Calculated Fields Form

Use the Calculated Fields form of General Configuration to create a global calculated field for a specific report. You can then use Role Security to specify the roles that will be allowed access to the calculated field. Your security role must have the appropriate menu access for you to be able to create system-wide calculated fields.

Location

To display the form:

From the Vision Navigation menu, click Configuration > General > Calculated Fields.

Contents

Toolbar Options

Field Description
Save

Click this option to check your calculation for errors. If any of the formula's elements contains an error, such as an invalid field name, mismatched parentheses, or text fields in a field other than the If field, Vision displays a message explaining the error and displaying the erroneous contents in a bold red font.

This same check is also performed by the Check Calculation grid option on the Calculated Fields form.

If no errors are present, Vision saves the record.

New After you click this option, select from the following options:
  • To create a new field, click New Calculated Field.
  • To create a new field from a field currently displayed on the form, click Copy Current Calculated Field. In the refreshed form, modify the fields and save the record as a new calculated field record.
  • To create a new field from a field currently in the list, click Select Calculated Field to Copy. Select the field, modify it, and save it as a new field.
Delete Click this option to delete the calculated field record currently open.
Help Click this option to display the overview help topic for the Calculated Fields form.

Fields

Field Description
Folder Select the reporting area from which you want to select a report. Vision lists all the reports associated with that area in the Report Type field.
Report Type Select the report to which you want to add a calculated field. Vision displays all the fields associated with that report in the Fields field.
Description Enter a name for the calculated field. Deltek recommends that you enter a description that indicates what the calculated field represents, so that other users understand its purpose.
Data Type From the drop-down list, select the data type for the calculated field. When you select this setting, Vision changes the format that displays in the Format field; you can alter the format if you wish.
Currency This option becomes available if you select Currency (Specific) as the Data Type. From the drop-down list of currencies enabled for use by your company, select the currency to use for the calculated field.
Heading 1 and Heading 2

Use these options to specify new heading text for the calculated field. The heading you specify can have one line or two. If your new heading only requires one line, enter it in Line Heading 2.

If you enter a new heading that is longer than the default, you may need to use the Width option to change the column width.

Heading 2 is unavailable for Visualization reports.

Format Select a format for the calculated field. For example, the format #,###.00 [-#,###.00] would appear as 5,400.00 or -5,400.00.
Width Select the width of the field in inches. The default is 1.0.
Fields

Select the field(s) to use in a calculation. To select a field, either double-click on it, or select it and click Add Field. The field name displays in the Calculation grid. Calculations can be simple or complex, and can be created using the Calculator and/or the Use a Condition tool.

The result for a calculated field must be a number. Text fields can be used only in the If this is true field, which is available when Use a Condition is selected.

Calculator Use the Calculator tool to create simple calculations using numbers and math calculations. In addition to clicking on the Calculator to select a number or symbol, you can also type the number or symbol directly in the Calculation grid.
Use a Condition

Use this tool to create or modify more complex calculations. To activate the tool, click the Use a Condition check box.

Example

This calculation will show the year-to-date amount for the Boston Office:

If this is true: [Office] = "BO"

Then [Year-to-Date Amount]

Else 0

Available Conditions

The conditions available are:

= (Equals)

<> (Does not equal)

< (Less than)

> (Greater than)

>= (Greater than or equal to)

<= (less than or equal to)

LIKE. You can use an asterisk * as a wildcard with this function to find text contained within a field. For example, [EmployeeName] LIKE "Apple*" .

Add Period Click the drop-down arrow and select an accounting period from the list.

Calculation The calculation that you are creating or modifying displays in this field.
Perform calculation on

Use this drop-down list to specify whether the calculated field’s calculation will be performed on detail and/or subtotal/total lines, as well as how subtotal values are calculated.

Some options are unavailable on some reports, and not all options are appropriate for all reports. For example, a Summary report without subtotal/total lines will not display such values for a calculated field, even if an option is selected which would normally calculate on subtotal/total lines.

Click the drop-down arrow and select one of the following settings:

  • Detail lines: The calculation is performed on detail lines. If the Sum up calculated amounts on total lines option is selected, the calculated detail values are added to generate the subtotal values, and subtotals are added to calculate higher levels of subtotal or total.
  • Last group line: Vision performs the calculation on the lowest subtotal level only. The Sum up calculated amounts on total lines check box is not available if you select this option.
  • All detail and total lines: The calculation is performed on each detail, subtotal, and total line individually, rather than adding the detail lines to arrive at subtotal values.
  • Each row from the query: The calculation is performed on each detail line, and the resulting values are added to generate each successively higher level of subtotal or total (functionally equivalent to "r;detail lines" with "r;Sum..." selected).

Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services 2008 and earlier versions do not support certain types of calculations involving the Perform Calculations On field and the Sum Up Calculated Amounts on Total Lines check box. When you save a calculated field that may not be supported by your current reporting services, Vision displays a warning message. If you decide to use that calculated field, Deltek strongly recommends that you test it carefully to verify that it provides the correct results.

Sum up calculated amounts on total lines If you select Detail lines in Perform calculation on, you can also select this check box. If you do, Vision sums up the calculated detail values to generate the subtotal values, and sums up subtotals to calculate higher level subtotals or totals.

Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services 2008 and earlier versions do not support certain types of calculations involving the Perform Calculations On field and the Sum Up Calculated Amounts on Total Lines check box. When you save a calculated field that may not be supported by your current reporting services, Vision displays a warning message. If you decide to use that calculated field, Deltek strongly recommends that you test it carefully to verify that it provides the correct results.

Calculated Fields Drop-Down

Click the drop-down arrow on a grid header to complete any of the following actions:

  • To print grid data, click Print. On the Print Preview form, click File > Print to send the grid data to your default printer.
  • To export grid data to an Excel spreadsheet, click Export to Excel. When Microsoft Excel opens, use its features to modify, print, or email the grid data, or to save the spreadsheet file locally.
  • To turn on grouping for a grid, click Enable Grouping. When a field displays with the instruction: "Drag a column header here to group by that column," drag and drop column headers into the field, in the sequence that you want them to display.

Not all options are available on all grids.

Undo Click this button to undo only the last change you made to the calculation.
Clear Click this button to delete the entire calculation currently displayed in the Calculation box.
Check Calculation Click this button to check your calculation for errors. If any of the formula's elements contains an error, such as an invalid field name, mismatched parentheses, or text fields in a field other than the If field, Vision displays a message to explain the error and displays the erroneous contents in a bold red font.

Save on the menu toolbar also performs this check.