---
title: "NameColumn Element (ASSL) | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "03/15/2017"
ms.prod: "sql-server-2016"
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ms.technology: 
  - "analysis-services"
  - "docset-sql-devref"
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ms.topic: "reference"
apiname: 
  - "NameColumn Element"
apilocation: 
  - "http://schemas.microsoft.com/analysisservices/2003/engine"
apitype: "Schema"
applies_to: 
  - "SQL Server 2016 Preview"
f1_keywords: 
  - "NameColumn"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "NameColumn element"
ms.assetid: 9ff79f2e-26d7-4ab9-a166-14c2c2d1fc07
caps.latest.revision: 37
author: "Minewiskan"
ms.author: "owend"
manager: "erikre"
---
# NameColumn Element (ASSL)
  Identifies the column that provides the name of the parent element.  
  
## Syntax  
  
```xml  
  
<DimensionAttribute> <!-- or ScalarMiningStructureColumn -->  
   ...  
   <NameColumn xsi:type="DataItem">...</NameColumn>  
   ...  
</DimensionAttribute>  
```  
  
## Element Characteristics  
  
|Characteristic|Description|  
|--------------------|-----------------|  
|Data type and length|[DataItem](../../../analysis-services/scripting/data-type/dataitem-data-type-assl.md)|  
|Default value|See the table below.|  
|Cardinality|0-1: Optional element that can occur once and only once.|  
  
|Ancestor or Parent|Default Value|  
|------------------------|-------------------|  
|[DimensionAttribute](../../../analysis-services/scripting/data-type/dimensionattribute-data-type-assl.md)|Varies (see Remarks)|  
|[ScalarMiningStructureColumn](../../../analysis-services/scripting/data-type/scalarminingstructurecolumn-data-type-assl.md)|None|  
  
## Element Relationships  
  
|Relationship|Element|  
|------------------|-------------|  
|Parent elements|[DimensionAttribute](../../../analysis-services/scripting/data-type/dimensionattribute-data-type-assl.md), [ScalarMiningStructureColumn](../../../analysis-services/scripting/data-type/scalarminingstructurecolumn-data-type-assl.md)|  
|Child elements|None|  
  
## Remarks  
 If the [KeyColumns](../../../analysis-services/scripting/collections/keycolumns-element-assl.md) collection of **DimensionAttribute** contains a single [KeyColumn](../../../analysis-services/scripting/objects/keycolumn-element-assl.md) element representing a key column with a string data type, the same **DataItem** values are used as default values for the **NameColumn** element.  
  
 For more information about the **DataItem** type, including a table of Analysis Services Scripting Language (ASSL) objects and properties of the **DataItem** type, see [DataItem Data Type &#40;ASSL&#41;](../../../analysis-services/scripting/data-type/dataitem-data-type-assl.md).  
  
 The elements that correspond to the parents of **NameColumn** in the Analysis Management Objects (AMO) object model are <xref:Microsoft.AnalysisServices.DimensionAttribute> and <xref:Microsoft.AnalysisServices.ScalarMiningStructureColumn>.  
  
## See Also  
 [Objects &#40;ASSL&#41;](../../../analysis-services/scripting/objects/objects-assl.md)