Best Practices When Writing Formulas

The formula syntax affects the way the formula is queried.

When writing a formula, use these syntax rules.

• Use the correct functions as described in Adding Functions.
• Surround fields in the formula by brackets.
• Use the correct operator syntax
  • +, —, *, /, %, ==, =, >, <, >=, <=, !=, <>, ^, AND, OR, NOT, ( ).
  • Tableau Semantics uses Tableau operator syntax. See Tableau Operator syntax documentation.
• Use the correct literal expression syntax
  • Numeric literal expressions are written as numbers. For example, 1.3567.
  • String literal expressions are written with quotation marks. For example, “Unprofitable”.
  • Date literal expressions are written with the # symbol. For example: #August 22, 2024#.
  • Null literal expressions are written as “null”.
  • Tableau Semantics uses Tableau literal expressions. Learn more about literal expressions in the Tableau Literal expression syntax documentation.
• Use the correct date function syntax:
  • Date functions are hardcoded in ISO format:
    • Date: "yyyy—MM—dd" or "yyyymmdd" or "yyyy—MM" OR “yyyy”
    • Time:
      • Hh:mm:ss
      • Hh:mm:ss.sss
      • HH:mm:ss.SSSSSS
      • Hh:mm:ssZZZZ
      • Hh:mm:ssSS.ZZZZZ
      • "T[hh][mm][ss]"
      • "T[hh]:[mm]:[ss] "
      • “T[hh]:[mm]:[ss]ZZZZZ”
    • Datetime: "<date>T<time>" or "<date> <time>" or "<date>’T’<time>"
    • Examples:

      "2020—02—08T09"

      "2020—02—08 09"

      "2020—02—08 09:30:26"

      "2020—02—08 09:30:26.123"

  • Use DATEPARSE for other formats.
• Use the correct comment syntax
  • To enter a comment in a calculation, type two forward slashes: //
  • Multiline comments can be added by typing /* to start the comment and */ to end the comment.
  • Example of a formula with comments:

    SUM([Sales]) / SUM([Profit])
    
    /*John's calculation
    
    To be used for profit ratio
    
    Do not edit*/