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Crosstab Formula Editor Dialog Box

You can use the Crosstab Formula Editor dialog box to compose crosstab formulas, which you can use to apply custom aggregate functions in a crosstab in a page or web report, or to control properties of the crosstab. This topic describes the options in the dialog box.

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

  • In the Resources box of the crosstab wizard, select <New Crosstab Formula...> under the Crosstab Formulas node, type a name for the new crosstab formula and select OK.
  • Select a crosstab component, then in the Data panel, select <New Crosstab Formula...> under the Crosstab Formulas node, type a name for the new crosstab formula and select OK.
  • Right-click a crosstab formula in the Data panel and select Edit Formula on the shortcut menu.
  • Select <New Crosstab Formula...> in the property value list when editing some properties of a crosstab or an object in the crosstab in the Report Inspector.

Crosstab Formula Editor

Note icon The following describes all the options Designer provides in the Crosstab Formula Editor dialog box. Some of them are not available when you are working with a business view-based crosstab.

Menu

  • File
    • New Formula
      Select to create another formula in the catalog or dynamic formula in the current report.
    • New Summary
      Select to open the New Summary dialog box to create a summary in the catalog.
    • New Parameter
      Select to open the New Parameter dialog box to create a parameter in the catalog.
    • Import UDF Classes
      Select to open the UDF Classes dialog box to import user-defined formula classes.
    • Save
      Select to save the crosstab formula.
    • Save As
      Select to save the crosstab formula as a new crosstab formula by specifying a new 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 formula expression panel.
    • Copy
      Select to copy the specified text in the formula expression panel.
    • Paste
      Select to paste the text that you cut or copied in the formula expression panel.
    • Delete
      Select to delete the specified ted text in the formula expression panel.
    • Search
      Select to open the Find/Replace dialog box to search for text in the formula expression 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 the crosstab formula.
    • 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 formula expression panel.
    • Color Converter
      Select to open the color palette to insert the HEX code of a color.
    • Auto Finish
      Select to enable automatic insertion of the other part of a sign pair right after you type the first part when you edit the crosstab formula.
    • Formula References
      Select to show the formulas that reference the selected UDF function in the Functions panel.
    • Properties
      Select to edit properties of the crosstab formula in the Formula Properties dialog box.
      • Data Type
        This property shows the data type of the crosstab formula's return value.
      • Precision
        Specify the precision of the crosstab formula's return value. When you set the precision to 0, Report Engine displays all characters of the return value; when you set it to N, Report Engine only displays the first N characters.
      • Scale
        Specify the number of digits to the right of the decimal point for the crosstab formula's return value.
  • Help
    Select to view information about the dialog box.

Toolbar

  • New Formula
    Select to create another formula in the catalog or dynamic formula in the current report.
  • New Summary
    Select to create a summary in the catalog.
  • New Parameter
    Select to create a parameter in the catalog.
  • Save
    Select to save the crosstab formula.
  • Save As
    Select to save the crosstab formula as a new crosstab formula by specifying a new name.
  • Properties
    Select to show properties of the crosstab formula in the Formula Properties dialog box.
    • Data Type
      This property shows the data type of the return value of the crosstab formula.
    • Precision
      Specify the precision of the return value of the crosstab 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 crosstab 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.

Fields panel

This panel displays the fields that you can reference in the crosstab formula, such as DBFields, parameters, other formulas, and special fields. These fields vary depending on the data resource type of the crosstab, query resource or business view. Select one field and double-click it to insert the field into the formula expression panel at the insertion point.

Functions panel

This panel displays the Report built-in functions and imported user-defined formula functions that you can apply in the crosstab formula. Select one function and double-click it, Designer then inserts the function into the formula expression panel at the insertion point completely with its required syntax items (parentheses, commas, and so on).

Operators panel

This panel displays the Report built-in operators that you can apply in the crosstab formula. Select one operator and double-click it to insert the operator into the formula expression panel at the insertion point.

Formula expression panel

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

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

The toolbar in this panel provides the following buttons that facilitate the process of composing a formula.

  • Cut button Cut
    Select to cut the specified text in the panel.
  • Copy button Copy
    Select to copy the specified text in the panel.
  • Paste button Paste
    Select to paste the text that you cut or copied in the panel.
  • Delete button Delete
    Select to delete the specified text in the panel.
  • Undo button Undo
    Select to undo an action.
  • Redo button Redo
    Select to redo an action.
  • Search button Search
    Select to open the Find/Replace dialog box to search for text in the panel and replace the found text with different text.
  • Check button Check
    Select to test the syntax of the crosstab formula.
  • Add Bookmark button Add Bookmark
    Select to add a bookmark to a specific position.
  • Go to Previous Bookmark button Go to Previous Bookmark
    Select to go to the previous bookmark.
  • Go to Next Bookmark button Go to Next Bookmark
    Select to go to the next bookmark.
  • Clear All Bookmarks button Clear All Bookmarks
    Select to clear all of the bookmarks.
  • Comment/Uncomment button Comment/Uncomment
    Select to add or remove comments.
  • Add Operators button Add Operators
    Select to add a general operator in the panel.
  • Color Converter button Color Converter
    Select to open the color palette to insert the HEX code of a color.

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