Restricted columns are measures that are filtered by specific attribute values. This functionality is a core feature of analytical, multidimensional models. In SAP HANA Calculation Views, the CUBE data category is designed for this purpose. Both variants of the CUBE data category, Cube with Star Join and Cube without Star Join, provide the necessary semantic context (measures and dimensions) to define and process restricted columns for OLAP-style analysis.

B. Dimension: A Dimension data category is used to model master data, attributes, and hierarchies. It does not contain measures (facts), which are a prerequisite for creating restricted columns.

C. SQL Access Only: This deprecated data category was intended for views consumed via plain SQL, bypassing the OLAP engine's semantic layer. It lacks the analytical capabilities required to define restricted columns.

1. SAP HANA Modeling Guide for SAP Web IDE for SAP HANA (SAP HANA 2.0 SPS 07)

Section: Creating Restricted Columns.

The documentation explicitly states

"You can create restricted columns for calculation views with data category

CUBE. A restricted column is a measure that you create in a calculation view to restrict its value for one or more characteristic values." This directly supports that the CUBE category is required.

2. SAP HANA Modeling Guide for SAP Web IDE for SAP HANA (SAP HANA 2.0 SPS 07)

Section: General Properties of a Calculation View.

This section details the different data categories. It describes CUBE (both with and without Star Join) as the category for multidimensional reporting. It defines Dimension for master data and confirms SQL Access Only is deprecated and not intended for analytical features. This clarifies the distinct purpose of each category.