Building and Testing Formulas
The Formula Builder, which is used for building, fixing, and testing formulas, opens by clicking the Test button, and can be found wherever formulas are entered.
The following provides more details about:
Table of contents
- Types of variables
- Information about the formula
- Parameters tab
- Test tab
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1. Types of variables
We select a variable from the Variables table to be displayed in the formula by double-clicking on it. The lower part of the Formula builder contains the descriptions of the variables we used to build the formula.
Calculator commands from the Parameters tab are also transferred to formulas.
2. Information about the formula
The Formula field displays the formula that is currently being used to calculate data. We can also correct it here and confirm the correction by clicking the Use button.
Clicking the Test button will calculate the data from the formula and the data will be displayed in the lower part of the Formula Builder.
3. Parameters tab
On the Parameters tab, we can enter values into the formula itself, using the calculator.
4. Test tab
Here, we test the correctness of the formulas. To get to the tab, we click the Test tab or the Check button.
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Variable
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The program writes out every single variable that we have entered on the Parameters tab.
If a variable in a formula is entered incorrectly (e.g., has the wrong formula syntax), it will not be returned (displayed) in the list of variables, or it will not be displayed in its position. This is a clear indication that the formula is wrong!
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Value
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For testing purposes, we can enter a value for each variable into this field to test the formula. This provides an easy way to check whether the formula returns the expected results. If this is not the case, the formula can be checked, modified and, if necessary, the entered formula changes can also be saved.
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By clicking the Test button, the program displays the result of the formula test in the lower part.
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HINT
For the formula testing process, see Formula testing.
For an example of how to debug a formula and write the correction into the database, see Debugging formulas.
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WARNING
The Use button allows you to download a corrected or newly set formula into the Earnings types register, to the Formula field. In this way, the formula is entered into the register or database from where it was read, and formula testing is automatically started under the new conditions.
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