Create and Use Custom Fields

You can create a Custom Field either by choosing Formula, Function, Text Function , or Date Function from the Type options available in the Custom Field Builder.

Functions and Formulas are similar in that they both return a result based on the calculations that each performs. The difference is that a function is a built-in operation, such as SUM, AVERAGE, etc where as a formula is something that the you define, such as (value of a + value of b)/100. Formulas can be as simple or as complex as the user wants. A formula can contain values, references to cells, defined names, and functions. So in summary, a Formula is any calculation, but a Function is a pre-defined calculation.

Text functions can be used in several ways. They can return the number of characters in text strings, remove extra characters, return exact position within a string, and even combine text from other cells.

For more detailed information on how to create a Custom Field please refer to one of the following topics:

• Creating a Formula
• Creating a Function
• Creating a Text Function
• Creating a Date Function