Work with Allocation Formula Components

An allocation formula component is composed of formula calculation statements. These examples show performing the following actions on formula components:

• Creating

• Opening

• Editing

• Deleting

• Copying and pasting

• Showing usages

Creating Formula Components

To create the calculation statements of a formula, you enter or select members and variables. As you create the formula, each of its calculation statements is listed in a row within a grid in the Component Designer. You can create a formula component from the System View or from within the Rule Designer. A formula component exists as an independent object in the database, so it can be shared among allocation rules.

1. From the System View, expand the Essbase Application Type, the Aggregate Storage Application, and the Database.

2. Right-click Formulas, and select New.

3. Enter the formula's Name.

4. Enter the Application Type (Essbase).

5. Select an Application Name such as Vision Chart of Accounts. The application name must be a valid Essbase aggregate storage application.

6. Select the Essbase Database.

   Note: Right-click Formulas, and select New to create a new formula, the New Formula dialog. The dialog is populated with the application type, the application, and the database you are working in within the System View.

7. Click OK. The formula is displayed in the Component Designer.

8. In the Component Designer, on Properties tab, optionally complete these steps:

   1. Verify that the Shared check box is selected by default.

      Note: You cannot select or clear the Shared check box. To create a formula that is not shared, open an allocation rule, and then drag a new formula component into the allocation rule's flow chart. The shared check box is not selected. If you decide to make the formula shared, select the Shared check box.

   2. Edit the formula's name by entering a new one of up to 50 characters. The name defaults from the New Formula dialog.

      Note: Names of members in Essbase aggregate storage applications can be the same. If there is a name that is not unique, the name is marked when the object is validated. If this occurs, you must enter the full path for the member. The full path syntax is [Dimension name]. [Parent name]. [Member name.]

   3. Enter a description of up to 255 characters for the formula.

   4. Enter a caption for the formula. The caption is displayed in the Rule Designer flow chart. If you don't enter a caption, the component's name is displayed in the flow chart.

   5. Enter comments for the formula. For example, you may want to tell users how the formula component should be used.

9. On Formula, enter a caption for the formula.

10. The Offset Member is the total amount of all of the formulas in the formula component. Click the Ellipsis icon to select a member.

    Note: You can define an offset member manually within the formulas that you create. The offset defined in the formula component is calculated as the sum of all calculated amounts.

11. To create a formula statement, click in the first formula statement row before the equal sign. Then enter a member or cross dimension member selection, or click Actions to select:

    • A variable

    • One or more members

12. To complete the formula statement, click in the row after the equal sign. Then enter a member or cross dimension member selection, or click Actions to select a variable or member.

13. For each formula statement row, click the Comments icon to enter optional comments about the formula statement.

14. On Usages, you can view the rules that use the formula component.

15. Select File > Save.

Opening Formula Components

You can open a formula component from the System View or within the Rule Designer flow chart of a rule that uses the formula component.

1. From the System View, expand the Essbase Application Type, the Aggregate Storage Application, and the Database.

2. Expand Formulas.

   • Right-click the formula that you want to open, and select Open.

   • Double-click the formula that you want to open.

   Note: The formula component opens in the Component Designer. To open a formula component within a rule, open it from within the rule's flow chart by right-clicking the formula component. Select Open or double-click the component.

Editing Formula Components

You can edit the formula statements that contain a formula component and the formula component's comments, caption, name, and description.

1. From the System View, expand the Essbase Application Type, the Aggregate Storage Application, and the Database and the Formulas.

2. Select the formula component that you want to edit.

3. Right-click the formula component, and select Open.

4. In the Component Designer, you can edit any of these properties of a formula component:

   • Caption

   • Formula statements

   • Name

   • Description

   • Comments

5. Select File, Save.

Deleting Formula Components

You can delete a formula component only if the component is not being used in any allocation rules. To see if any allocation rules are using the formula component, you can show the formula component's usages.

If the formula component is being used by a rule, and you don't want the formula component, remove it from the rule, then delete it. If the formula component is being used in a rule, and you no longer need the rule, you can delete the rule. If no allocation rules use the formula component, you can delete the component.

To delete a formula component:

1. In the System View, expand the Essbase application type, the Essbase aggregate storage application, the database, and Formulas.

2. Right-click the formula that you want to delete, and select Show Usages to make sure that no allocation rules are using the formula component.

3. Remove the formula component from any allocation rules that are using it.

4. In the System View, right-click the formula you want to delete, and select Delete.

5. Confirm deletion of the formula.

Copying and Pasting Formula Components

You can copy a formula component from a rule and paste it into the same, or a different, rule. You can also copy the contents of the grid within a formula component and paste the contents into the same, or a different, formula component. You cannot copy a formula component and paste it into another formula component or another component type.

To copy and paste a formula component:

1. In the System View, expand the Essbase application type, the Essbase aggregate storage application, the database, and Rules.

2. Right-click the rule that contains the formula component you want to copy, and select Open.

3. In the Rule Designer flow chart, right-click the formula component you want to copy, and select Copy.

4. Do one of these tasks:

   • To paste the formula component into the same rule flow chart, right-click in the location of the flow chart, and select Paste.

   • To paste the formula component into a different rule flow chart, open the rule where you want to paste the component. Then right-click in the location, and select Paste.

5. Select File, Save.

Showing a Formula Component's Usages

You can see which allocation rules are using a formula component, and other information, by displaying the formula component's usages from the System View.

To show a formula component's usages:

1. In the System View, expand the Essbase application type, the Essbase aggregate storage application, the database, and Formulas.

2. Right-click the formula whose usages that you want to see, and select Show Usages.

3. You can view this information about the formula component:

   • The names of the allocation rules that are using the formula component.

   • The application names of the allocation rules that are using the formula component.

   • The database names of the allocation rules that are using the formula component.

   • The owner of the formula component.

   • Whether the allocation rules that are using the formula component are deployed.

   • Whether the allocation rules that are using the formula component are validated.

   • A description of the allocation rules that are using the formula component.

Note: You can also view a formula component's usages from within the Component Designer on the Usages tab.