---
url: /technical/opening-the-formula-editor.md
description: >-
  To add a new formula, right click on a cell within a workview and select Edit
  Formula
---

# Formula Syntax

To add a new formula, right click on a cell within a workview and select **Edit Formula**

![The Formula editor, annotated to show the formula list, the Restrictions grid and the expand icon on the Expression header](/formula-editor.png)

The **Formula editor** is part of the **Workview editor** within the MODLR Gateway. Formulas are evaluated top down, and the first one whose **Restrictions** match a cell wins.

The syntax guidelines are:

* Reference a relative cube location using square brackets and double quotes around elements. Commas can be used to include multiple dimensions in the reference.
* Function names should be in capital letters.

The full list of workview functions can be found within the online documentation.

## Checking a formula

The expand icon on the **Expression** header opens the editor full screen, where a formula can be validated and test-evaluated before it is committed - and where the evaluation **Trace** is read.

See [Testing and explaining formulas](/technical/testing-and-explaining-formulas) for the full walkthrough, including **Explain Value** on a cell in a report.

## Related

* [Formulas](/technical/formulas) - cube, card and set instruction formulas compared
* [Writing a Cube Formula](/technical/writing-a-cube-formula) - building the formula itself
* [Testing and explaining formulas](/technical/testing-and-explaining-formulas) - Validate, Test formula, Trace and Explain Value
* [References in Formula](/technical/types-of-references-in-formula) - choosing a reference type