Replacement Path: Replacement with a Characteristic Value 

Use

Text and formula variables with the processing type Replacement Path can be replaced with a corresponding characteristic value.

The value of a formula variable has to be a number. The value of a text variable has to be a text.

Features

Replacement Rule

Here you choose the characteristic or attribute value with which the variable is replaced.

Replace Variable with

●     Key

The variable value is replaced with the characteristic key.

●     External Characteristic Value Key

The variable value is replaced with an external value of the characteristic (external/internal conversion).

●     Name (Text)

The variable value is replaced with the name of the characteristic.

Note that formula variables have to contain numbers in their names so that the formula variable represents a number after replacement.

●     Attribute Value

The variable value is replaced with the value of an attribute. Enter the attribute under Replace Source.

This setting is only available for formula variables.

●     Hierarchy Attribute

The variable value is replaced with a value of a hierarchy attribute. Enter the hierarchy attribute under Replace Source.

You need this setting for sign reversal with hierarchy nodes. For more information, see Sign Reversal

This setting is only available for formula variables.

Use Interval

You have the following selection options:

●     From value

●     To value

●     Difference

If the replacement value found is an interval, you can use this setting to specify whether the lower interval limit (from value) or the upper interval limit (to value) is used as the replacement value.

For formula variables, you can also choose the interval difference as the replacement value. Using this setting, you can easily calculate the difference of period boundaries. The interval difference is the from value minus the to value, plus 1. For example, the period January to March gives a result of 3 (the to value 3, minus the from value 1, plus 1).

Offset Setting

You use this function to specify the start and length of the text output.

You want to create a text variable for the fiscal year.

On the Replacement Path tab page, choose the option Replace Variable with Key and enter the offset start at value 2 and the offset length as 2.

The fiscal year is four digits; the output of the value begins after the second digit and shows 2 digits. Therefore, in the query, the text variable for fiscal year 2005 is replaced with the value “05”.

For more examples of the offset start and the offset length, see Variable Replacement Example.

Evaluate as Boolean (Value 0 or 1)

This function is only available for formula variables.

If you select this setting, the formula variable is not replaced by a value (for example, the key value) but gives the existence of a value.

●     The value of the variable is 0 when the value to be replaced is a string with only blank spaces or a zero.

●     The value of the variable is 1 when the value to be replaced is a string with characters that are not blank spaces or a number does not equal 0.

You want to calculate paid amounts only.

a.       In the Replacement Path dialog step, choose the option Replace Variable with an Attribute Value.

b.       Enter the attribute Paid. (The master data attribute Paid shows open invoices with a blank space “ “ and paid invoices with the value “X”.)

c.       Select Evaluate as Boolean (Value 0 or 1)

For empty spaces you get a 0 and for the value “X” you get a 1. Multiplication by such a formula variable means that all unpaid amounts are omitted from the query and you only calculate paid amounts.