Calculated Attributes
A new calculated field in your ERP.net instance — designed, written, and created for you.
Almost every ERP.net implementation ends up needing calculated attributes: a margin percent on invoice lines, a customer age bracket, a formatted label that combines several fields, days since last order. Writing them by hand means knowing the expression syntax, the right entity, and where in the instance to create them. Operator does that work with you.
What you get
- A calculated attribute created directly in your ERP.net instance, on the entity you choose.
- A correct expression, written against your instance's real model — including your stored attributes and other calculated attributes it can build on.
- A short explanation of what the expression does, so you can adjust it later or reuse the pattern.
Example
You ask for a "margin percent" on invoice lines. Operator inspects
Crm.Invoicing.InvoiceLines, finds the line amount and cost fields in your instance's current model, writes the expression, creates the calculated attribute, and confirms it returns the expected value on a real document.
How to ask for one
Say what you want the field to show, in your own words:
create a calculated attribute on sales order lines that shows the margin as a percentage
I need a customer field that shows how many days since their last invoice
add a calculated attribute on products that combines the product code and name into one label
Useful things to mention:
- Which entity — invoices, invoice lines, customers, products, sales orders.
- What it should compute — the formula in plain language, or an example with real numbers ("for a line of 120 with cost 80, it should show 50%").
- Where it should appear — just for queries and reports, or also on forms.
- The name you want, if you have a convention to follow.
Operator inspects the entity first — pulling in your instance's custom fields and any Entity Instructions you have written — then proposes the expression before creating anything. You can correct it in plain language ("use net amount, not gross") and it adjusts.
What to check before approving
- The expression is the one you mean. Operator shows you the exact formula; read it once, especially which amount fields it uses (net vs gross, with or without discount).
- It computes on real data. Ask Operator to show the attribute's value for a few real records before you start using it in reports.
- Naming. Calculated attributes stay in your instance; a clear name now saves confusion later.
Good to know
- Calculated attributes live in your ERP.net instance, not in Operator. Once created, they are available everywhere — Domain API queries, lists, reports, other calculated attributes.
- They can build on each other: a "margin percent" can reference a "margin amount" you created earlier.
- If the expression needs a field that does not exist yet, Operator tells you instead of guessing — that is the moment to decide whether you need a stored attribute first.
- Changing the formula later is a normal request: ask to update the attribute and the new expression replaces the old one.