a quantitative value that is not part of a dataset, but is instead calculated in a query.

## Dimension

A _dimension_ is a qualitative value that usually contains categorical data, such as Product Category, Lead Status, and Case Subject. Dimensions are handy for grouping and filtering your data. Unlike measures, you can’t perform math on dimensions.

## Digest

The _digest_ transformation extracts data from connected objects in a dataflow. Use it to extract synced data from your local Salesforce org or remote connections to include in a dataset.

## Extended metadata (XMD)

_Extended metadata (XMD)_ allows you to customize the formatting of many dashboard elements in Analytics.

## External data

_External data_ is data that resides outside of Salesforce, such as data from outside applications and spreadsheets.

## External Data API

Use the _External Data API_ to upload external data files to Analytics to create datasets.

## Lens

A _lens_ is a view into a dataset used in an exploratory mode or to get insight to a specific business question. The lens can be saved and shared independently. It can also be clipped to a dashboard.

## Measure

A _measure_ is a quantitative value that contains numerical data like revenue and exchange rate. You can do math on measures, such as calculating the total revenue and the minimum exchange rate.

## Metadata file

A _metadata file_ is a JSON file that describes the structure of an external data file.

## Model

A _model_ is the output of Einstein Discovery's comprehensive statistical analysis of past outcomes in an Analytics dataset to predict future outcomes. A model represents a collection of insights around a metric (outcome) that highlights any of the following: important trends, explanations on what influenced those trends, comparisons between factors, predictions on future outcomes, and suggested actions that can improve outcomes.

## Page

A _page_ is a dashboard tab that contains distributed dashboard content, such as widgets and filters. There can be multiple pages. Pages make dashboards easier to digest with content organized into multiple areas.

## Predicate

See _security predicate_.

## Query

A _query_ retrieves data from one or more data sources, including datasets, Salesforce objects, user-defined data, or external data. The query results can be displayed in different formats (such as a table or chart) or used as input to another query.

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-analytics-bi-264-0-0-production-enus/ec791473-f5b4-4f64-a656-9104f455d966/images/icon_note.png)

Note Before the Winter '20 release, _queries_ were called _steps_.

## Recipe

A _recipe_ is a user-interface tool that lets you take data from your existing datasets and connected objects, apply transformations, and the output the results to a new dataset.

## Register

The _sfdcRegister_ transformation saves the transformed data as a dataset, which can then be queried in Analytics. Users can't view or run queries against unregistered datasets.

## Salesforce Analytics Query Language (SAQL)

Use _SAQL_ to access and analyze data in Analytics datasets.

## Security Predicate

A _security predicate_ is a filter condition that defines row-level access to records in a dataset.

## Step

A _step_ retrieves data from one or more data sources, including datasets, Salesforce objects, user-defined data, or external data. The step results can be displayed in different formats (such as a table or chart) or used as input to another step.

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-analytics-bi-264-0-0-production-enus/ec791473-f5b4-4f64-a656-9104f455d966/images/icon_note.png)

Note As of the Winter '20 release, _steps_ are called _queries_.

## Story

See _model_.

## Transformation

A _transformation_ refers to the manipulation of data. You can add transformations to a dataflow to extract data from Salesforce objects or datasets, transform datasets that contain Salesforce or external data, and register datasets.

## Trellis

A _trellis_ is the name for a grid (horizontal, vertical, or both) of visualizations. A trellis is also known as _small multiples_ and _lattice_.

## Unit symbol (for measures)

A _unit symbol_ represents the unit of a shortened number that appears in a chart or number widget. Analytics uses the following symbols.

  
| Symbol | Unit | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| K | Thousand (10^3) | 4K = 4,000 |
| M | Million (10^6) | 4M = 4,000,000 |
| B | Billion (10^9) | 4B = 4,000,000,000 |
| T | Trillion (10^12) | 4T = 4,000,000,000,000 |
| P | Quadrillion (10^15) | 4P = 4,000,000,000,000,000 |
| X | Quintillion (10^18) | 4X= 4,000,000,000,000,000,000 |
| Z | Sextillion (10^21) | 4Z = 4,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 |
| Y | Septillion (10^24) | 4Y = 4,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 |
| m | Thousandth (10^-3) | 4m = 0.004 |
| μ | Millionth (10^-6) | 4μ = 0.000004 |
| n | Billionth (10^-9) | 4n = 0.000000004 |
| p | Trillionth (10^-12) | 4p = 0.000000000004 |
| f | Quadrillionth (10^-15) | 4f = 0.000000000000004 |
| a | Quintillionth (10^-18) | 4a = 0.000000000000000004 |
| z | Sextillionth (10^-21) | 4z = 0.000000000000000000004 |
| y | Septillionth (10^-24) | 4y = 0.000000000000000000000004 |

## Visualization

A _visualization_ is commonly a chart or graph, such as a bar chart, donut chart, timeline, or heat map. It can also be data in tabular form, such as a comparison table or pivot table. Every visualization has an underlying query, which is how Analytics retrieves information from the source data.

## Widget

A _widget_ is used to display data on a dashboard, such as key performance indicators, and data visualizations. Data in a widget comes from a query. A widget determines how to use or display the results returned by a query.