What is the characteristic of hidden fields in a data model?

Hidden fields in a data model play a specialized role. They are designed to not be displayed to pivot users, which means that when users interact with the data model through a pivot interface, these hidden fields will not be visible. However, hidden fields are still functional; they can be used internally to define other datasets within the model, which is particularly beneficial for maintaining the structure and enhancing the capabilities of the data model without cluttering the interface presented to users.

This characteristic allows data model designers to refine and optimize the underlying data model without exposing all the intricacies to end-users, who may only need to see certain fields for their analysis. This design decision ensures that the user experience remains streamlined while allowing data creators to utilize the depth of the data structure effectively for more complex data transformations, calculations, or aggregations.