Formula basics
Overview
Formulas define how a node is calculated in a model. They combine node references, operators, and functions to calculate with multi-dimensional data (values across time and other business dimensions).
Use this page to learn the core syntax before diving into the full Operators and Function catalog.
Formula syntax at a glance
Referencing nodes
Use single quotes around node names:
'Revenue'When you type a single quote (
') in the function editor, Valsight shows a list of available nodes (including nodes from submodels).
Constants (numbers)
You can use numbers in formulas, written directly:
0,1.2,100000Numbers have no dimensions (they’re a single value).
Operators:
Arithmetic:
+,-,*,/Comparisons:
=,!=,<,<=,>,>=Boolean logic:
AND,NOT,OR,XOR,TRUE,FALSEOperators can be nested and combined with functions.
Calling functions
Functions are named operations that transform, filter, or compare values
Function names are case-sensitive and written in uppercase, for example
EXPAND,FILTER,IFThey consist of comma-separated arguments inside parentheses
Functions can be nested and are evaluated inside out (inner results first).
Dimension and level parameters
Dimensions and levels describe which business axes a value is defined on and at what detail.
Some functions require dimension names, level names, or level values. These are written in double quotes, for example
"Time","Year","2024"
Value lists
Value lists are written in square brackets, for example
["EMEA", "APAC"]
Project variables
You can use project variables as placeholders in functions.
Type
$to select a variable from the list, for example$FORECAST_START
Comments
Use the number sign
#to add comments in the function field.
Common formula shapes (examples)
Arithmetic:
'Revenue' - 'COGS'Data reference:
DATA("ERP", "Actuals", "Volume")Reshaping:
EXPAND('Sales', "Product")Filtering:
FILTER('Sales', "Region", ["EMEA", "APAC"])Conditional logic:
IF('Margin' < 0, 0, 'Margin')
Related sections
Operators arithmetic, comparisons, and boolean logic used in formulas
Function catalog all functions (A–Z and browse by category)
Troubleshooting guide wrong shape, missing values, and common pitfalls