--- title: Equation Functions slug: rm/equation-functions docTags: createdAt: 2026-06-09T13:38:47.589Z --- # Equation Tools The [Equation Editor](docId\:Gn6iymydusl3XM94XVkw_) helps you use function and gives you previews of the results. The [Equation Selector](docId\:LQZS2uvauRUFGbmiL1GQL) helps you choose a function to work with. # List of Equation Functions by Category ## Date and Time | **​​Function** | **Description**​ | | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | | ​DATE​ | ​Returns the date of the given year, month, and day. | | DATESPAN | ​Can be added to a date to offset it. | | ​NOW | ​Returns the current date and time formatted as a date and time. | | ​TIME | ​Returns the time of the given hour, minute, and second. | | ​TIMESPAN | ​Can be added to a time to offset it | ## Math and Trig | ​**Function** | **Description**​ | | ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | ​ABS | ​Returns the absolute value of a number, a number without a sign. | | POWER | Returns the result of a number raised to a power.​ | | ​SUM | ​Adds all the numbers in a range of values. | ## Statistical | ​​**Function** | **Description**​ | | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ​AVERAGE | Returns the average (arithmetic mean) of its arguments, which can be numbers of names, arrays, or reference that contain numbers.​ | | ​COUNT | Counts the number of values in a range that contains numbers.​ | | MAX | ​Returns the largest value in a set of values. Ignores logical values and text. | | MIN | ​Returns the smallest value in a set of values. Ignores logical values and text. | ## Database | ​**Function** | **Description**​​ | | ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ​DATA | ​Returns a dataset using the text. | | DATEDATA​ | ​Returns a date type dataset using the text, using input as the date format. | | NULL | ​Returns a null value. Primarily used to compare against the value of DATA. | | VALUE | Return a number converted from text. | ## Text | ​**Function** | **Description​** | | ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ​CONTAINS | ​Returns whether one text string contains another text string. | | ​INDEXOF | ​Returns the first index of one text string within another text string. | | ​LASTINDEXOF | Returns the last​ index of one text string within another text string. | | ​MID | Returns the characters from the middle of a text string, given a starting position and length.​ | | ​SUBSTRING | Returns the characters​ from the middle of a text string, given a starting position and an ending position. | | ​TRIM | ​Returns the text with the whitespace removed from the beginning and the end. | | UPPER | Returns the text with all letters in uppercase. | | LOWER | Returns the text with all letters in lowercase. | | LEN | Returns the length of the text. | ## Logical | ​​**Function** | **Description​** | | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | FALSE​ | ​Returns the logical value FALSE. | | ​IF | ​Checks whether a condition is met, and returns one value if TRUE, and another value if FALSE. | | ​TRUE | ​Returns the logical value TRUE | # List of Equation Functions ## ABS function **Description** The ABS function takes the absolute value of a number (the same number without a sign). For example: \=ABS(-3) would return 3. **Syntax** ABS(number) - ​number - Required. The number to take the absolute value of. ## AVERAGE function **Description** The AVERAGE function returns the average (arithmetic mean) of its arguments, which can be numbers of names, arrays, or references that contain numbers. For example, \=AVERAGE(4,2,3) would return 3. If the average is not an integer, you will get a long decimal number. Use the 'display' attribute in an out tag to set how many digits to display. **Syntax** AVERAGE(number1,number2,...) - ​number - At least one is required. These are the values to average. ## CONTAINS function **Description** The CONTAINS function returns whether one text string contains another text string. For example, \=CONTAINS("This is a test string.", "test") would return true. **Syntax** CONTAINS(within\_text,find\_text) - within\_​text - Required. The text containing the text you want to find. - find\_text - Required. The text you want to find. ## COUNT function **Description** The COUNT function returns the count of the number of values in a range that contains numbers. For example, \=COUNT(4,2,3) would return 3. **Syntax** COUNT(number1,number2,...) - ​number - At least one is required. These are the values to count ## DATA function **Description** The DATA function returns a dataset from a data source. For example, \=DATA("select dbo.Categories.CategoryName from dbo.Categories") when using the SQL Northwind database would return "Beverages". Note that this is heavily dependent on the data source you are reading from. **Syntax** DATA(text) - ​text - Required. The query string to use against the data source. ## DATE​DATA function **Description** The DATEDATA function returns a date-type dataset from a data source.  It uses a pattern that is passed to SimpleDateFormat (see Java documentation) to read in non-standard or un-typed date data. Note that this is heavily dependant on the data source you are reading from. **Syntax** DATEDATA(text,input) - ​text - Required. The query string to use against the data source.​ - input - Required. The pattern to be passed to SimpleDateFormat to read in the data. ## DATE function **Description** The DATE function returns the date of the given year, month, and day. For example, \=DATE(2010,1,2) represents January 2, 2010. There are two major uses: - You need a date object to add a DATESPAN (you want to offset a date by a number of years, months, and/or days). - You want to use the Blueprint tag 'format' attribute to output the date in a specific format. **Syntax** DATE(year,month,day) - ​year - Required. The year for the specific date. - month - Required. The month for the specific date. - day - Required. The day for the specific date. ## DATESPAN function **Description** The DATESPAN function represents a time span. For example, \=DATESPAN(3,2,1) represents a timespan of 3 years, 2 months, and 1 day. There is one major use: - can be added to a date to provide an offset of a given number of years, months, and/or days.  A date can be obtained using the DATE, DATA, and DATEDATA functions. **Syntax** DATE(year,month,day) - ​year - Required. The number of years to span. - month - Required. The number of months to span. - day - Required. The number of days to span. ## FALSE function **Description** The FALSE function returns the logical value FALSE.  This can used in comparisons. For example, \=(1 == 2) = FALSE() would return true. **Syntax** FALSE() ## IF function **Description** The IF function checks whether a condition is met.  If TRUE, it returns one value.  If FALSE, it returns another value. For example, \=IF(1==2, "One equals two.", "One does not equal two.") would return "One does not equal two". **Syntax** IF(logical\_test,value\_if\_true,value\_if\_false) - ​logical\_test - Required. Any value of expression that can evaluated to TRUE or FALSE. - value\_if\_true - Required. The value that is returned if Logical\_text is TRUE. - value\_if\_false - Required. The value that is returned if Logical\_text is FALSE. ## INDEXOF function ​**Description** The INDEXOF function returns the first index of one text string within another text string. For example, \=INDEXOF("This rocks.", "is") would return 2. **Syntax** INDEXOF(within\_text,find\_text) - within\_​text - Required. The text containing the text you want to find. - find\_text - Required. The text you want to find.​ ## LASTINDEXOF function **Description** The LASTINDEXOF function returns the index of the last occurance of one text string within another text string. For example, \=LASTINDEXOF("This is great.", "is") would return 5.  "is" can be found at both index 2 and 5, bit 5 is later in the string so 5 is returned. **Syntax** LASTINDEXOF(within\_text,find\_text) - within\_​text - Required. The text containing the text you want to find. - find\_text - Required. The text you want to find.​​ ## LEN function **Description** The LEN function returns the length of the text. For example, \= LEN("some text") returns the number 9. **Syntax** LEN(text) - ​text - Required. The string whose length you wish to know. ## LOWER function **Description** The  LOWER function returns the text with all letters in lowercase. For example: \=LOWER("This is SOME text") returns "this is some text". **Syntax** LOWER(text) - ​text - Required. The text to convert to lowercase. ## MAX function **Description** The MAX function returns the largest value in a set of values, ignoring logical values and text. For example, \=MAX(4,2,3) would return 4. **Syntax** MAX(number1,number2,...) - ​number - At least one is required. These are the values to find the maximum of.​ ## MID function **Description** The MID function returns the characters from the middle of a text string, given a starting position and length. For example, \=MID("This is a text.", 3, 5) would return "is is". **Syntax** MID(text,start\_num,num\_chars) - text - Required. The text from which you want to extract characters. - start\_num - Required. The position of the first character you want to extract. The first character in Text is 1. (Note: this is different from SUBSTRING).​ - num\_chars - Required. This specifies how many characters to return from Text. ## MIN function **Description** The MIN function returns the smallest value in a set of values, ignoring logical values and text. For example, \=MIN(4,2,3) would return 2. **Syntax** MIN(number1,number2,...) - ​number - At least one is required. These are the values to find the minimum of.​​ ## NOW function **Description** The NOW function returns the current date and time.  Note that this is evaluated when the report is generated, not when the tag is created. This can be added to a DATESPAN or TIMESPAN. **Syntax** NOW() ## NULL function **Description** The NULL function returns a null value.  This can then be compared against a value returned for DATA or DATEDATA. **Syntax** NULL() ## POWER function **Description** The POWER function returns a number raised to a power. For example, \=POWER(4,2) would return 4 taken to the second power (16). **Syntax** POWER(number,power) - ​number - Required. This is the base number. - power - Required. This is the exponent, to which the base number is raised. ## SUBSTRING function **Description** The SUBSTRING function returns the characters from the middle of a text string, given a starting position and an ending position. For example, \=SUBSTRING("This is a test.",0,4) would return "is". **Syntax** SUBSTRING(text,start\_num,end\_num) - text - Required. The text from which you want to extract characters. - start\_num - Required. The position of the first character you want to extract. The first character in Text is 0. (Note: this is different from MID). - end\_num - Optional. This specifies the position of the last character you want to extract.​ ## SUM function **Description** The SUM function adds all the numbers in a range of values. For example, \=SUM(4,2,1,-1) would return 6. **Syntax** SUM(number1,number2,...) - ​number - At least one is required. This is the value to sum. ## TIME function **Description** The TIME function returns the time of the given hour, minute, and second. For example, \=TIME(14,5,0) represents 2:05PM. There are two major uses: - You need a time object to add a TIMESPAN (you want to offset a time by a number of hours, minutes, and/or seconds). - You want to use the Blueprint tag 'format' attribute to output the date in a specific format. **Syntax** TIME(hour,minute,second) - ​hour - Required. The hour for the specific time. - minute - Required. The minute for the specific time. - second - Required. The second for the specific time. ## TIMESPAN function **Description** The TIMESPAN function represents a time span. For example, \=TIMESPAN(3,2,1) represents a timespan of 3 hours, 2 minutes, and 1 second. There is one major use: - can be added to a time to provide an offset of a given number of hours, minutes, and/or seconds.  A time can be obtained using the TIME, DATA, and DATEDATA functions. **Syntax** TIMESPAN(hours,minutes,seconds) - hours - Required. The number of hours to span. - minutes - Required. The number of minutes to span. - seconds - Required. The number of seconds to span. ## TRIM function **Description** The TRIM function returns the text with the whitespace removed from the beginning and the end. For example, \=TRIM("     This is a test.  ") would return "This is a test". **Syntax** TRIM(text) - text - Required. The text from which you want remove starting and ending whitespace. ## TRUE function **Description** The TRUE function returns the logical value TRUE.  This can used in comparisons. For example, \=(1 == 2) = TRUE() would return false. **Syntax** TRUE() ## UPPER function **Description** The UPPER function returns the text with all letters in uppercase. For example, \=UPPER("This is some text") returns "THIS IS SOME TEXT". **Syntax** UPPER(text) - ​text - Required. The text to convert to uppercase. ## VALUE function **Description** The VALUE function returns a number from text. For example, \=VALUE("100") Converts the text "100" into the number 100. The number can then be used in arithmetic and aggregations functions, as well as comparisons with other numbers. **Syntax** VALUE(text) - ​text - Required. The text value to convert to a number.