Formula lists
You create formula lists in the Formula Lists folder in the Accessories pane of the Application Explorer. Right-click and select .
Formula lists can take input from these sources and transform them into standard lists:
- XML
- CSV
- List
That is, formula lists can transform these sources into lists which contain elements with unique names and captions, and attributes.
Formula lists can be used to generate these outputs:
- The columns of a relational list
- Data from an XML variable
- Data from a list of values
- Data from a CSV source.
Formula lists are dynamic which makes them useful in situations in which the report designer does not know what the content of the report will be. For example, you can create a relational list which returns multiple columns from a relational data source. If you insert that list in a hyperblock in a report, only the first column of data is displayed. To display the remaining columns, you must create additional output cells in the hyperblock, or expand the hyperblock and insert a separate RDB formula for each column of data. If you do not know which relational list will be used in the report, for example in a database independent report, then you cannot know how many additional output cells to create, or how many RDB formulas.
A solution to this problem is to create variable width hyperblocks.
The list designer for formula lists has an Input pane and an Advanced pane.
Two fields in the list designer are common to all formula lists. In the Formula field you use a formula to specify the data source. In the Type field, you specify the type of input.
The remaining fields of the list designer depend on the selected data type.