Time Intelligence Formula (TI Formula) allows time periods, sets of time periods and ranges to be specified using a simple, easy to understand syntax.

Formula Structure

 [(]<Period>[<Offset>[)][.<Function>[<Offset>]]]

 

Quick Samples

The following are typical scenarios with their corresponding formula and results:

To Get… Formula Result
Yesterday day-1 The previous day relative to the current date.
Tomorrow day+1 The next day relative to the current date.
The current quarter and today quarter, day A set of time periods consisting of the current day and current quarter
Last 10 days day:day-9 A 10 day range including today.
Last 10 days (not including today) day-1:day-10 A 10 day range NOT including today.
Same day last year (year-1).day Parallel period: days by year.
Same quarter last year (year-1).month Parallel period: Quarter by year.
Same range of months last year (year-1).(month-5):
(year-1).(month)		 Set of parallel periods last year to the last six months.
Same range of months to date for last year (year-1).firstmonth:
(year-1).month		 From the first month of last year to the month parallel to the current month this year.
Year to date yeartodate A single time period representing the aggregation of values from the beginning of the year to the last completed period. 
The period corresponds to the most granular time period defined for the data source.
Year to date (by month) yeartodate.fullmonth A single time period representing the aggregation of values from the beginning of the year to the last completed month.
Year to date (by day) yeartodate.fullday A single time period representing the aggregation of values from the beginning of the year to the last completed day.
Parallel year to date  yearToDate-1 The aggregation of the same set of default time periods completed in the current year except for the prior year.
Parallel year to date (by month) (yearToDate-1).fullMonth The aggregation of the same set of months completed in the current year except for the prior year.

 

General Conventions

  • TI Formula is not case sensitive
  • White-space is ignored
  • Use parenthesis whenever you use a time period with an offset together with a function.
  • Offsets can be defined on any standard and “to date” time period.
  • The current period is assumed when no offset is specified.

Syntax Elements

TI Formula consists of Operators, Periods and Functions.   The formula is intentionally simple yet robust.

Operators

The following operators can be used in TI formula expressions.

Operator Use
“.” The period or “dot” operator delimits time periods from functions.  The part before the dot always corresponds to the time period.  The part after the dot always corresponds to the time period function.
Example:  year.firstMonth
“+” or “-” The plus and minus operators are used to determine the offset relative to the current date. Use the minus sign to specify time periods in the past.  Use the plus sign to specify time periods in the future.
Example:  day-1
“()” Parenthesis are used to group a time period and its offset when used together with a function.  This is required.
Example:  (year-1).firstMonth:(year-1).month
“,” Comas are used to delimit multiple time periods in the same formula.
Example:  year, Quarter, Month, day
“:” The colon operator specifies a range of time periods. 
Example:  day:day-4

 

Standard Time Periods

Standard time periods supported in PPS include:

Period Example
Year Year-1, year+2
Quarter quarter, Quarter-4
Month Month-2
Week Week-51
Day Day-9, day+2
Hour Hour-12
Minute minute-30
Second second+5

 

Standard Time Period Functions

Time period functions can be applied to any standard time period using the dot operator.  The functions available in PPS include:

Function Use
FirstQuarter Specifies the first quarter in a year.
LastQuarter Specifies the last quarter in the year
FirstMonth Specifies the first month in a year or quarter.
LastMonth Specifies the last month in a year or quarter.
FirstWeek Specifies the first week in a year, quarter, or month.
LastWeek Specifies the last week in a year, quarter, or month.
FirstDay Specifies the first day in a week, month or higher time periods.
LastDay Specifies the last day in a week, month or higher time periods.
FirstHour Specifies the first hour in a day, week or higher time periods.
LastHour Specifies the last hour in a day, week or higher time periods.
FirstMinute Specifies the first minute in an hour, day or higher time periods.
LastMinute Specifies the last minute in an hour, day or higher time periods.
FirstSecond Specifies the first minute in an minute, hour, or higher time periods.
LastSecond Specifies the last minute in an minute, hour, or higher time periods.

 

Periods-To-Date

Periods “to-date” are a NEW type of TI formula added in Office 14.  The result of a to-date period is an aggregation of all time periods to date up to the last completed full period.  Incomplete time periods are automatically excluded.  They are evaluated to the lowest degree of granularity in the data source by default.  For example, if most granular time period in the data source were days, then the month to date expression will aggregate all days from the beginning of the month to the last completed full day in the month.  (The opposite is true for standard time periods.  They automatically include incomplete periods.)

PPS supports the following “to date” time periods:

Period Use Works with…
YearToDate Specifies a time period from the beginning of the year to the current period. FullQuarter functions or lower.
QuarterToDate Specifies a time period from the beginning of the quarter to the current period. FullMonth functions or lower.
MonthToDate Specifies a time period from the beginning of the month to the current period. FullWeek functions or lower.
WeekToDate Specifies a time period from the beginning of the week to the current period. FullDay functions or lower.
DayToDate Specifies a time period from the beginning of the day to the current period. FullHour functions or lower.
HourToDate Specifies a time period from the beginning of the hour to the current period. FullMinute functions or lower.
MinuteToDate Specifies a time period from the beginning of the minute to the current period. FullSecond function.

 

Period To Date Functions

Period to date functions allow you to control the granularity of which time periods to include.  If for example I want to show the year to date including up to the last completed full month, I can add a full period function. 

PPS supports the following full period functions:

Function Use Works with…
FullQuarter Specifies that the period to date should include up to the last full quarter. YearToDate
FullMonth Specifies that the period to date should include up to the last full month. QuarterToDate periods of higher.
FullWeek Specifies that the period to date should include up to the last full week. MonthToDate periods of higher.
FullDay Specifies that the period to date should include up to the last full day. WeekToDate periods of higher.
FullHour Specifies that the period to date should include up to the last full hour. DayToDate periods of higher.
FullMinute Specifies that the period to date should include up to the last full minute. HourToDate periods of higher.
FullSecond Specifies that the period to date should include up to the last full second. MinuteToDate periods of higher. 
Note this is included for consistency, though technically this period is not needed.

 

Parallel Period To Date

It is often useful to compare values for the equivalent set of time periods for the current year, but for the previous year.  For example, imagine that the current year to date includes Jan – July of 2010.  You may want to compare this value to the same set of time periods for the previous year.  In this case Jan – July 2009.  This is easy to accomplish using TI formula.  Simply add and offset value to the to-date period. 

YearToDate-1 

In fact, offsets can be specified on any to-date time period.   This also works when a full period function is applies as well.  Remember to use parenthesis in this case.

(YearToDate-1).FullMonth

Stephen Handy is a Program Manager on the PerformancePoint Services SharePoint BI team.