---
title: "MDX Syntax Conventions (MDX) | Microsoft Docs"
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ms.date: "03/02/2016"
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---
# MDX Syntax Conventions (MDX)
[!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-xxxx-xxxx-xxx_md](../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md.md)]

  The diagrams for Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) syntax in the MDX Language Reference use these conventions.  
  
|Convention|Usage|  
|----------------|-----------|  
|*italic*|Indicates user-supplied arguments of MDX syntax.|  
|| (vertical bar)|Separates syntax items within brackets or braces. You can select only one of the items.|  
|`[ ]` (brackets)|Indicates optional syntax items. Do not type the brackets.|  
|[,] ...n|Indicates that the preceding item can be repeated any number of times. The items are sometimes separated by commas.|  
|\<label> ::=|Indicates the name for a block of syntax. This convention is used to group and label portions of lengthy syntax or a unit of syntax that can be used in more than one place within a statement. Each location in which the block of syntax can be used is indicated with the label enclosed in angle brackets: \<label>.|  
  
## See Also  
 [MDX Language Reference &#40;MDX&#41;](../mdx/mdx-language-reference-mdx.md)