Guidelines for Working in Free-Form Mode

Consider these guidelines when working in free-form mode.

• Grids do not need to start in cell A1.
• A grid must have at least one row dimension and one column dimension.
• Each row dimension can contain members of only one dimension. Each column dimension can contain members of only one dimension.

• Members of one dimension can be entered only in one of the following regions:

  • In the same row

  • In the same column

• The replacement labels specified in the Data tab in the Smart View panel when you click Options apply in free-form mode.
• Numerical entries are identified as data in the data region, and as comments outside the data region. If you want to use a number as a member name, precede it with a single quotation mark; for example, '100.
• Precede member names that contain spaces between words with a single quotation mark.

• When connected to a database that supports duplicate member names, select Distinct Member Name Only in the Member Name Display field in the Members tab in Smart View Options to display fully qualified member names in the worksheet. To enter duplicate members, use this syntax for qualified member names:

  [Income].[Other]
  [Expenses].[Other]

• Aliases from the current alias table are permitted in free-form grids, but aliases from other alias tables are treated as comments.
• In an ad hoc grid, if you insert a column and type a member name in the new column, and want to change the alias table for the sheet, you must first refresh the sheet before changing the alias table.
• Consider the exceptions listed in Actions that may cause Unexpected Behavior while working in free-form mode.