Reference: Calculations and Calculated Fields Comparison

Several functions in calculations and calculated fields are similar, but have some differences.

Calculations and calculated fields are separate frameworks. You can't interchange them.

For calculations:

Workday organizes and secures calculations through an assigned category, which determines which Workday product the calculations apply to.

Workday accesses report field data through instance value calculations, instance set comparison calculations, and advanced lookup tables.

For calculated fields:

Workday builds calculated fields around an assigned business object.

Workday accesses data through report fields on the business object or calculated fields.

Comparison

This section compares calculations and calculated fields that have similar functions to help you understand their differences.

Arithmetic Calculations: Function
Description
Considerations

Arithmetic calculation
Performs functions between only 2 values.
You can only perform 1 operation between 2 operands with an arithmetic calculation. For multiple operations, you can create multiple calculations nested within one another.
The arithmetic calculation supports these operators:
Add
Divide
Multiply
Subtract

If you don't specify rounding, Workday automatically rounds the result to the nearest 1/100th (.01).

Arithmetic Calculation calculated field
Returns the calculation of multiple values.
You can use arithmetic calculation to perform these calculations:
Add
Divide
Multiply
Subtract

The calculated field:
Can manage more than 2 values.
Enables you to use parentheses.
Enables you to specify the currency code.
Returns zero on error.

Step-Based calculation
Returns a single numeric value that's the outcome of a series of calculations done in steps.
You can define conditions and condition groups for each step.
Available operations are:
Add
Divide
Exit
Max
Min
Multiply
Round
Set
Subtract
Build a Date: Function
Description
Considerations

Build Date calculation
Creates a new date by combining a year, month, and day.
The year month and days values are constant values. To extract the values from a date in the Workday, you can create a date extract calculation to use as an input.

Build Date calculated field
Enables you to create a new date or time field by using components from other fields or from specified values.
As opposed to the build date calculation, the calculated field:
Includes the option to extract date or time values from a date in Workday.
Includes time (hour, minute, second, and millisecond) and time zone.
Returns blank on error.
Calculate a Future or Past Date: Function
Description
Considerations

Date Increment/Decrement calculation
Starts with a date and adds or subtract years, months, or days to return another date.
To create the initial start date, you must define an instance value calculation or use 1 provided by Workday.

Increment or Decrement Date calculated field
Computes a date that's a number of days, months, or years before or after the value of a date field.
Adds or subtracts a number of hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds to or from a date.

The increment or decrement date calculated field can add or subtract hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds to or from a date.
Return a Constant Value or Date: Function
Description
Considerations

Constant Date calculation
Returns a defined constant date.

Date Constant calculated field
Enables you to create a date, time, or time zone constant so that you can use it in other calculations.
The date constant calculated field:
Includes time (hour, minute, second, and millisecond).
Enables you to define a time zone.

Constant Value calculation
Returns a defined constant value.

Numeric Constant calculated field
Enables you to assign a numeric constant to a field so that you can use it in other calculations.
The numeric value can be an integer or a real number.
Return a Value Based on Conditions: Function
Description
Considerations

Conditional calculation
Evaluates a series of conditions and returns a date or value associated with the first condition that is true. If no conditions are true, the calculation returns a default value.
You must use 1 of these calculations as the condition:
Instance comparison.
Logic.
Value comparison.

Evaluate Expression calculated field
Groups and transforms data by evaluating a series of boolean conditions and returning the value associated with the first condition that's true. If no conditions are true, the calculated field returns the default value.
You must have existing fields for the evaluated conditions and values.

Evaluate Expression Band calculated field
Specifies values for boolean conditions and returns grouped instances.
You must have existing fields for the evaluated conditions.
Lookup: Function
Description
Considerations

Lookup calculation
Looks up 1 value based on another value.
Unlike the evaluate expression and evaluate expression band calculated fields:
You must create a separate lookup table for lookup calculations.
You can assign effective dates to search and return values.

Advanced lookup tables can have search criteria of:
Instance report fields.
Numeric calculations.
Text report fields.

Lookup Related Value calculated field
Returns the value of a field on a related business object.
You can promote fields from a related business object to the primary business object so you can perform these actions on the fields:
Filter
Group
Report
Sort
Summarize
Extract Instance Values: Function
Description
Considerations

Instance Value calculation
Returns a boolean, currency, date, or numeric value by retrieving values for an instance.
Only returns 1 value.

Extract Single Instance calculated field
Extracts a single instance from a multi-instance field based on boolean conditions.

Extract Multi-Instance calculated field
Returns multiple instances of a related business object based on a condition.
Extracts multiple instances from a related business object based on boolean conditions.
Calculate the Difference Between Dates: Function
Description
Considerations

Date Difference calculation
Returns the interval between 2 dates in days, months, or years.

Date Difference calculated field
Returns the intervale between 2 dates or times in years, months, days, hours, minutes, or seconds.
Unlike the date difference calculation, the date difference calculated field:
Includes time (hour, minute, and second).
Returns zero on error.
Can ignore lower-level date components. Example: You can determine if Workday considers days and time when finding the date difference for a month.
Extract a Portion of a Date as a Number: Function
Description
Considerations

Date Extract calculation
Returns the year, month, or day from a date as a number.
Limited to day, month, or year.
You must enter the date to parse as an instance value calculation.

Format Date calculated field
Returns part of a date field as a text field.

Enables you to define a custom format.
Includes additional predefined formats, such as fiscal periods.
Includes time (hour, minute, and second).
Compare Values: Function
Description
Considerations

Instance Set Comparison calculation
Compare a report field or a custom field and a value or set of values using a relational operator.

Value Comparison calculation
Compare 2 operands using a relational operator.
You can use a value comparison calculation to compare results from different instance value calculations or against a constant value calculation.
This calculation only compares numeric data.

True/False Condition calculated field
Returns True or False based on boolean conditions.
Enables you to build directly in the calculated field comparisons between:
Values.
Existing fields.

This calculation compares numeric and non-numeric data.
True/False: Function
Description
Considerations

Logic calculation
Returns True or False based on boolean conditions.
Returns True for AND statements, if all conditions are true.

Returns True for OR statements, if 1 or more conditions are true.

You must have predefined comparisons such as:
Value comparison calculations.
Instance value calculations.
Instance set comparison calculations.

True/False Condition calculated field
Returns True or False based on boolean conditions.
Enables you to build directly in the calculated field comparisons between:
Values.
Existing fields.

This calculation compares numeric and non-numeric data.

Function	Description	Considerations
Arithmetic calculation	Performs functions between only 2 values.	You can only perform 1 operation between 2 operands with an arithmetic calculation. For multiple operations, you can create multiple calculations nested within one another. The arithmetic calculation supports these operators: Add Divide Multiply Subtract If you don't specify rounding, Workday automatically rounds the result to the nearest 1/100th (.01).
Arithmetic Calculation calculated field	Returns the calculation of multiple values.	You can use arithmetic calculation to perform these calculations: Add Divide Multiply Subtract The calculated field: Can manage more than 2 values. Enables you to use parentheses. Enables you to specify the currency code. Returns zero on error.
Step-Based calculation	Returns a single numeric value that's the outcome of a series of calculations done in steps.	You can define conditions and condition groups for each step. Available operations are: Add Divide Exit Max Min Multiply Round Set Subtract

Function	Description	Considerations
Build Date calculation	Creates a new date by combining a year, month, and day.	The year month and days values are constant values. To extract the values from a date in the Workday, you can create a date extract calculation to use as an input.
Build Date calculated field	Enables you to create a new date or time field by using components from other fields or from specified values.	As opposed to the build date calculation, the calculated field: Includes the option to extract date or time values from a date in Workday. Includes time (hour, minute, second, and millisecond) and time zone. Returns blank on error.

Function	Description	Considerations
Date Increment/Decrement calculation	Starts with a date and adds or subtract years, months, or days to return another date.	To create the initial start date, you must define an instance value calculation or use 1 provided by Workday.
Increment or Decrement Date calculated field	Computes a date that's a number of days, months, or years before or after the value of a date field. Adds or subtracts a number of hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds to or from a date.	The increment or decrement date calculated field can add or subtract hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds to or from a date.

Function	Description	Considerations
Constant Date calculation	Returns a defined constant date.
Date Constant calculated field	Enables you to create a date, time, or time zone constant so that you can use it in other calculations.	The date constant calculated field: Includes time (hour, minute, second, and millisecond). Enables you to define a time zone.
Constant Value calculation	Returns a defined constant value.
Numeric Constant calculated field	Enables you to assign a numeric constant to a field so that you can use it in other calculations.	The numeric value can be an integer or a real number.

Function	Description	Considerations
Conditional calculation	Evaluates a series of conditions and returns a date or value associated with the first condition that is true. If no conditions are true, the calculation returns a default value.	You must use 1 of these calculations as the condition: Instance comparison. Logic. Value comparison.
Evaluate Expression calculated field	Groups and transforms data by evaluating a series of boolean conditions and returning the value associated with the first condition that's true. If no conditions are true, the calculated field returns the default value.	You must have existing fields for the evaluated conditions and values.
Evaluate Expression Band calculated field	Specifies values for boolean conditions and returns grouped instances.	You must have existing fields for the evaluated conditions.

Function	Description	Considerations
Lookup calculation	Looks up 1 value based on another value.	Unlike the evaluate expression and evaluate expression band calculated fields: You must create a separate lookup table for lookup calculations. You can assign effective dates to search and return values. Advanced lookup tables can have search criteria of: Instance report fields. Numeric calculations. Text report fields.
Lookup Related Value calculated field	Returns the value of a field on a related business object.	You can promote fields from a related business object to the primary business object so you can perform these actions on the fields: Filter Group Report Sort Summarize

Function	Description	Considerations
Instance Value calculation	Returns a boolean, currency, date, or numeric value by retrieving values for an instance.	Only returns 1 value.
Extract Single Instance calculated field	Extracts a single instance from a multi-instance field based on boolean conditions.
Extract Multi-Instance calculated field	Returns multiple instances of a related business object based on a condition. Extracts multiple instances from a related business object based on boolean conditions.

Function	Description	Considerations
Date Difference calculation	Returns the interval between 2 dates in days, months, or years.
Date Difference calculated field	Returns the intervale between 2 dates or times in years, months, days, hours, minutes, or seconds.	Unlike the date difference calculation, the date difference calculated field: Includes time (hour, minute, and second). Returns zero on error. Can ignore lower-level date components. Example: You can determine if Workday considers days and time when finding the date difference for a month.

Function	Description	Considerations
Date Extract calculation	Returns the year, month, or day from a date as a number.	Limited to day, month, or year. You must enter the date to parse as an instance value calculation.
Format Date calculated field	Returns part of a date field as a text field.	Enables you to define a custom format. Includes additional predefined formats, such as fiscal periods. Includes time (hour, minute, and second).

Function	Description	Considerations
Instance Set Comparison calculation	Compare a report field or a custom field and a value or set of values using a relational operator.
Value Comparison calculation	Compare 2 operands using a relational operator.	You can use a value comparison calculation to compare results from different instance value calculations or against a constant value calculation. This calculation only compares numeric data.
True/False Condition calculated field	Returns True or False based on boolean conditions.	Enables you to build directly in the calculated field comparisons between: Values. Existing fields. This calculation compares numeric and non-numeric data.

Function	Description	Considerations
Logic calculation	Returns True or False based on boolean conditions. Returns True for AND statements, if all conditions are true. Returns True for OR statements, if 1 or more conditions are true.	You must have predefined comparisons such as: Value comparison calculations. Instance value calculations. Instance set comparison calculations.
True/False Condition calculated field	Returns True or False based on boolean conditions.	Enables you to build directly in the calculated field comparisons between: Values. Existing fields. This calculation compares numeric and non-numeric data.

Concept: Calculated Fields

Concept: Calculated Fields and Calculations