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Formula Editor Dialog Box

You can use the Formula Editor dialog box to write a formula in a catalog, a custom aggregation in a business view, or a dynamic formula in the current report; or use it to edit an expression to control the value of a property. This topic describes the options in the dialog box.

Designer displays the Formula Editor dialog box when you do one of the following:

• In the Catalog Manager, right-click the Formulas node, select New Formula from the shortcut menu, type a name for the new formula and then select OK, or right-click a formula and select Edit from the shortcut menu.
• In the Data panel, right-click a formula and select Edit Formula from the shortcut menu.
• Select <New Formula…> or <Edit Expression...> where a formula list is available.
• Select Settings in the General tab of the New View Element dialog box or Edit View Element dialog box.

The following shows all the options that Designer provides in the dialog box. Some of them are not available depending on where you open the dialog box.

Menu

• File
  • New Formula
    Select to create another formula.
  • New Summary
    Select to open the New Summary dialog box to create a summary.
  • New Parameter
    Select to open the New Parameter dialog box to create a parameter.
  • Import UDF Classes
    Select to open the UDF Classes dialog box to import user-defined formula classes.
  • Save
    Select to save the formula.
  • Save As
    Select to save the formula with a different name.
  • Close
    Select to close the dialog box.
• Edit
  • Undo
    Select to undo an action.
  • Redo
    Select to redo an action.
  • Cut
    Select to cut the specified text in the editing panel.
  • Copy
    Select to copy the specified text in the editing panel.
  • Paste
    Select to paste the text that you cut or copied in the editing panel.
  • Delete
    Select to delete the specified ted text in the editing panel.
  • Search
    Select to open the Find/Replace dialog box to search for text in the editing panel and replace the found text with different text.
• View
  • Fields Panel
    Select to show the Fields panel.
  • Functions Panel
    Select to show the Functions panel.
  • Operators Panel
    Select to show the Operators panel.
  • Sort Tree
    Select to sort the functions in the Functions panel and fields in the Fields panel by names.
• Formula
  • Check
    Select to test the syntax of your formula. If the syntax is incorrect, Designer gives the opportunity to correct the errors.
  • Add Bookmark
    Select to add a bookmark to a specific position.
  • Go to Previous Bookmark
    Select to go to the previous bookmark.
  • Go to Next Bookmark
    Select to go to the next bookmark.
  • Clear all Bookmarks
    Select to clear all of the bookmarks.
  • Comment/Uncomment
    Select to add or remove comments.
  • Add Operators
    Select to add a general operator in the editing panel.
  • Color Converter
    Select to open the color palette to insert the HEX code of a color.
  • Auto Finish
    Select to enable the automatic input of the other part of a sign pair right after you type in the first part when editing the formula.
  • Formula References
    Select to show the formulas that reference the selected UDF function in the Functions panel.
  • Properties
    Select to show properties of the formula in the Formula Properties dialog box.
    • Data Type
      This property shows the data type of the return value of the formula.
    • Precision
      Specify the precision of the return value of the formula. If the precision is set to 0, all characters of the return value will be displayed; if it is set to N, only the first N characters will be displayed.
    • Scale
      Specify the number of digits to the right of the decimal point for the return value of the formula.
• Help
  Select to view information about the dialog box.

Toolbar

• New Formula
  Select to create a formula.
• New Summary
  Select to create a summary.
• New Parameter
  Select to create a parameter.
• Save
  Select to save the formula.
• Save As
  Select to save the formula as a new formula by specifying a new name.
• Properties
  Select to show properties of the formula in the Formula Properties dialog box.
  • Data Type
    This property shows the data type of the return value of the formula.
  • Precision
    Specify the precision of the return value of the formula. If the precision is set to 0, all characters of the return value will be displayed; if it is set to N, only the first N characters will be displayed.
  • Scale
    Specify the number of digits to the right of the decimal point for the return value of the formula.
• Sort Tree
  Select to sort the functions in the Functions panel and fields in the Fields panel by names.
• Fields Panel
  Select to show the Fields panel.
• Functions Panel
  Select to show the Functions panel.
• Operators Panel
  Select to show the Operators panel.
• Help
  Select to view information about the dialog box.
• Use As
  Designer displays this option when you use the dialog box for a dynamic formula. You can use it to specify to use the formula as one of the following view element types: Group, Detail, or Aggregation.
• Cut
  Select to cut the specified text in the editing panel.
• Copy
  Select to copy the specified text in the editing panel.
• Paste
  Select to paste the text that you cut or copied in the editing panel.
• Delete
  Select to delete the specified text in the editing panel.
• Undo
  Select to undo an action.
• Redo
  Select to redo an action.
• Search
  Select to open the Find/Replace dialog box to search for text in the editing panel and replace the found text with different text.
• Check
  Select to test the syntax of the formula. If the syntax is incorrect, Designer gives you the opportunity to correct the errors.
• Add Bookmark
  Select to add a bookmark to a specific position.
• Go to Previous Bookmark
  Select to go to the previous bookmark.
• Go to Next Bookmark
  Select to go to the next bookmark.
• Clear All Bookmarks
  Select to clear all of the bookmarks.
• Comment/Uncomment
  Select to add or remove comments.
• Add Operators
  Select to add a general operator in the editing panel.
• Color Converter
  Select to open the color palette to insert the HEX code of a color.

Fields panel

This panel displays the fields that you can reference in the formula. These fields may contain table columns, business view elements, formulas, summaries, parameters, and special fields. Select one field and double-click it to insert it into the editing panel at the insertion point.

Functions panel

This panel displays the Logi Report built-in functions and imported user-defined formula functions that you can use to compose formulas. When you select one function and double-click it, Designer inserts the selected function into the editing panel at the insertion point completely with its required syntax items (parentheses, commas, and so on).

Operators panel

This panel displays the Logi Report built-in operators that you can use to compose formulas. Select one operator and double-click it to insert it into the editing panel at the insertion point.

Formula text panel

You can edit your formula in this panel. There are several ways to work with formula:

• Select an object from the Fields, Functions, and Operators panels, and then double-click the object, Designer then inserts it in the formula.
• Type your formula in the editing panel directly.
• Use the preceding two methods together.
• Paste formula text from the text document of other programs.

Designer marks the line numbers of the formula in the left of the panel to help you check it easily.

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