Adding comments to a formula

Contents > Creating a database > Working with formulas and functions > Adding comments to a formula

Adding comments to a formula

For complex or infrequently used formulas, you can add comments to explain the details. Use C style or C++ style comments, which you can enter anywhere in a formula.

C style comments start with the characters /* and finish with the first occurrence of the characters */. Your explanatory text appears between the two asterisk characters. Comments can begin on one line and end several lines later. You can nest C style comments.

C++ style comments begin with the characters // and finish at the end of the line.

To add comments to a formula:

1.	With the database open, choose File menu > Manage > Database.

2.	In the Manage Database dialog box, click the Fields tab.

3.	If your database contains more than one table, select the appropriate table from the Table list.

4.	In the Fields tab of the Manage Database dialog box, select the calculation field, then click Options.

5.	In the Specify Calculation dialog box, enter your comments.

See Defining calculation fields for information about the dialog box.

Click OK.

C style Example

Everything shown below can be entered inside a formula:

/* This is a calculation with C style nested and multi-line comments

/*----- It returns the title if it exists in a name -----*/

*/

Case(

PatternCount("MrMsMrs", LeftWords(Name, 1)), /* returns true if the first word in fieldName matches anyone of the titles Mr, Ms or Mrs*/

LeftWords(Name, 1) /*extracts the title */

)

C++ style Example

Greeting & "!!" // returns Hello!! if field Greeting contains the string "Hello"

Related topics

About formulas

About functions

Functions reference (category list)

Functions reference (alphabetical list)

Text operators

Using operators in formulas

Contents > Creating a database > Working with formulas and functions > Adding comments to a formula