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Manage base formula objects

Available since 2021 Update 5

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You can try these workflows with REST API Playground.

Learn more about MicroStrategy REST API Playground here.

Base formulas are mathematical expressions created using existing facts. They can be re-used to build any number of metrics.

You can use REST API requests to retrieve, create, and update the base formula objects through the Modeling service:

There are two important fields in the API response body defined for a base formula:

  • information: Stores the basic information of a base formula's information including dateCreated, dateModified, versionId, primaryLocale, objectId, subType, and name.

    For a base formula, subType is agg_metric.

  • expression: Stored as simple base formulas without any dimensionality, conditionality, or subtotals. They can be reused to create any number of simple or complex metrics.

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    ℹ️ Info

    Tokens are a semi-structured representation of a MicroStrategy expression text that includes object references. When the base formula’s expression is represented as tokens, the text is broken down into pieces, or tokens, with information about what these pieces represent in the metadata.

    A base formula's “expression" is presented in the following formats:

    • "text": A human-readable, but non-parsable text, describing a base formula's expression.
    • "tree": A tree data structure fully defining the base formula's expression.
    • "tokens": A list of parsed tokens that define a base formula's expression. Generating tokens requires additional time.

    If showExpressionAs is omitted, only "text" formats are returned.

    If showExpressionAs is tree, "text" and "tree" formats are returned.

    If showExpressionAs is tokens, "text" and "tokens" formats are returned.

For more information about the Modeling service, see Configuring the Modeling Service.