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Developing Formulas


This chapter explains how to develop and use formulas to calculate a database. It provides detailed examples of formulas, which you may want to adapt for your own use. For more examples, see Reviewing Examples of Formulas.

The information in this chapter does not apply to aggregate storage outlines. For information about developing formulas in MDX for aggregate storage outline members, see Developing Formulas on Aggregate Storage Outlines.

This chapter includes the following topics:

Using formulas can have significant implications for calculation performance. After reading this chapter, use the information in Optimizing Calculations to design and create formulas optimized for performance.

For information on using formulas with Hybrid Analysis, see Using Formulas with Hybrid Analysis.

Understanding Formulas

Formulas calculate relationships between members in a database outline. You can use formulas in two ways:

The following figure shows the Measures dimension from the Sample Basic database. The Margin %, Profit %, and Profit per Ounce members are calculated using the formulas applied to them.

Figure 173: Calculation of Margin %, Profit %, and Profit per Ounce

Analytic Services provides a comprehensive set of operators and functions, which you can use to construct formula calculations on a database. The rest of this section provides a description of the elements you can place in a formula, and provides basic information about formula calculation and syntax:

Operators

The following table shows the types of operators you can use in formulas:


Table 23: Descriptions of Operator Types

Operator Type
Description

Mathematical

Perform common arithmetic operations. For example, you can add, subtract, multiply, or divide values. For a complete list of the mathematical operators, see the Technical Reference.

Conditional

Control the flow of formula executions based on the results of conditional tests. For example, you can use an IF statement to test for a specified condition. For a list of the conditional operators, see the Technical Reference. For information on writing conditional formulas, see Conditional Tests.

Cross-dimensional

Point to the data values of specific member combinations. For example, point to the sales value for a specific product in a specific region. For examples of how to use the cross-dimensional operator, see Working with Member Combinations across Dimensions.



For information about using operators with #MISSING, zero, and other values, see the "Analytic Services Functions" section in the Technical Reference.

Functions

Functions are predefined routines that perform specialized calculations and return sets of members or data values. The following table shows the types of functions you can use in formulas.

For detailed examples of formulas, see Reviewing Examples of Formulas.


Table 24: Descriptions of Function Types  

Function Type
Description

Boolean

Provide a conditional test by returning either a TRUE (1) or FALSE (0) value. For example, you can use the @ISMBR function to determine whether the current member is one that you specify.

Mathematical

Perform specialized mathematical calculations. For example, you can use the @AVG function to return the average value of a list of members.

Relationship

Look up data values within a database during a calculation. For example, you can use the @ANCESTVAL function to return the ancestor values of a specified member combination.

Range

Declare a range of members as an argument to another function or command. For example, you can use the @SUMRANGE function to return the sum of all members that lie within a specified range.

Financial

Perform specialized financial calculations. For example, you can use the @INTEREST function to calculate simple interest or the @PTD function to calculate period-to-date values.

Member Set

Generate a list of members that is based on a specified member. For example, you can use the @ICHILDREN function to return a specified member and its children.

Allocation

Allocate values that are input at a parent level across child members. You can allocate values within the same dimension or across multiple dimensions. For example, you can use the @ALLOCATE function to allocate sales values that are input at a parent level to the children of the parent; the allocation of each child is determined by its share of the sales of the previous year.

Forecasting

Manipulate data for the purposes of smoothing or interpolating data, or calculating future values. For example, you can use the @TREND function to calculate future values that are based on curve-fitting to historical values.

Statistical

Calculate advanced statistics. For example, you can use the @RANK function to calculate the rank of a specified member or a specified value in a data set.

Date and Time

Use date and time characteristics in calculation formulas. For example, you can use the @TODATE function to convert date strings to numbers that can be used in calculation formulas.

Miscellaneous

This type provides two different kinds of functionality:

  • You can specify calculation modes that Analytic Services is to use to calculate a formula-cell, block, bottom-up, and top-down

  • You can manipulate character strings for member and dimension names; for example, to generate member names by adding a character prefix to a name or removing a suffix from a name, or by passing the name as a string.

Custom-Defined Functions

This type enables you to perform functions that you develop for calculation operations. These custom-developed functions are written in the Java programming language and are called by the Analytic Services calculator framework as external functions.



For a complete list of operators, functions, and syntax, see the Technical Reference.

Note: Abbreviations of functions are not supported. Some commands may work in an abbreviated form, but if there is another function with a similar name, Analytic Services may use the wrong function. Use the complete function name to ensure correct results.

Dimension and Member Names

You can include dimension and member names in a formula, as illustrated in the following example:

Scenario
100-10
Feb 
 

Constant Values

You can assign a constant value to a member:

California = 120; 
 

In this formula, California is a member in a sparse dimension and 120 is a constant value. Analytic Services automatically creates all possible data blocks for California and assigns the value 120 to all data cells. Many thousands of data blocks may be created. To assign constants in a sparse dimension to only those intersections that require a value, use FIX as described in Constant Values Assigned to Members in a Sparse Dimension.

Non-Constant Values

If you assign anything other than a constant to a member in a sparse dimension, and no data block exists for that member, new blocks may not be created unless Analytic Services is enabled to create blocks on equations.

For example, to create blocks for West that didn't exist prior to running the calculation, you need to enable Create Blocks on Equations for this formula:

West = California + 120; 
 

You can enable Create Blocks on Equations at the database level whereby blocks are always created, or you can control block creation within calculation scripts.

To enable the Create Blocks on Equations feature for all calculation scripts for a specific database, use any of the following methods:


Tool
Topic
Location

Administration Services

Enabling Create Blocks on Equations

Essbase Administration Services Online Help

MaxL

alter database

Technical Reference

ESSCMD

SETDBSTATE

Technical Reference



Because unnecessary blocks can be created when Create Blocks on Equations is enabled at the application or database level, calculation performance can be affected. To control block creation within a calculation script, use the SET CREATEBLOCKEQ ON|OFF calculation command as described in Non-Constant Values Assigned to Members in a Sparse Dimension.

Understanding Formula Calculation

For formulas applied to members in a database outline, Analytic Services calculates formulas when you do the following:

For a formula in a calculation script, Analytic Services calculates the formula when it occurs in the calculation script.

If a formula is associated with a dynamically calculated member, Analytic Services calculates the formula when the user requests the data values. In a calculation script, you cannot calculate a dynamically calculated member or make a dynamically calculated member the target of a formula calculation. For an explanation of how you calculate data values dynamically and how you benefit from doing so, see Dynamically Calculating Data Values.

Using dynamically calculated members in a formula on a database outline or in a calculation script can significantly affect calculation performance. Performance is affected because Analytic Services has to interrupt the regular calculation to perform the dynamic calculation.

You cannot use substitution variables in formulas that you apply to the database outline. For an explanation of how substitution variables can be used, see Using Substitution Variables.

Understanding Formula Syntax

When you create member formulas, make sure the formulas follow these rules:

When writing formulas, you can check the syntax using the Formula Editor syntax checker. For a comprehensive discussion, including examples, of the main types of formulas, see Checking Formula Syntax.

For detailed information on syntax for Analytic Services functions and commands, see the Technical Reference.

Reviewing the Process for Creating Formulas

You use Formula Editor to create formulas. Formula Editor is a tab in the Member Properties dialog box in Outline Editor. You can type the formulas directly into the formula text area, or you can use the Formula Editor user interface features to create the formula.

Formulas are plain text. If required, you can create a formula in the text editor of your choice and paste it into Formula Editor.

To create a formula, follow this process:

  1. In Outline Editor, select the member to which to apply the formula.

  2. Open Formula Editor.

    For more information, see "Creating and Editing Formulas in Outlines" in the Essbase Administration Services Online Help.

  3. Enter the formula text.

    For more information on entering the formula text in the Formula Editor, see "Creating and Editing Formulas in Outlines" in the Essbase Administration Services Online Help. For more information about composing the formula itself, see Composing Formulas.

  4. Check the formula syntax.

    For more information, see Checking Formula Syntax.

  5. Save the formula.

    For more information, see "Creating and Editing Formulas in Outlines" in the Essbase Administration Services Online Help.

  6. Save the outline.

    For more information, see "Saving Outlines" in the Essbase Administration Services Online Help.

Displaying Formulas

To display an existing formula, use any of the following methods:


Tool
Topic
Location

Administration Services

Creating and Editing Formulas in Outlines

Essbase Administration Services Online Help

ESSCMD

GETMBRCALC

Technical Reference

MaxL

query database

Technical Reference



Composing Formulas

The following sections discuss and give examples of the main types of formulas:

For detailed examples of formulas, see Reviewing Examples of Formulas.

Before writing formulas, review the guidelines in Understanding Formula Syntax.

Basic Equations

You can apply a mathematical operation to a formula to create a basic equation. For example, you can apply the following formula to the Margin member in Sample Basic.

Sales - COGS; 
 

In a calculation script, you define basic equations as follows:

Member = mathematical operation;  
 

where Member is a member name from the database outline and mathematical operation is any valid mathematical operation, as illustrated in the following example:

Margin = Sales - COGS; 
 

Whether the example equation is in the database outline or in a calculation script, Analytic Services cycles through the database subtracting the values in COGS from the values in Sales and placing the results in Margin.

As another example, you can apply the following formula to a Markup member:

(Retail - Cost) % Retail; 
 

In a calculation script, this formula is as follows:

Markup = (Retail - Cost) % Retail; 
 

In this example, Analytic Services cycles through the database subtracting the values in Cost from the values in Retail, calculating the resulting values as a percentage of the values in Retail, and placing the result in Markup.

For an explanation of the nature of multidimensional calculations, see About Multidimensional Calculation Concepts

Conditional Tests

You can define formulas that use a conditional test or a series of conditional tests to control the flow of calculation.

The IF and ENDIF commands define a conditional block. The formulas between the IF and the ENDIF commands are executed only if the test returns TRUE (1). You can use the ELSE and ELSEIF commands to specify alternative actions if the test returns FALSE (0). The formulas following each ELSE command are executed only if the previous test returns FALSE (0). Conditions following each ELSEIF command are tested only if the previous IF command returns FALSE (0).

For information about and examples of the syntax of the IF and ENDIF commands, see Understanding Formula Syntax.

When you use a conditional formula in a calculation script, you must enclose it in parentheses and associate it with a member in the database outline, as shown in the examples in this section.

In conjunction with an IF command, you can use functions that return TRUE or FALSE (1 or 0, respectively) based on the result of a conditional test. These functions are known as Boolean functions.

You use Boolean functions to determine which formula to use. The decision is based on the characteristics of the current member combination. For example, you might want to restrict a certain calculation to the members in the Product dimension that contain input data. In this case, you preface the calculation with an IF test based on @ISLEV(Product,0).

If one of the function parameters is a cross-dimensional member, such as @ISMBR(Sales -> Budget), all of the parts of the cross-dimensional member must match the properties of the current cell to return a value of TRUE (1).

You can use the following Boolean functions to specify conditions.


Information You Need To Find
Use This Function

The current member has a specified accounts tag (for example, an Expense tag)

@ISACCTYPE

The current member is an ancestor of the specified member

@ISANCEST

The current member is an ancestor of the specified member, or the specified member itself

@ISIANCEST

The current member is a child of the specified member

@ISCHILD

The current member is a child of the specified member, or the specified member itself

@ISICHILD

The current member is a descendant of the specified member

@ISDESC

The current member is a descendant of the specified member, or the specified member itself

@ISIDESC

The current member of the specified dimension is in the generation specified

@ISGEN

The current member of the specified dimension is in the level specified

@ISLEV

The current member matches any of the specified members

@ISMBR

The current member is the parent of the specified member

@ISPARENT

The current member is the parent of the specified member, or the specified member itself

@ISIPARENT

The current member (of the same dimension as the specified member) is in the same generation as the specified member

@ISSAMEGEN

The current member (of the same dimension as the specified member) is in the same level as the specified member

@ISSAMELEV

The current member is a sibling of the specified member

@ISSIBLING

The current member is a sibling of the specified member, or the specified member itself

@ISISIBLING

A specified UDA (user-defined attribute) exists for the current member of the specified dimension

@ISUDA



When you place formulas on the database outline, you can use only the IF, ELSE, ELSEIF, and ENDIF commands and Boolean functions to control the flow of the calculations. You can use additional control commands in a calculation script.

For information about how to develop calculation scripts and how to use them to control how Analytic Services calculates a database, see Developing Calculation Scripts. For information on individual Analytic Services functions and calculation commands, see the Technical Reference.

Examples of Conditional Tests

You can apply the following formula to a Commission member in the database outline. In the first example, the formula calculates commission at 1% of sales if the sales are greater than 500000:

IF(Sales > 500000)
Commission = Sales * .01;
ENDIF; 
 

If you place the formula in a calculation script, you need to associate the formula with the Commission member as follows:

Commission(IF(Sales > 500000)
Commission = Sales * .01;
ENDIF;) 
 

Analytic Services cycles through the database, performing these calculations:

  1. The IF statement checks to see if the value of Sales for the current member combination is greater than 500000.

  2. If Sales is greater than 500000, Analytic Services multiplies the value in Sales by 0.01 and places the result in Commission.

In the next example, the formula tests the ancestry of the current member and then applies the appropriate Payroll calculation formula.

IF(@ISIDESC(East) OR @ISIDESC(West))
Payroll = Sales * .15;
ELSEIF(@ISIDESC(Central))
Payroll = Sales * .11;
ELSE
Payroll = Sales * .10;
ENDIF; 
 

If you place the formula in a calculation script, you need to associate the formula with the Payroll member as follows:

Payroll(IF(@ISIDESC(East) OR @ISIDESC(West))
Payroll = Sales * .15;
ELSEIF(@ISIDESC(Central))
Payroll = Sales * .11;
ELSE
Payroll = Sales * .10;
ENDIF;) 
 

Analytic Services cycles through the database, performing the following calculations:

  1. The IF statement uses the @ISIDESC function to check if the current member on the Market dimension is a descendant of either East or West.

  2. If the current member on the Market dimension is a descendant of East or West, Analytic Services multiplies the value in Sales by 0.15 and moves on to the next member combination.

  3. If the current member is not a descendant of East or West, the ELSEIF statement uses the @ISIDESC function to check if the current member is a descendant of Central.

  4. If the current member on the Market dimension is a descendant of Central, Analytic Services multiplies the value in Sales by 0.11 and moves on to the next member combination.

  5. If the current member is not a descendant of East, West, or Central, Analytic Services multiplies the value in Sales by 0.10 and moves on to the next member combination.

For information on the nature of multidimensional calculations, see About Multidimensional Calculation Concepts. For information on the @ISIDESC function, see the Technical Reference.

Value-Related Formulas

Use this section to find information about formulas related to values:

Using Interdependent Values

Analytic Services optimizes calculation performance by calculating formulas for a range of members in the same dimension at the same time. However, some formulas require values from members of the same dimension, and Analytic Services may not yet have calculated the required values.

A good example is that of cash flow, in which the opening inventory is dependent on the ending inventory from the previous month.

In Sample Basic, the Opening Inventory and Ending Inventory values need to be calculated on a month-by-month basis.


.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Opening Inventory

100

120

110

Sales

50

70

100

Addition

70

60

150

Ending Inventory

120

110

160



Assuming that the Opening Inventory value for January is loaded into the database, the required calculation is as follows:

1. January Ending   = January Opening - Sales + Additions 
2. February Opening = January Ending 
3. February Ending  = February Opening - Sales + Additions 
4. March Opening    = February Ending 
5. March Ending     = March Opening - Sales + Additions  
 

You can calculate the required results by applying interdependent, multiple equations to a single member in the database outline.

The following formula, applied to the Opening Inventory member in the database outline, calculates the correct values:

IF(NOT @ISMBR (Jan))
    "Opening Inventory" = @PRIOR("Ending Inventory");
ENDIF;
"Ending Inventory" = "Opening Inventory" - Sales + Additions; 
 

If you place the formula in a calculation script, you need to associate the formula with the Opening Inventory member as follows:

"Opening Inventory" (IF(NOT @ISMBR (Jan))
"Opening Inventory" = @PRIOR("Ending Inventory");
ENDIF;
"Ending Inventory" = "Opening Inventory" - Sales + Additions;)

Analytic Services cycles through the months, performing the following calculations:

  1. The IF statement and @ISMBR function check that the current member on the Year dimension is not Jan. This step is necessary because the Opening Inventory value for Jan is an input value.

  2. If the current month is not Jan, the @PRIOR function obtains the value for the Ending Inventory for the previous month. This value is then allocated to the Opening Inventory of the current month.

  3. The Ending Inventory is calculated for the current month.

Note: To calculate the correct results, it is necessary to place the above formula on a single member, Opening Inventory. If you place the formulas for Opening Inventory and Ending Inventory on their separate members, Analytic Services calculates Opening Inventory for all months and then Ending Inventory for all months. This organization means that the value of the Ending Inventory of the previous month is not available when Opening Inventory is calculated.

Calculating Variances or Percentage Variances Between Actual and Budget Values

You can use the @VAR and @VARPER functions to calculate a variance or percentage variance between budget and actual values.

You may want the variance to be positive or negative, depending on whether you are calculating variance for members on the accounts dimension that are expense or non-expense items:

By default, Analytic Services assumes that members are non-expense items and calculates the variance accordingly.

To tell Analytic Services that a member is an expense item, use this procedure:

  1. In Outline Editor, select the member.

    The member must be on the dimension tagged as accounts.

  2. Open Formula Editor.

    See "Creating and Editing Formulas in Outlines" in the Essbase Administration Services Online Help.

  3. Tag the member as an expense item. See Setting Variance Reporting Properties.

    When you use the @VAR or @VARPER functions, Analytic Services shows a positive variance if the actual values are lower than the budget values.

    For example, in Sample Basic, the children of Total Expenses are expense items. The Variance and Variance % members of the Scenario dimension calculate the variance between the Actual and Budget values.

    Figure 174: Sample Basic Showing Expense Items

Allocating Values

You can allocate values that are input at the parent level across child members in the same dimension or in different dimensions by using the following allocation functions.


Allocated Values
Function To Use

Values from a member, cross-dimensional member, or value across a member list within the same dimension. The allocation is based on a variety of specified criteria.

@ALLOCATE

Values from a member, cross-dimensional member, or value across multiple dimensions. The allocation is based on a variety of specified criteria.

@MDALLOCATE



Note: For examples of calculation scripts using the @ALLOCATE and @MDALLOCATE functions, see Allocating Values Within or Across Dimensions and the Technical Reference.

Forecasting Values

You can manipulate data for the purposes of smoothing data, interpolating data, or calculating future values by using the following forecasting functions.


Data Manipulation
Function To Use

To apply a moving average to a data set and replace each term in the list with a trailing average. This function modifies the data set for smoothing purposes.

@MOVAVG

To apply a moving maximum to a data set and replace each term in the list with a trailing maximum. This function modifies the data set for smoothing purposes.

@MOVMAX

To apply a moving median to a data set and replace each term in the list with a trailing median. This function modifies the data set for smoothing purposes.

@MOVMED

To apply a moving minimum to a data set and replace each term in the list with a trailing minimum. This function modifies the data set for smoothing purposes.

@MOVMIN

To apply a moving sum to a data set and replace each term with a trailing sum. This function modifies the data set for smoothing purposes.

@MOVSUM

To apply a moving sum to a data set and replace each term with a trailing sum. Specify how to assign values to members before you reach the number to sum. This function modifies the data set for smoothing purposes.

@MOVSUMX

To apply a smoothing spline to a set of data points. A spline is a mathematical curve that is used to smooth or interpolate data.

@SPLINE

To calculate future values and base the calculation on curve-fitting to historical values.

@TREND



For information about specific Analytic Services functions, see the Technical Reference.

Using Member Relationships to Look Up Values

You can use the member combination that Analytic Services is currently calculating to look up specific values. These functions are referred to as relationship functions.


Look-up Value
Function To Use

The ancestor values of the specified member combination

@ANCESTVAL

The numeric value of the attribute from the specified numeric or date attribute dimension associated with the current member

@ATTRIBUTEVAL

The text value of the attribute from the specified text attribute dimension associated with the current member

@ATTRIBUTESVAL

The value (TRUE or FALSE) of the attribute from the specified Boolean attribute dimension associated with the current member

@ATTRIBUTEBVAL

The generation number of the current member combination for the specified dimension

@CURGEN

The level number of the current member combination for the specified dimension

@CURLEV

The generation number of the specified member

@GEN

The level number of the specified member

@LEV

The ancestor values of the specified member combination across multiple dimensions

@MDANCESTVAL

The shared ancestor values of the specified member combination

@SANCESTVAL

The parent values of the specified member combination

@PARENTVAL

The parent values of the specified member combination across multiple dimensions

@MDPARENTVAL

The shared parent values of the specified member combination

@SPARENTVAL

A data value from another database to be used for calculation of a value from the current database

@XREF



For information about specific Analytic Services functions, see the Technical Reference.

Using Substitution Variables

Substitution variables act as placeholders for information that changes regularly; for example, time period information. You can use substitution variables in formulas that you include in a calculation script. You cannot use substitution variables in formulas that you apply to the database outline.

When you run a calculation script, Analytic Services replaces the substitution variable with the value you have assigned to it. You can create and assign values to substitution variables using Essbase Administration Services or ESSCMD.

You can set substitution variables at the server, application, and database levels. Analytic Services must be able to access the substitution variable from the application and database on which you are running the calculation script.

For information on creating and assigning values to substitution variables, see Using Substitution Variables.

To use a substitution variable in a calculation script, type an ampersand (&) followed by the substitution variable name.

Analytic Services treats any text string preceded by & as a substitution variable.

For example, assume that the substitution variable UpToCurr is defined as Jan:Jun. You can use the following @ISMBR function as part of a conditional test in a calculation script:

@ISMBR(&UpToCurr) 
 

Before Analytic Services runs the calculation script, it replaces the substitution variable, as follows:

@ISMBR(Jan:Jun) 
 

Member-Related Formulas

This section provides information you need to create formulas that refer to members:

Specifying Member Lists and Ranges

In some functions you may need to specify more than one member, or you may need to specify a range of members. For example, the @ISMBR function tests to see if a member that is currently being calculated matches any of a list or range of specified members. You can specify members using the following syntax:


Member List or Range
Syntax

A single member

The member name. For example: Mar2001

A list of members

A comma-delimited (,) list of member names.
For example: Mar2001, Apr2001, May2001

A range of all members at the same level, between and including the two defining members

The two defining member names separated by a colon (:). For example: Jan2000:Dec2000

A range of all members in the same generation, between and including the two defining members

The two defining member names separated by two colons (::).
For example: Q1_2000::Q4_2000

A function-generated list of members or a range of members

For a list of member list contents and corresponding functions, see Generating Member Lists.

A combination of ranges and list

Separate each range, list, and function with a comma (,). For example:

Q1_97::Q4_98, FY99, FY2000

or

@SIBLINGS(Dept01), Dept65:Dept73, Total_Dept



If you do not specify a list of members or a range of members in a function that requires either, Analytic Services uses the level 0 members of the dimension tagged as time. If no dimension is tagged as time, Analytic Services displays an error message.

Generating Member Lists

You can generate member lists that are based on a specified member by using the these member set functions.


Contents of Member List
Function

All ancestors of the specified member, including ancestors of the specified member as a shared member. This function does not include the specified member.

@ALLANCESTORS

All ancestors of the specified member, including ancestors of the specified member as a shared member. This function includes the specified member.

@IALLANCESTORS

The ancestor of the specified member at the specified generation or level.

@ANCEST

All ancestors of the specified member (optionally up to the specified generation or level) but not the specified member.

@ANCESTORS

All ancestors of the specified member (optionally up to the specified generation or level) including the specified member.

@IANCESTORS

All children of the specified member, but not including the specified member.

@CHILDREN

All children of the specified member, including the specified member.

@ICHILDREN

The current member being calculated for the specified dimension.

@CURRMBR

All descendants of the specified member (optionally up to the specified generation or level), but not the specified member nor descendants of shared members.

@DESCENDANTS

All descendants of the specified member (optionally up to the specified generation or level), including the specified member, but not descendants of shared members.

@IDESCENDANTS

All descendants of the specified member (optionally up to the specified generation or level), including descendants of shared members, but not the specified member.

@RDESCENDANTS

All descendants of the specified member (optionally up to the specified generation or level), including the specified member and descendants of shared members.

@IRDESCENDANTS

All members of the specified generation in the specified dimension.

@GENMBRS

All members of the specified level in the specified dimension.

@LEVMBRS

All siblings of the specified member, but not the specified member.

@SIBLINGS

All siblings of the specified member, including the specified member.

@ISIBLINGS

All siblings that precede the specified member in the database outline, but not the specified member.

@LSIBLINGS

All siblings that follow the specified member in the database outline, but not the specified member.

@RSIBLINGS

All siblings that precede the specified member in the database outline, including the specified member.

@ILSIBLINGS

All siblings that follow the specified member in the database outline, including the specified member.

@IRSIBLINGS

Separate lists of members to be processed by functions that require multiple list arguments.

@LIST

The member with the name that is provided as a character string.

@MEMBER

A merged list of two member lists to be processed by another function.

@MERGE

A member list that crosses the specified member from one dimension with the specified member range from another dimension.

@RANGE

A member list the identifies all shared members among the specified members.

@SHARE

A member list that identifies the range of members using the level of the arguments, determining the cross product of all members in the range, and pruning the set to include only the range requested.

@XRANGE

A list of members from which some members have been removed.

@REMOVE

All members that match the specified wildcard selection.

@MATCH

The parent of the current member being calculated in the specified dimension.

@PARENT

All members of the specified generation or level that are above or below the specified member.

@RELATIVE

All members that have a common (UDA) user-defined attribute defined on Analytic Server.

@UDA

All base-dimension members that are associated with the specified attribute-dimension member.

@ATTRIBUTE

All base members that are associated with attributes that satisfy the specified conditions.

@WITHATTR



For information about specific Analytic Services functions, see the Technical Reference.

Manipulating Member Names

You can work with member names as character strings by using the following functions:


Character String Manipulation
Function To Use

To create a character string that is the result of appending a member name or specified character string to another member name or character string

@CONCATENATE

To return a member name as a string

@NAME

To return a substring of characters from another character string or from a member name

@SUBSTRING



Working with Member Combinations across Dimensions

Use the cross-dimensional operator to point to data values of specific member combinations. Create the cross-dimensional operator using a hyphen (-) and a greater than symbol (>). Do not leave spaces in between the cross-dimensional operator and the member names.

For example, in this simplified illustration, the shaded data value is Sales -> Jan -> Actual.

Figure 175: Defining a Single Data Value by Using the Cross-Dimensional Operator

The following example illustrates how to use the cross-dimensional operator. This example allocates miscellaneous expenses to each product in each market.

The value of Misc_Expenses for all products in all markets is known. The formula allocates a percentage of the total Misc_Expenses value to each Product -> Market combination. The allocation is based on the value of Sales for each product in each market.

Misc_Expenses = Misc_Expenses -> Market -> Product * (Sales / ( Sales -> Market -> Product)); 
 

Analytic Services cycles through the database, performing these calculations:

  1. Analytic Services divides the Sales value for the current member combination by the total Sales value for all markets and all products (Sales -> Market -> Product).

  2. It multiplies the value calculated in step 1 by the Misc_Expenses value for all markets and all products (Misc_Expenses -> Market -> Product).

  3. It allocates the result to Misc_Expenses for the current member combination.

Consider carefully how you use the cross-dimensional operator, as it can have significant performance implications. For information about optimizing and the cross-dimensional operator, see Using Cross-Dimensional Operators (->).

Formulas That Use Various Types of Functions

Use this section to find information about formulas that use other types of formulas:

Mathematical Operations

You can perform many mathematical operations in formulas by using the following mathematical functions.


Operation
Function

To return the absolute value of an expression

@ABS

To return the average value of the values in the specified member list

@AVG

To return the value of e (the base of natural logarithms) raised to power of the specified expression

@EXP

To return the factorial of an expression

@FACTORIAL

To return the next lowest integer value of a member or expression

@INT

To return the natural logarithm of a specified expression

@LN

To return the logarithm to a specified base of a specified expression

@LOG

To return the base-10 logarithm of a specified expression

@LOG10

To return the maximum value among the expressions in the specified member list

@MAX

To return the maximum value among the expressions in the specified member list, with the ability to skip zero and #MISSING values

@MAXS

To return the minimum value among the expressions in the specified member list

@MIN

To return the minimum value among the expressions in the specified member list, with the ability to skip zero and #MISSING values

@MINS

To return the modulus produced by the division of two specified members

@MOD

To return the value of the specified member raised to the specified power

@POWER

To return the remainder value of an expression

@REMAINDER

To return the member or expression rounded to the specified number of decimal places

@ROUND

To return the summation of values of all specified members

@SUM

To return the truncated value of an expression

@TRUNCATE

To return the variance (difference) between two specified members. See Calculating Variances or Percentage Variances Between Actual and Budget Values.

@VAR

To return the percentage variance (difference) between two specified members. See Calculating Variances or Percentage Variances Between Actual and Budget Values.

@VARPER



For information about specific Analytic Services functions, see the Technical Reference.

Statistical Functions

You can use these statistical functions to calculate advanced statistics in Analytic Services.


Calculated Value
Function to Use

The correlation coefficient between two parallel data sets

@CORRELATION

The number of values in the specified data set

@COUNT

The median, or middle number, in the specified data set

@MEDIAN

The mode, or the most frequently occurring value, in the specified data set

@MODE

The rank of the specified member or value in the specified data set

@RANK

The standard deviation, based upon a sample, of the specified members

@STDEV

The standard deviation, based upon the entire population, of the specified members

@STDEVP

The standard deviation, crossed with a range of members, of the specified members

@STDEVRANGE

The variance, based upon a sample, of the specified data set

@VARIANCE

The variance, based upon the entire population, of the specified data set

@VARIANCEP



For information about specific Analytic Services functions, see the Technical Reference.

Range Functions

You can execute a function for a range of members by using these range functions.


Calculation
Function to Use

The average value of a member across a range of members

@AVGRANGE

A range of members that is based on the relative position of the member combination Analytic Services is currently calculating.

@CURRMBRRANGE

The maximum value of a member across a range of members

@MAXRANGE

The maximum value of a member across a range of members, with the ability to skip zero and #MISSING values

@MAXSRANGE

The next or n th member in a range of members, retaining all other members identical to the current member across multiple dimensions

@MDSHIFT

The minimum value of a member across a range of members

@MINRANGE

The minimum value of a member across a range of members, with the ability to skip zero and #MISSING values

@MINSRANGE

The next or n th member in a range of members.

@NEXT

The next or n th member in a range of members, with the option to skip #MISSING, zero, or both values.

@NEXTS

The previous or n th previous member in a range of members

@PRIOR

The previous or n th previous member in a range of members, with the option to skip #MISSING, zero, or both values.

@PRIORS

The next or n th member in a range of members, retaining all other members identical to the current member and in the specified dimension

@SHIFT

In some cases, @SHIFTPLUS or @SHIFTMINUS.

The summation of values of all specified members across a range of members

@SUMRANGE



For information about specific Analytic Services functions, see the Technical Reference.

Financial Functions

You can include financial calculations in formulas by using these financial functions.


Calculation
Function To Use

An accumulation of values up to the specified member

@ACCUM

The proceeds of a compound interest calculation

@COMPOUND

A series of values that represent the compound growth of the specified member across a range of members

@COMPOUNDGROWTH

Depreciation for a specific period, calculated using the declining balance method.

@DECLINE

A value discounted by the specified rate, from the first period of the range to the period in which the amount to discount is found

@DISCOUNT

A series of values that represents the linear growth of the specified value

@GROWTH

The simple interest for a specified member at a specified rate

@INTEREST

The internal rate of return on a cash flow

@IRR

The Net Present Value of an investment (based on a series of payments and incomes)

@NPV

The period-to-date values of members in the dimension tagged as time

@PTD

The amount per period that an asset in the current period may be depreciated (calculated across a range of periods). The depreciation method used is straight-line depreciation.

@SLN

The amount per period that an asset in the current period may be depreciated (calculated across a range of periods). The depreciation method used is sum of the year's digits.

@SYD



For information about specific Analytic Services functions, see the Technical Reference.

Date and Time Functions

You can use dates with other functions by using this date function.


Date Conversion
Function To Use

Convert date strings to numbers that can be used in calculation formulas

@TODATE



Calculation Mode Functions

You can specify which calculation mode that Analytic Services uses to calculate a formula by using @CALCMODE.


Specification
Function To Use

To specify that Analytic Services uses cell, block, bottom-up, and top-down calculation modes to calculate a formula.

@CALCMODE



Note: You can also use the configuration setting CALCMODE to set calculation modes to BLOCK or BOTTOMUP at the database, application, or server level. For details, see the Technical Reference, under "essbase.cfg Settings" for CALCMODE or "Analytic Services Functions" for @CALCMODE.

Custom-Defined Functions

Custom-defined functions are calculation functions that you create to perform calculations not otherwise supported by the Analytic Services calculation scripting language. You can use custom-defined functions in formulas and calculation scripts. These custom-developed functions are written in the Java programming language and registered on the Analytic Server. The Analytic Services calculator framework calls them as external functions.

Custom-defined functions are displayed in the functions tree in Calculation Script Editor. From this tree, you can select a custom-defined function to insert into a formula.

For a detailed explanation of how to develop and use custom-defined functions, see Developing Custom-Defined Calculation Functions.

Checking Formula Syntax

Analytic Services includes Analytic Server-based formula syntax checking that tells you about syntax errors in formulas. For example, Analytic Services tells you if you have mistyped a function name. Unknown names can be validated against a list of custom-defined macro and function names. If you are not connected to a server or the application associated with the outline, Analytic Services may connect you to validate unknown names.

A syntax checker cannot tell you about semantic errors in a formula. Semantic errors occur when a formula does not work as you expect. To find semantic errors, run the calculation and check the results to ensure that they are as you expect.

Analytic Services displays the syntax checker results at the bottom of the Formula Editor. If Analytic Services finds no syntax errors, it displays the "No errors" message.

If Analytic Services finds one or more syntax errors, it displays the number of the line that includes the error and a brief description of the error. For example, if you do not include a semicolon end-of-line character at the end of a formula, Analytic Services displays a message similar to the message shown in Figure 176.

Figure 176: Formula Editor Syntax Checker, Syntax Error Message

Error: line 1: invalid statement; expected semicolon 
 

If a formula passes validation in Formula Editor or Outline Editor, but Analytic Server detects semantic errors when the outline is saved, check the following:

After you have corrected the formula and saved the outline, the message in the member comment is deleted. You can view the updated comment when you reopen the outline.

To check formula syntax, see "Creating and Editing Formulas in Outlines" in the Essbase Administration Services Online Help.

Estimating Disk Size for a Calculation

You can estimate the disk size required for a single CALC ALL given either a full data load or a partial data load. For more information, see Estimating Calculation Affects on Database Size.

To estimate disk size for a calculation, see ESTIMATEFULLDBSIZE in the Technical Reference.

Using Formulas in Partitions

An Analytic Services partition can span multiple Analytic Servers, processors, or computers. For a comprehensive discussion of partitioning, see Designing Partitioned Applications and Creating and Maintaining Partitions.

You can use formulas in partitioning, just as you use formulas on your local database. However, if a formula you use in one database references a value from another database, Analytic Services has to retrieve the data from the other database when calculating the formula. In this case, you need to ensure that the referenced values are up-to-date and to consider carefully the performance impact on the overall database calculation. For a discussion of how various options affect performance, see Writing Calculation Scripts for Partitions.

With transparent partitions, you need to consider carefully how you use formulas on the data target. For a detailed example of the relationship between member formulas and transparent partitioning, see Transparent Partitions and Member Formulas. For a discussion of the performance implications, see Performance Considerations for Transparent Partition Calculations.



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