Variables Form

The purpose of this form is to create workbook variables that you can use as part of a metric formula. The Variables pane on the left side of the window lists all available variables. You can click on a variable to view and edit it or you can create a new variable.

Field Variable

Field Description
Name Use this field to enter or edit the name of the variable.
Field Use the drop-down list to select the field for the metric variable.

When defining a metric, if a field to be used in a metric definition is unknown, then a field variable can be created. When an analysis is run, the user is prompted for the actual field to be assigned. This is useful when a metric refers to, for example, a user-defined or code field that is not known at the time of creation of the metric.

Value Variable

Field Description
Add Button Click this button to add a Value Variable line to the grid.
Remove Button Click this button to remove the selected Value Variable line from the grid.
Variable Name Use this column to enter or edit the name of the variable.
Value Use this column to assign a value to the variable for the current workbook.

When defining a metric, instead of setting criteria based on a defined value, you can describe a metric in terms of a variable. An example is a custom metric called High Cost. At the time of the metric being created, you do not know what this value should be. Instead you can create a variable called, for example, High Cost Value and use this in the metric definition. At run-time, when an analysis is run, the user is prompted to enter a value for this variable which will subsequently be used in the calculations.