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Run formulas on data in a column

Modified: 7 Sep 2026 Viewpoint Estimating Administration Help
Advanced users can use a robust set of tools to create formulas that you can run against the data in a column.
  1. Click the Data Manipulation drop-down menu and select Formulas.
  2. In the Column field, select the column where you want the result of the formula.
  3. Enter one of the following formulas:
    FIND
    • Description: Returns the position of the specified text in a text value
    • Syntax: FIND("text",[column],start)

      where text is the text to be found, column is the name of the column for the formula, and start is the position of the first character for the formula. Note that the text value must be in quotes and the column name must be in square brackets.

    LEFT
    • Description: Returns the specified number of characters counting from the left of a text value.
    • Syntax: LEFT([column],number)

      where column is the name of the column for the formula and number is the number of characters from the left for the formula. Note that the column name must be in square brackets.

    LOWER
    • Description: Returns the text value in all lowercase characters.
    • Syntax: LOWER([column])

      where column is the name of the column for the formula. Note that the column name must be in square brackets.

    MID
    • Description: Returns the specified number of characters text value starting from the specified position.
    • Syntax: MID([column],number,start)

      where column is the name of the column for the formula, number is the number of characters for the formula, and start is the position of the first character for the formula. Note that the column name must be in square brackets.

    RIGHT
    • Description: Returns the specified number of characters from the right of a text value.
    • Syntax: RIGHT([column],number)

      where column is the name of the column for the formula and number is the number of characters to count from the right for the formula. Note that the column name must be in square brackets.

    TRIM
    • Description: Returns the text value with all spacing trimmed and normalized. Trimming removes any leading or trailing spaces from the text value. Normalizing reduces consecutive spaces within a text value to a single space.
    • Syntax: TRIM([column])

      where column is the name of the column for the formula. Note that the column name must be in square brackets.

    UPPER
    • Description: Returns the text value in all lowercase characters.
    • Syntax: UPPER([column])

      where column is the name of the column for the formula. Note that the column name must be in square brackets.

    FIXED
    • Description: Returns a text value of a numeric value rounded the specified number of characters that includes or omits a thousands separator.
    • Syntax: FIXED([column],number,"Boolean")

      where column is the name of the column for the formula, number is the number of characters to the right of the decimal point for the formula, and Boolean is a value—either TRUE or FALSE—for the formula that indicates whether a thousands separator should be omitted (so TRUE to omit a thousands separator or FALSE to include a thousands separator). Note that the column name must be in square brackets and the Boolean value must be in quotes.

    IF
    • Description: Evaluates a Boolean test and returns one of two values.
    • Syntax: IF(test,true_value,false_value)

      where test is the Boolean test for the formula, true_value is the value to be returned if the test is true, and false_value is the value to be returned if the test is false. Note that text values included in the test must be in quotes.

    YEAR
    • Description: Returns the year portion of a date value.
    • Syntax: YEAR([column])

      where column is the name of the column for the formula. Note that the column name must be in square brackets.

    MONTH
    • Description: Returns the month portion (as a number, so January =1, February = 2, and so on) of a date value.
    • Syntax: MONTH([column])

      where column is the name of the column for the formula. Note that the column name must be in square brackets.

    DAY
    • Description: Returns the day portion of a date value.
    • Syntax: DAY([column])

      where column is the name of the column for the formula. Note that the column name must be in square brackets.

  4. Click OK.
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