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Periods are time and date ranges for the data that displays in the grid. They are often set to months or years.

In Phocas, a 'period' is often actually two date ranges: a current period and a comparative previous period and you can see columns for these periods in Period mode. You can change the period that applies to these columns, to view the information over different timeframes. For example, you might want to view numbers for the rolling 12 months, then change the period to view the numbers for the year to date.

When you first open a database or reset the data during your analysis, the default period is selected and applied for you. You can use the Period menu to change the period that applies to the grid. The Period menu contains a list of defined periods you can select from, along with the option to add a custom period or user defined period. The table below differentiates the three options. Click the links on the right for more detailed information.

Defined

  • A list of defined (preset) periods that you can select from, including current period and previous period.

  • Defined periods are usually dynamic, meaning they adjust according to today's date.

Custom

  • A temporary date range that you apply to your current analysis; it is not added to the list of defined periods.

  • A useful way of seeing data for a one-off timeframe, such as the duration of a sales promotion. For example, a range of months, sections of months, one month at a time, and so on, depending on what period types are available in the database.

  • Custom period dates are fixed, for example, 'January 2022' as opposed to 'last month'', which dynamically update as you move into a new month. If you want a dynamic date range, use the offset option. This option allows you to set a date (or date range) based on today's date, so that the data updates.

User defined

  • A period that you add to the list of defined periods, so it will then be available for you to select the next time you view data in the grid.

  • Suitable if there is a period you frequently want to apply to your analysis but none of the defined periods include the specific dates you want.

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