Quickstart: the 10 functions you’ll use daily

Overview

This page is a practical shortcut to the most common functions from the full Function catalog. It lists functions you’ll reach for when connecting data, shaping dimensionality, filtering slices, and building time logic.

Functions can be nested and are evaluated inside out (inner results first), so you can combine these building blocks to express more complex logic.

The 10 daily functions

Connect & adjust values

DATA

• Use when: you want to bring uploaded/source data into a node.

• Shape impact: Defines the output shape from the referenced data table (returns all rows).

• Example: DATA("ERP", "Actuals", "Sales")

ADDEACH

• Use when: you want to add a value to each row/cell without aggregation (element-wise adjustment).

• Shape impact: Keeps the input shape.

• Example: ADDEACH('Sales', 1)

Also common:

• Rate → factor: ADDEACH('Rate', 1)

• Factor → rate: ADDEACH('Factor', -1)

• Use a node as amount: ADDEACH('Sales', 'Delta')

Time logic & forecasting

ROLLFORWARD_ADVANCED

• Use when: you want to project values forward with rich control (for example seasonal/average projection, aging logic, or additional options).

• Shape impact: Keeps dimensionality, but extends the time range to the projection horizon (adds future time values).

• Example: ROLLFORWARD_ADVANCED('Sales', 'MarketGrowth')

RUNNINGSUM

• Use when: you need cumulative totals over time (running totals).

• Shape impact: Keeps the input shape.

• Example: RUNNINGSUM('Sales')

Filter & apply business rules

FILTER

• Use when: you want a subset of a node (specific regions/products/etc.).

• Shape impact: Reduces the result set to rows that match the filter (keeps the remaining rows’ dimensionality).

• Example: FILTER('Sales', "Region", ["EMEA", "APAC"])

IF

• Use when: you need business rules (thresholds, caps/floors, branching).

• Shape impact: Output follows the condition’s shape.

• Example: IF('Margin' < 0, 0, 'Margin')

Shape dimensionality

EXPAND

• Use when: you need to add dimensional detail with one or more levels.

• Shape impact: Expands (creates the full cross product for the specified level(s)).

• Examples:

  • Add a level: EXPAND('Sales', "Product")

  • Create an “empty data room” (often for simulations): EXPAND(0, "Year", "Region", "Product")

EXPANDSINGLE

• Use when: you want to expand to specific level values.

• Shape impact: Expands only to the specified level value(s) (no full cross product).

• Example: EXPANDSINGLE('Sales', "Region", ["EMEA", "APAC"])

DROPLEVEL

• Use when: you need to remove dimensional detail with one or more levels.

• Shape impact: Reduces (removes one or more levels and any finer levels in the same dimension).

• Example: DROPLEVEL('Sales', "Product")

ROLLUP

• Use when: you want to aggregate to a higher level (for example Product → Category, Month → Year).

• Shape impact: Reduces (aggregates to the specified levels)

• Example: ROLLUP('Sales', "Time", "Year")

Related sections

• Formula basics notation, constants, evaluation fundamentals

• Operators arithmetic, comparisons, boolean logic used inside formulas

• Function catalog A–Z index and browse by category