Numeric options

Use the options in the Numeric tab to specify how Analytics processes and displays numeric data.

Stop on Numeric Overflow

When you select this option, Analytics stops processing when a numeric overflow occurs. If the results of mathematical operations, including intermediate calculations, exceed 22 digits, Analytics may stop processing. In the view, affected fields display ###ERR###.

When you turn this option off, Analytics continues to process, but it truncates excess digits, starting from the left, which produces inaccurate calculations. When the user attempts division by zero, Analytics substitutes a large number for the result.

Changes to this setting are recorded in the log using the following syntax:

SET OVERFLOW {ON|OFF}

Verify Data

If you turn this option on, every time you process a field while a table is open, Analytics automatically checks whether the contents of a data field correspond to the field’s data type in the table layout (Character, Numeric, Datetime, Logical, etc.). Processing stops when an error occurs, unless the Blank Invalid Data option is also on.

If you turn this option off, Analytics does not test for data validity, therefore improving processing speed.

Changes to this setting are recorded in the log using the following syntax:

SET VERIFY {ON|OFF}

Blank Invalid Data

This option is only available when the Verify Data option is turned on. If you turn Blank Invalid Data on, Analytics automatically replaces invalid character data with blanks and invalid numeric data with zeros.

If you enable this option and process a field that contains invalid data, Analytics creates an error log in the same folder as your Analytics project files and displays the message: “Invalid data encountered in file, values zeroed. See file ERROR.LOG”. To view or print the log, you can use a word processor or text editor to open it in the directory in which you store your working files. You can access the error log while in Analytics, by using the Type or Dump commands.

Changes to this setting are recorded in the log using the following syntax, where BLANK indicates that the option is selected and ON means that the Verify Data option is selected, but Blank Invalid Data is not:

SET VERIFY (BLANK|ON}

Expression Field Width

This option specifies the default display width in characters for numeric computed fields or ad hoc numeric expressions when Analytics cannot determine the maximum width. The default is 12 characters, based on Analytics’s default application font.

Changes to this setting are recorded in the log using the following syntax:

SET WIDTH characters

Decimal Place Symbol

Analytics uses a period as the default decimal place character. You can change the default setting to either a comma or a space by entering the new character in the text box. Among the three separators (decimal, thousands, and list), the decimal separator must be unique.

Changes to this setting are recorded in the log as a change to the Default Numeric Format.

Default Numeric Format

By default, Analytics displays numbers using a numeric format that does not use thousands separators and denotes negative numbers with a leading minus sign.

You can modify the Default Numeric Format option to display numeric values using a different format. You can select one of the predefined formats from the drop-down list, or create a format of your own. For example, you may want to select a format that specifies a thousands separator or uses a different indicator for negative numbers.

The format you specify is an application-wide default format that applies to all numeric fields and columns that do not have field-level or column-level formatting specified. You may want to avoid specifying a format with a currency sign because all numeric fields, including those that are not currency, will have the currency sign. If required, you can format currency fields at the field level or column level. For more information about field-level and column-level numeric formatting, see Format numeric values in a view.

Changes to this setting are recorded in the log using the following syntax:

SET PICTURE format

Thousands Separator

Analytics uses a comma as the default thousands separator for numeric output. You can change the default setting to either a period or a space by entering the new character in the text box. The thousands separator cannot be the same as the decimal separator.

List Separator

Analytics uses a comma as the default list separator, which is used primarily to separate function parameters. You can change the default setting to either a semi-colon (;) or a space by entering the new character in the text box. The list separator cannot be the same as the decimal separator.