Calculating data

Your organization's data source contains data related to all of your organization's operations. The goal of reporting is to access the latest data related to your analysis needs, and then calculate that data to display the numbers you need to see.

Within a single set of data that is gathered from your data source in response to a report's query, the results of calculations on that data can change drastically depending on a number of considerations, such as:

• Metric join types: These determine how tables of metric data (usually numerical data, such as sales, costs, or profits) are joined to each other. The effect of joining your data in different ways on calculations of numerical data is described below in Determining how metric data is combined: Metric join types.
• Attribute join types: These determine how tables of attribute data (business concepts, such as year, store, or item) are joined together. See the Advanced Reporting Help for details and business examples of attribute joins in a report.
• Evaluation order: This determines in what order the various objects on a report are calculated. Objects that can affect the calculation of data to be displayed on a report include such things as metrics, report limits, and subtotals. Which object is calculated first, next, and so on can completely change the report's results. A description of the default evaluation order and examples for different evaluation orders are provided below in Evaluation order of calculations.
• Subtotals: These allow you to total metric data using a selected mathematical function. You can subtotal data in different ways for other business users who will be viewing or analyzing the data. See Subtotals.

As an introduction to understanding joins, be sure you understand the basic report components of a metric, an attribute, and an attribute element. For descriptions and examples, see MicroStrategy objects.