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Node Navigation – Parent & ParallelPeriod

This is post 9 in my series on how to learn the Spotfire expression language. It explains the Parent and ParallelPeriod node navigation methods. Originally, I included NavigatePeriod, but NavigatePeriod deserves its own post, so it will follow next week. Read on to learn about Parent and ParallelPeriod node navigation methods.

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Node Navigation – FirstNode, LastNode, LastPeriods, PreviousPeriod & NextPeriod

This is post 8 in my series on learning the Spotfire expression language. We are in the middle of exploring all of the node navigation methods. This post will cover FirstNode, LastNode, LastPeriods, PreviousPeriod and NextPeriod. I’m combining these particular methods in order to differentiate between Node, Period, and Periods. Read on to learn the difference.

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Node Navigation – All, Next, Previous, AllNext & AllPrevious

This is post 7 in my series on how to learn the Spotfire expression language. In my node navigation post, I explained what a node is, what node navigation is used for, and provided examples. But, I didn’t provide explanations or examples for each method. Now, I will fill that gap by explaining the details of All, Next, Previous, AllNext & AllPrevious.  Others to follow. 

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Using the Then Keyword

At the end of last week’s post, I promised to continue with examples of all node navigation methods. But, I have decided to wrap up keywords first. Thus, this week’s post will explain how to use the “Then” keyword. Then is incredibly useful in Spotfire because it allows you to specify the order of calculations in an expression. In other words, “calculate this and THEN calculate that”. However, there are a few places you can get tripped up. Read on to learn more.

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Using Node Navigation in Spotfire

This is the fourth post in my series on learning the Spotfire expression language. Last week, I talked about the over keyword and how it is used to group values in calculations. The next step in the learning process is using node navigation. Once this is second nature, you will be able to create any calculation desired. This week’s post focuses on understanding what node navigation is for and what a node is. Next week, I’ll add complexity and depth to the expressions. Read on to learn more.

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Use the Over Keyword

Last week, I kicked off a series on learning how to use the Spotfire expression language. The first post explained the 2 different ways to create calculations in Spotfire. This week, I’m going to talk about the over keyword and how to use it. Without the over keyword, it’s impossible to really get into the Spotfire expression language. It’s also a good starting point for learning node navigation. Read on to learn more.

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How to Use Axis Names in Spotfire Cross Tables

I recently kicked off a series on learning how to use the Spotfire expression language. The first post explained different ways to create calculations in Spotfire. Next week, I’ll release a post on how to use the over keyword. Axis names are a more advanced topic, which technically puts it a bit “out of order”. But, axis names are what inspired me to write the series, and I know that if I don’t write about something when I am working it, I often never get to it. Thus, I am going to show you how to use axis names in Spotfire cross tables.

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How to Learn the Spotfire Expression Language

Since launching the Analytics Corner, I’ve focused heavily on IronPython with a dash of Alteryx. I’ve started working more with Axis Names recently, which was a reminder of how nonintuitive they are. Because I haven’t written much on Spotfire expressions since starting the Analytics Corner, I’m going to do a comprehensive series on how to learn the Spotfire expression language, which will include a good section on Axis Names.

Today’s first post will be a short summary of the different ways to write expressions in Spotfire. Next week, I’ll talk about the over keyword. Then, I’ll cover node navigation, which might take more than one post. I will also show you how to use important functions like $esc and $map. Finally, I’ll close out with a few posts on Axis Names. Read on to get started.

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