About derived metrics

You can create a new metric while you are viewing a report. For example, you can subtract the values of one metric from the values of another metric, such as Revenue Forecast - Revenue. You can calculate a monthly average, for example, Yearly Profit / 12. If the report shows the dollar sales for a particular region, you can create a derived metric to view the same data in millions, defined as Dollar Sales/1,000,000.

Derived metrics are metrics that a report analyst can create based on existing metrics on the report. A derived metric performs a calculation on the fly with the data available on a report, without re-executing the report against the data source. Derived metrics are not metric objects that can be re-used in other reports and documents. They are metrics that are saved and displayed only on the specific report on which they are created.

You can only use metrics already existing in a report to create a derived metric. If the derived metric requires data not available on the report or in the Report Objects panel, the report must be re-executed against your data source before the new data is displayed.

Prerequisites

• You must have the necessary privileges to add or remove metrics and calculations.
• You must have DHTML enabled.
• The report must be displayed as a grid or as both a grid and a graph.

To create a derived metric on a report

1. Do one of the following:

   • For a report: Click the name of a report to execute it.

   • For a document: Open the document in Design Mode or Editable Mode, then select the report in the Layout area.

     • To open a document in Design Mode, from a folder, right-click the document and select Edit.

     • To open a document in Editable Mode, from a folder, right-click the document, point to Run as, and select Editable.

2. From the Data menu, select Insert New Metric. The Insert New Metric dialog box opens.

   • If DHTML is disabled, click the Go check mark.

   To define the derived metric

3. In the Name field, type the name of the new metric.

4. In the Definition field, type the formula to designate how the metric should be calculated. For example, type [Revenue]/[Profit].

   • When using another metric with spaces or special characters in its name, place the name within brackets [ ]. For example, [$ Sales].
   • You may use arithmetic operators and parentheses in the formula. For example, the formula for a derived metric called Profit may be [$ Sales] - Cost
   • If DHTML is enabled, you can select a metric from the Available list and add it to the Definition area.

5. To create a more advanced derived metric, for example, Running Sum of Revenue or Average of Daily Website Hit Counts, you can define the metric based on a function. To access a list of functions you can use, click the Function Wizard icon before adding anything to the Definition pane.

6. Click OK to create the new metric.