Evaluation order of calculations

Evaluation order is the order in which objects are calculated by MicroStrategy's Analytical Engine. Changing the order in which data is calculated can change report results. You change the evaluation order of a report's data calculation by changing the order in which compound smart metrics, consolidations, derived metrics, derived elements, report limits, and subtotals on the report are calculated.

The default order of calculation is as follows:

1. Compound smart metrics (which are compound metrics with smart totals enabled)

2. Consolidations, which are evaluated by their relative position on the report template:

   • Rows, from left to right
   • Columns, from top to bottom
3. Report limits
4. Subtotals

Compound metrics that are not the direct aggregations of other metrics can be used in the evaluation order by setting the Allow Smart Metrics option of the Metric Editor to Yes.

Page-by and sorting are determined last, to arrange the positions of the calculation results. Their evaluation order cannot be changed.

Many reports contain objects that require complex considerations to determine an effective evaluation order. For a more detailed discussion of evaluation order and how to change it, including examples, see the Designing Reports chapter of the Advanced Reporting Help.