Model builders create line items to measure data in a module. Use line items to input data, hold formulas, and run calculations. Line items can have different data types, such as number, date, Boolean, and list.

For example, the Employee expenses module includes the Start date, Leave date, Salary, Bonus, and Headcount line items. The Margin calculation module includes the Revenue, Cost of sales, Margin %, and Unit price growth % line items.

You typically use line items to: 

  • Enter data into a module.
  • Reference lists or other line items.
  • Store calculations.

You can also use line items as picklists, and as headings in a module, so you can organize large numbers of line items.

Line items are different to list items in lists. Line items:

  • Can contain formulas, and can be referenced by a formula. List items can only be referenced by a formula.
  • Belong to only one module. List items can be used in any module.

To view and manage your line items, select Modules in the model settings bar, then select Line Items. If you want to configure line items in a module, open the module in Blueprint. Each line item displays in the column on the left.

Line items in formulas

You can reference line items in a formula in either the same module, or in other modules, within the same model. Not all line items contain formulas.

For example, the REV03 Margin Calculation module contains the Revenue, Cost of Sales, Margin, Margin %, Unit Price Growth %, and Unit Cost Growth % line items. Each line item has a number data type, and contains a formula that calculates the value of the cells. 

You can calculate data in the Revenue line item by referencing Volumes from the REV02 Volume Inputs module, and Unit Price from the REV01 Price Book module in a formula. For example:

'REV02 Volume Inputs'.Volumes * 'REV01 Price Book'.Unit Price * (1 + Unit Price Growth %)

You can also calculate data in the Margin line item by referencing other line items in the same module in a formula. For example:

Revenue - Cost of Sales

Line item subsets

You can also create line item subsets. Line item subsets are collections of line items from the same or different modules in the same model. 

Use line item subsets to narrow down a large list of line items to a smaller group, or to group calculations from different modules. You can use a line item subset as a dimension in a module.