Managing XBRL Context

Use the XBRL Context Manager to create reusable definitions of XBRL contexts that can be assigned to columns, cells, and text objects in any financial report and by any Reporting Studio user.

XBRL requires that each piece of data in an instance document be associated with a line item, and each XBRL numeric fact must refer to context and unit. (For information on unit, see Managing XBRL Units.)

XBRL context includes information about the entity, period, and scenario (optional). Context settings are informational only and do not get calculated. You can specify context for a column or specific cells in a column of a text object. Context settings are static settings that do not change when the member selection changes. Types of context information includes:

Entity—Information about the organization for which the instance document is prepared.
Period—Options for setting the start date and end date.
Scenario—Information on the type of data, such as Actual or Budget.