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Company settings - Formula custom fields

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Overview

In Birdview, one of the commonly used custom field types is the Formula field. As the name implies, the value of a formula field is derived from a calculation involving a combination of operands, which can be numbers or variables, and arithmetic operators, including +, -, *, and /.
Formula custom fields allow you to keep track of your own performance metrics that may not be included in the product's standard set. For example, the formula:

 

Average monthly budget = Total budget / 12

will calculate the average monthly budget of a year-long project.

Note

There is no limit on how many formula custom fields can be created.

Important

A total of 255 characters can be used in a formula custom field.

Adding a formula field

To add a formula custom field:

  1. Click through the User menu > Company settings > Custom fields.
  2. Click + Add custom field.
  3. Specify a name for a field.
  4. Select the appropriate field level in the Field for (Project, All activity types (task, issue, request), Task, Issue, Request).
  5. Select Formula in the Type field.
  6. Compose a formula — see the rules below.
  7. Limit the field by portfolio, if required.
  8. Click Save when done.

Formula field.png

Arithmetic operators

The following arithmetic operators can be used in a formula field:

  1. Addition (+)
  2. Subtraction (-)
  3. Multiplication (*)
  4. Division (/)

Functions

Th following functions are available for the formula fields:

Allowed values

A formula can be composed of operands of certain kinds only:

  1. Decimal numbers, e.g. 10.25.
  2. Standard variables preceded by an @ character, e.g. @Total budget. Variables are picked from a standard dropdown list that pops up when an @ character is typed within the field.
  3. Arithmetic operands (+, -, *, /).
  4. Time-, money-, hours- and number-related variables, e.g. @Actual hours, @Total budget, @CPI.

Warning

Formula custom fields as they appear in activity, project, etc. details, in reports, Activity center, and Resources are read-only. This means they cannot be edited. However, whenever variables that are part of the formula are changed the value of the field will be updated, too.

Working days count in formulas

It is possible to calculate the number of working days between two dates.

The syntax of the formula is as follows:

= $WORKING_DAYS(@Date 1 , @Date 2)

where Date 1 and Date 2 are date-related fields, e.g. Start date and End date, respectively.

Working days.png

To select the fields, type "@" and look up the field on the popup list. Text search is available.

There are a few limitations and things to remember:

  • Only two dates can be used in one formula field currently.
  • When typing "@" to trigger the list of available fields, please make sure there is a space before it.
  • The formula calculates the number of working days between two dates using the same logic as when calculating the duration, i.e. counting in the dates if they are working days.

Warning

Date 1 must precede Date 2 in the working days calculation formula for the result to be positive.

Note

Currently, only two dates can be used in the formula.

Formula info

Wherever you encounter a formula custom field in Birdview you only see its value most of the time. The base formula is not visible in most cases unless you check it out on the Project/Activity details screen.

To view the base formula of a custom field:

  1. Open the detail panel.
  2. Make sure the custom fields are visible. Click Show custom fields, if needed.
  3. Hover over the info icon .

Info.png

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