Create any modules or line items you might need in Modules
To format a line item:
- Select Modules
in the model settings bar. - Select the module that contains the line items you want to format, then select Open.
- Select Blueprint
, then select the ellipsis ( ) or double-click in the Format column for your line item. - Select a data type, and configure any additional options. When you add data to the line item, you can see the behaviour of your chosen data type.
Warning: If you change a line item's data type, you might lose data. For example, if you change the data type from Number to Text, some data may be lost.
Number
You can set these options:
| Option | Information |
| Minimum Significant Digits | This option is not the same as decimal places. It shows a meaningful degree of precision relative to the size of the number. For example, if you set Minimum Significant Digits to 2 and 3.14159 is entered into the cell, 3.1 is shown. |
| Decimal Places | Choose the number of decimal places. |
| Thousand Separator | If you set this option, it affects the Decimal Point option. For example, if the Thousand Separator is set to Comma, the Decimal Point option is set to Dot. |
| Decimal Point | If you set this option, it affects the Thousand Separator option. |
| Negative Numbers | Choose to display negative numbers with a Minus Sign or in Brackets. |
| Zero Formats | Displaying zeros as hyphens can make your data easier to read in grid view. |
| Units | You can set Currency, Percentage, and Custom Units. If you set custom units, you can specify whether the unit is a Prefix or Suffix. |
| Compare | Select the text and color coding to be used to compare data values against a base case: Good (green), Bad (red), and Neutral (blue). |
Boolean
Line items with a Boolean data type contain checkboxes. Use this option when your data is either true or false.
For example, the Employed? list item identifies if an employee has started their employment. The list item has a Boolean data type, and includes a formula that determines whether the employee is employed or not. The checkbox is selected if the formula returns true, and cleared if the formula returns false.
Date
Line items with a Date data type contain dates. Dates are determined by the locale of your browser.
Time Period
Line items with a Time Period format contain time periods. Time period options depend on your Model Calendar settings in Time
List
Line items with a List data type contain lists. Use the List option when the line item's data is taken from a list in the model.
When you select List as the format, choose a list, list subset, or line item subset to display as a picklist. For example, you can select a list that contains Countries. You can also select Time as the list.
The Filter options refer to filtered picklists, which contain more complexity than simple picklists.
Text
Line items with a Text data type contain text. Text can be General, Link, or Email.
To add a link or email, in a module, select the ellipsis (
You can also add images to a dashboard, worksheet, or board by referencing a line item that contains the image URL. Format the line item as Text, with a Link type. The image URL must begin with https://, and end with the image type PNG, JPG, JPEG, or GIF.
No Data
Line items with a No Data data type do not contain data, and do not contribute to the overall cell count. No Data cells do not contribute to cell count. You can use No Data for subheadings or blank columns.