PROPERTIES( ) function

Returns properties information for the specified Analytics project item.

Syntax

PROPERTIES(name, obj_type, info_type)

Parameters

Name Type Description
name character

The name of the Analytics project item you want information about. name is not case-sensitive.

If the project item is an Analytics table, specify the table layout name, not the data file name. For example: "Invoices", not "january_invoices.fil"

If you are using the PROPERTIES( ) function to return the name of the active table, specify the name "activetable"

obj_type character

The type of Analytics project item referred to by name.

Note

Currently, "table" is the only type of project item supported.

info_type character

The type of information you want about the Analytics project item.

For more information, see Types of properties information.

Output

Character. The maximum length of the output string is 260 characters. If properties information cannot be found, an empty string is returned.

Examples

Basic examples

Information about the Analytics data file (.fil)

Returns "Ap_Trans.fil":

PROPERTIES("Ap_Trans", "table", "filename")

Returns "C:\ACL DATA\Sample Data Files":

PROPERTIES("Ap_Trans", "table", "filepath")

Information about the open Analytics table

Returns "Ap_Trans":

PROPERTIES("activetable", "table", "open")

Information about an external data source

Returns "Trans_May.xls":

PROPERTIES("Trans_May", "table", "sourcename")

Returns "C:\Project Data\Monthly Invoices_Excel":

PROPERTIES("Trans_May", "table", "sourcepath")

Returns "EXCEL":

PROPERTIES("Trans_May", "table", "sourcetype")

Remarks

File information

Information types starting with "file" provide information about the Analytics data file (.fil) associated with an Analytics table.

Source information

Information types starting with "source" provide information about external data sources that can be associated with an Analytics table. Only those external data sources that support refreshing an Analytics table can be reported on using the PROPERTIES( ) function:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Access
  • Delimited text
  • Adobe Acrobat (PDF)
  • Print Image (Report)
  • SAP private file format/DART
  • XML
  • XBRL
  • ODBC data sources

Types of properties information

The table below lists the types of properties information that can be returned by the PROPERTIES( ) function. Analytics tables are the only Analytics project items that can currently be used with the PROPERTIES( ) function:

obj_type

info_type

Returns:

"table"

"filename"

The name of the data file associated with the Analytics table.

"filepath"

The path of the data file associated with the Analytics table.

"filesize"

The size, in KB, of the data file associated with the Analytics table.

"filemodifiedat"

The time and date that the data file associated with the Analytics table was last modified.

"sourcename"

The name of the data source associated with the Analytics table.

Data sources can be external files such as Excel, Access, PDF, XML, or delimited text files, or ODBC data sources.

"sourcepath"

The path of the data source associated with the Analytics table.

Not supported for ODBC data sources.

"sourcetype"

The type of the data source associated with the Analytics table.

"sourcesize"

The size, in KB, of the data source associated with the Analytics table.

Not supported for ODBC data sources.

"sourcemodifiedat"

The time and date that the data source associated with the Analytics table was last modified.

Not supported for ODBC data sources.

"open"

The name of the currently active Analytics table.

Note

Multiple Analytics tables can be open at the same time, but in the user interface only one table at a time can be active.