Derived Formulas

A Derived formula belongs to the column, not to one single cell. It is useful when the same formula pattern should be generated repeatedly as people type values or as empty rows become active.

The two main placeholders are:

• {row}: replaced with the current row number
• {this}: replaced with the value the user typed

{row} templates run when the cell itself is empty. {this} templates run when the user types a plain value and commits the cell.

DEFAULT has two uses around derived formulas:

• in a normal cell formula, bare DEFAULT means "use this column's derived formula for the current row"
• inside a derived formula itself, DEFAULT(expression) is an explicit wrapper for the normal/default branch expression

Examples:

• ={this}+" points" turns typed 100 into a formula that shows 100 points
• =TOBJ({this},"",SH6(A1)) turns a typed code into a TOBJ link cloned from a template object
• =IF(OR(A1="",B1=""),"",DEFAULT) lets a normal cell fall back to the column derived formula after a guard passes
• =IF(OR(B{row}="",C{row}=""),"",DEFAULT(C{row}-B{row}+1)) keeps a generated duration blank until both dates exist
• =IF(A1>5,A1+A2,A1-A2) chooses one formula or another based on the current row values

Derived formula applies to lets you scope the rule to All Rows, Normal Rows Only, or WBS Phase Rows Only.

Related: IF / AND / OR, Column Type: Text, TOBJ.