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Definitions

Definitions are versioned records for reusable business decisions. They represent row subjects, calculations, and policies and link those decisions to source evidence and the charts that use them.

One answer can use several definitions

Sienna stores the smallest business decisions that can be reused or changed independently. A query composes those records with its own time, grouping, and filter selections.

QuestionShow gross profit by region last quarter.
Row subjectSales order lineOne line on one completed orderORDER_ID · LINE_ID
Both use the row subject
Reusable calculationNet salesSUM(NET_SALES_USD)
Reusable calculationCost of goods soldSUM(COGS_USD)
Combined calculationGross profit{net sales} - {cost of goods sold}Components are summed before subtraction
Query selectionsLast quarterGroup by customer region

The period and grouping stay with this query. They do not create new definition records.

Business meaning and warehouse logic are stored separately

The business rule, formula, reusable dependencies, reporting behavior, and source binding are stored separately. A data lead can review the meaning without reading SQL and inspect the implementation when needed.

Definition

Gross profit

From dbt

What it means

Net sales from completed orders minus the direct cost of the goods sold, converted to USD.

Calculation

Net sales−Cost of goods sold

Reporting rule

Sum net sales and cost of goods sold at the requested scope, then subtract. Do not sum or average stored gross-profit percentages.

Definition dependencies

Net salesCost of goods soldFX to USD

Saved charts reference shared definitions

Each chart stores its own period, grouping, and filters while resolving the same reviewed definition.

Shared definitionGross profit{net sales} - {cost of goods sold}
Executive overviewGross profit trendMonthly · Last 12 months
Finance performanceGross profit by regionQuarterly · Customer region
Product performanceGross profit by categoryMonthly · Product category
A change to the definition is reviewed once. Each connected chart keeps its own query selections and resolves the current version.

A source-of-truth choice selects the default definition

When several definitions provide the same business concept from different sources, the selected definition is used by default. The alternatives remain visible with their own meaning and evidence.

Source-of-truth choice

Customer region

1 selected · 2 alternativesUsed in 4 charts
Selected for the organization

CRM account region

Use the region assigned to the customer account in the CRM.

CRM.DIM_ACCOUNTS
Alternative

Billing address region

Map the country on the current billing profile to a region.

BILLING.DIM_CUSTOMERS
Alternative

Contracting entity region

Use the region of the legal entity named on the active contract.

FINANCE.DIM_ENTITIES
The Choice stores the selection and its branches. Formula, SQL, and source bindings remain on the branch definitions.

Support and authority describe different properties

Support records how much business choice a definition contains. Authority records whether it comes from a connected source, remains an assumption, or has been confirmed by the organization.

Support

What kind of decision is this?
Standard
Direct, verifiable meaning with no material business choice.
Common
A supported treatment that organizations may reasonably vary.
Custom
An organization-specific or consequential business choice.

Authority

May Sienna rely on it directly?
Connected source
Supplied by a connected source such as dbt and used directly.
Assumption
No connected or confirmed authority yet. Its use remains visible.
Confirmed
The organization approved the meaning in a new recorded version.
An unconfirmed Source-of-truth Choice remains an assumption until the organization confirms its selection.