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Metrics vs CCFs
Targetprocess is quite powerful with its ability to do advanced calculations. The system can evaluate values using multiple source fields and properties, common math, and string manipulation operations. As a result you get calculated numeric, date, boolean, text values. They can be displayed on views, presented within tabular and visual reports, saved to custom fields, and exported to external systems.
Custom Formulas in Metrics and Calculated Custom Fields are two features in Targetprocess that are capable of supporting custom calculations. They populate custom fields of the entities within values calculated according to formula expressions.
Similar results may be achieved within different features, and each feature has its own benefits and known limitations.
🚧 Calculated Custom Fields are deprecated
Metrics have been designed and released as a replacement for Calculated Custom Fields feature. We recommend prefer Metrics over Calculated Custom Fields whenever possible.
Usage and Appearance
| Metrics | Endpoints Calculated Custom Fields | |
|---|---|---|
| Supported process-based entity types | Epic, Feature, User Story, Task, Bug, Request, Test Case, Test Plan, Test Plan Run, Impediment, Project, Release, Iteration, Build, Time | Epic, Feature, User Story, Task, Bug, Request, Test Case, Test Plan, Test Plan Run, Impediment, Project, Release, Iteration, Build, Time |
| Supported global entity types | No Postponed till future updates | Program, Team, Team Iteration, User, Requester |
| Real-time recalculation | Yes When data source is changed | Yes When the page is loaded or refreshed |
| Scheduled recalculation: daily / weekly / monthly | No Postponed till future updates | Not needed Values are always actual |
| Displayed on Views, in Customize Cards | Yes Custom Fields section | Yes Custom Fields section |
| Use in Advanced Filters on views and reports Use in Visual Encoding filtering rules | Yes | Yes |
| Results available in View > Action > Export to CSV file | Yes Among regular Custom Fields | Yes Among regular Custom Fields |
| Results available in Tabular Reports: as column values and in filters | Yes In reports based on a single process | No |
| Results available in Visual Reports | Yes | Yes |
| Results available in REST API | Yes | No |
| Calculated results can be included to other calculation formulas | Yes | No |
| Calculated results may be edited by users | Yes | No |
🚧 *Metrics rewrite field values
Metrics that set values to non-system custom fields can suddenly rewrite data in the fields. As a result manual user input may be lost.
Difference in Calculation Formulas
This table lists syntax of expressions that can be used in formulas for Custom Formula Metrics and Calculated Custom Fields.
| Resource | Custom Formula Metrics | Calculated Custom Fields |
|---|---|---|
| Present moment of time Now, Today, relative shifts | No | Yes DateTime.Now DateTime.Now.AddDays(7) |
| Check if Release / Iteration / Team Iteration is current / past / future | No Metric is not recalculated daily | Yes IsCurrent == True |
| Use NumericPriority in formulas | No Metric is not recalculated when NumericPriority values are normalized. Values are changed nightly. | Yes |
| Refer to LeadTime, CycleTime, ForecastEndDate | No Metric is not recalculated daily | Yes |
| Custom Fields set by Custom Formula Metrics | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Fields of Calculated type | No Metric is not recalculated when source CCF value is changed. | No |
| Custom Fields of the same entity | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Fields of parent entities | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Fields of entities in child collections | Yes UserStories.SUM(CustomValues.Number("Field Name")) |
Yes UserStories.SUM(CustomValues.Number("Field Name")) |
| Custom Fields of entities in Relations | Yes SlaveRelations.SUM(Slave.CustomValues.Number("Field Name")) |
Yes SlaveRelations.SUM(Slave.CustomValues.Number("Field Name")) |