Time functions

Time functions are used in functions to specify the period for extracting data. They consist of two parts: Start and End functions, and Adjusting functions.

Start and End functions

Start and End functions set the extraction interval. They are closely connected to Information period, i.e. the scorecard frequency.

The following Start and End functions are available:

BOP, EOP - beginning and end of period
BOY, EOY - beginning and end of year
LVD - time of last registration

BOP,EOP is implicit in each node that uses an expression ([node, bop,eop]). This means that it is always the current period and frequency that control which data are fetched. If the frequency is 'yearly', it is always the current year's data that are fetched, if it is 'monthly', the current month's data, etc.

Instead of Start and End functions, fixed dates in the format YYYY-MM-DD may be used, e.g. AGG('[100,2013-01-01,2013-12-31]',100), NOD(2014-01-01,2015-01-01), etc.

Adjusting functions

Adjusting functions are used to modify the Start and End functions. This is done by writing the adjustment after the Start or End function:

[node, start function + adjusting function,end function + adjusting function]

Use '-' or '+' between the Start/End function and the Adjusting function:

'-' means the number of periods specified counting backward from the current period, e.g. -2q (i.e. -2 quarters) means 2 quarters back in time.
'+' means the number of periods specified counting forward from the current period, e.g. +1m (i.e. +1 month) is the following month.

These adjusting functions are available (upper and lower case may be used):

Y = Year
H = Half Year
T = Third Year (four months)
Q = Quarter Year (three months)
M = Month
W = Week
D = Day
BY, EY - beginning and end of year
BH, EH - beginning and end of half-year
BT, ET - beginning and end of four-month period
BQ, EQ - beginning and end of quarter
BM, EM - beginning and end of month
BW, EW - beginning and end of week
BD, ED - beginning and end of day
TODAY - the current day

When Time functions are used to configure scorecard elements, Adjusting functions are entered in the From modifier and To modifier fields. The Adjusting function must contain a number and a letter, e.g. -2q or +1m. The function +m is invalid.

With Time adjustments BOP and EOP are always implicit, so the functions entered adjust BOP and EOP for the period you are currently using. Example: If the period is monthly and you enter -BW in From and +EW in To, the result will be all figures from the beginning of the first week that ends in the current month to the end of the last week that starts in the current month, so you may see files from the end of the previous month until the beginning of the next month.

Examples:

BOY-1m,EOY+1m means the current year AND December last year AND January next year.

BOP-1m,EOP+1m means the current period AND the previous month AND the next month.

The result of this time function depends on the period. If the period is MONTH, it will be 3 months, if the period is QUARTER it will be 5 months.

-BY means the beginning of the current year

+2M means the following two months