Creating Derived Fields and Calculated Measures
Last updated August 14, 2024
Deltaray empowers you to go beyond the initial data you import and create new fields and measures that provide deeper insights. Derived fields are new columns calculated based on existing data, while calculated measures are derived values that summarize or aggregate data.
Creating Derived Fields
- Identify the Need: Determine if you require new fields that can't be obtained directly from your existing data. For example:
- Combining Information: Creating a 'Full Name' field by concatenating 'First Name' and 'Last Name'.
- Calculations: Generating a 'Price Per Unit' field by dividing 'Total Price' by 'Quantity'.
- Categorization: Creating a 'Age Group' field based on an 'Age' field.
- Use Transformation Functions: Deltaray provides various functions for creating derived fields:
- Mathematical Functions: Use arithmetic operators, exponents, logarithms, and trigonometric functions to perform calculations.
- String Functions: Concatenate strings, extract substrings, and perform other text manipulations.
- Date and Time Functions: Extract components of dates and times or calculate differences.
- Conditional Logic: Use IF statements to create derived values based on conditions.
- Specify the Data Type: Choose the appropriate data type for your new derived field (e.g., numeric, text, date).
- Name the New Field: Provide a descriptive name for your derived field.
Creating Calculated Measures
- Define the Aggregation: Decide how you want to summarize or aggregate your data. Common measures include:
- Sum: Calculate the total of a specific field.
- Average: Calculate the mean of a field.
- Min/Max: Determine the minimum or maximum value in a group.
- Count: Count the number of records.
- Choose the Grouping: If you're creating measures across groups, specify the field you want to group your data by.
- Specify the Formula: Define the formula to calculate your measure based on the chosen aggregation and grouping.
- Name the Measure: Give your calculated measure a descriptive name.
Deltaray makes creating derived fields and calculated measures intuitive. You can use visual interfaces to select fields, functions, and operators, or leverage Deltaray's query language to craft more complex formulas. These capabilities enhance your data exploration by providing insights not readily available in your initial data.
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