Expressions: Overview

The FastStats Expression tool provides multiple functions that allow you to manipulate your data for analysis and/or output purposes.

You can use expressions in four places in FastStats:

• Calculate Expression wizard to populate a new variable according to a mathematical expression or logical rule

• Cube as a cube statistic or dimension

• Data Grid as an output column

• Like a variable in a selection

FastStats supports the following in expressions:

• Aggregation Functions - Functions that allow the aggregation of multiple values, such as finding the minimum of a list.

• Date Conversion Functions - Functions to support the conversion of dates

• Date Functions - Functions allowing the manipulation of date fields.

• Date List Functions - Functions used to compare a list of dates

• FastStats Variables - Using FastStats variables in expressions

• File Functions - Functions used to look up a value or read a column from the file in the path parameter

• Inequality Operators - Operators to support comparisons such as 'greater than'.

• List Functions

• Location Functions - Geo functions that allow the use of latitude and longitude to calculate distance as well as selecting parts of UK postcodes.

• Logical Functions - Functions for building conditional expressions.

• Maths Functions - Functions allowing square roots and logs.

• Missing Values - Missing value support.

• Operators - Simple operations such as addition and subtraction.

• Queries - Using queries in expressions

• Selector Functions - Functions used to manipulate the codes, descriptions, values or indices of selector functions

• Set Functions

• Sorting Functions

•  String Functions - Functions to support text processing

 

FastStats also offers the ability to create Aggregated Expressions 'on the fly' and Derived Cube Expressions.

 

More information and worked examples can also be found in the FS User Guide - Expressions - available in the Apteco website portal.