Formula Evaluation

You can test formulas when you create or modify a property definition or validation. The formula is evaluated using the supplied property values to calculate the result of the formula. This process may find logic or implementation errors in the formula that a simple syntax validation may miss. The formula result and any formula error or status message is displayed.

Formulas are evaluated left to right, with evaluation of functions and string literals performed as they are encountered. By this method, nested functions are evaluated before additional parameters that are displayed to the right of the nested function. Functions can be nested explicitly in the formula or they can be implicitly nested by retrieving the value of another formula property. Circular references (property formulas that refer to the property itself, either explicitly or implicitly) should be avoided in most cases. Oracle Data Relationship Management detects and prevents harmful circular references, but they should not be used unless they are necessary and well understood.