Using Formulas in Your Flow
X‑Platform provides a set of out-of-the-box formulas that you can use in common calculations or operations when designing a Flow.
Formulas are especially useful in the following ways:
Building Flow Elements: The formula is included in one of the elements of Flow (e.g., a Question or Paragraph). During runtime, the formula's placeholder is replaced with the calculated value.
Defining Allocators: The formula is used to change the value of a variable. You can select the relevant formula from the Variables list on the right-hand side of the Allocator.
Building Rules: The formula is used to help calculate a Rule for testing a logical condition during runtime.
Formula Element Types in the Variables List
Formulas are created from the Variables List, accessed in most element editors by entering '@' in the relevant field. The following element types and features related to formulas are available in the Variables list:
Function Elements: Predefined functions (e.g., Add Days, Round, Text to Number, etc.) that perform useful calculations or conversions on data elements you specify. The data inputs must be supplied.
A function is indicated by the
icon found to the right of its name. For more details about building functions, click here.Note
Keep in mind that the functions available in the Variables list will change according to the context in which you are working. For example, if you are modifying the value of a date variable, only formulas related to dates will appear.
Internal Value Elements: Variables that are always known to the X‑Platform Server. No inputs are needed. The internal value elements available are:
Random Number
Current Date
Empty String
An internal value element is indicated by the
icon found to the right of its name. Internal value elements can be used as many times as needed in a formula.Arithmetic Calculations: Supported calculations are addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Operations supported are: +, -, /, *, %, and ().
You may use calculations in any element featuring an HTML editor (e.g., Paragraph or Email), as well as in any field that supports mixed input of variables and text (e.g., the label for a Question element).
To create a calculation, enter '@' to open the Variables list, and enter the = key. In the gray field that appears, enter your calculation. To use a variable in your calculation, enter '@' to open the Variables list and select the required variable. To define a new variable, at the top of the Variables list, click the Plus
icon to open the Variable Editor.In the following example, the value provided in an input question is multiplied by a constant, to calculate the charge to the customer.
Defining Function Elements
You add a function in-line just as you would add a Variable, by entering '@' in the element. When the Variables list appears, you select the desired function.
With the Variables list open, you can enter a few letters of the function to locate it quickly, as shown below:
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Select a function to insert it in-line at the cursor. The function will be added without any inputs. To see which inputs you need to supply for a selected function, hover over the Info
icon located at the right side of the function.
Below is a sample function with its inputs defined:
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This formula calculates a delivery date using the ADDDAYS function to add 14 days to the current date.
Available Functions
The following table lists each function, its syntax and required inputs, and its output. Each formula you create can contain only a single function element.
Function | Description/Notes | Inputs and Syntax | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
ADDDAYS | Adds a specified number of days to a given date. | ADDDAYS(Date, Number) | Date |
ADDMONTH | Adds a specified number of months to a given date. | ADDMONTH(Date, Number) | Date |
CONCATENATE | Joins two texts. | CONCATENATE(Text1, Text2) | Text |
DATETOTEXT | Converts a date variable to a desired date syntax. This function can be used to format a date within a Session Variable (where date formatting is not supported). | DATETOTEXT(Date, Syntax of text) NoteThe syntax specified here is the format of the text output. | Text |
DAYSDIFF | Displays the number of days between two given dates. | DAYSDIFF(Date, Date) | Number |
NUMBERTOTEXT | Converts a number value into a string, and provides a mechanism for preserving the portion expressed in decimal places. | NUMBERTOTEXT(Number, Number of decimal places to convert) | Text |
ROUND | Rounds off a given number to a specified number of decimal points. | ROUND(Number, Decimal places) | Number |
TEXTCOMPARETOBOOLEAN | Compares two text values and returns the Boolean True if they are equal. This function is useful for evaluating whether a custom string (being used in place of the standard Boolean True/False values) equals True. | TEXTCOMPARETOBOOLEAN(Text value, Text string that returns true) | Boolean |
TEXTTOBOOLEAN | Converts a text string into a Boolean value. True (or 1) will produce the value Yes, and False (or 0) will produce the value No. To customize the text that is examined to produce the Boolean value, use the function TEXTCOMPARETOBOOLEAN. | TEXTTOBOOLEAN(Text) | Boolean |
TEXTTODATE | Converts a string into a date variable according to a specified format. This function is generally used to convert a text variable (e.g., an input question response, an Integration Point response, etc.) into a date variable. Additional functions (e.g., ADDDAYS), can then be performed on the date variable. | TEXTTODATE(Text, Syntax of text) NoteThe syntax specified here is the current format of the text input. | Date |
TEXTTONUMBER | Converts a text string into a number value. | TEXTTONUMBER(Text) | Number |
TRIM | Removes white spaces from a text. | TRIM(Text) | Text |