Checking Formula Syntax

Essbase includes formula syntax checking that tells you about syntax errors in formulas. For example, Essbase tells you if you have mistyped a function name.

A syntax checker cannot tell you about semantic errors in a formula. Semantic errors occur when a formula does not work as you expect. To find semantic errors, run the calculation and check the results to ensure that they are as you expect.

Essbase displays the syntax checker results at the bottom of the Formula Editor. If Essbase finds no syntax errors, it displays the “No errors” message.

If Essbase finds one or more syntax errors, it displays the number of the line that includes the error and a brief description of the error. For example, if you do not include a semicolon end-of-line character at the end of a formula, Essbase displays a message similar to the following message:

Error: line 1: invalid statement; expected semicolon

If a formula passes validation in Formula Editor or Outline Editor, but Essbase Server detects semantic errors when the outline is saved, check the following:

• The incorrect formula is saved as part of the outline, even though it contains errors.

• Essbase Server writes a message in the application log that indicates what the error is and displays the incorrect formula.

• Essbase Server writes an error message to the comment field of the member associated with the incorrect formula. The message indicates that the incorrect formula was not loaded. You can view this comment in Outline Editor by closing and reopening the outline.

• If you do not correct the member formula, and a calculation that includes that member is run, the formula is ignored during the calculation.

After you have corrected the formula and saved the outline, the message in the member comment is deleted. You can view the updated comment when you reopen the outline.