SAP Build Challenge – Week 1 – Formulas

[Dan_Wroblewski]

This post is part of the SAP Build Community Challenge (April 2023)

This week’s challenge involves formulas – a key feature of SAP Build Apps. Formulas are used in bindings of components, and enable you to manipulate data before it is displayed in a component or before it is sent to a data source.

Formulas are created in the formula editor, which provides some tools for making writing formulas easier:

• It has a list of functions, which can be added to the formula with a click.
• It has documentation on each function, plus examples.
• It has a live testing of functions so you can be certain how they work.
• It checks the syntax of the formula.
• It shows an expected sample result of the function.
• It checks the resulting data type against the data type expected by the component or flow function using the formula.

Here are some learning materials about formulas:

• Formulas (documentation)
• Formula Functions (reference)
• No-code App Programming 101 (video by Akseli Virtanen)

Setup

We will give you an app that looks like this (I like cats).

To set up the challenge, do the following:

1. Download the skeleton project called Challenge - Formulas.zip.gpg.
2. Create a new SAP Build Apps project in your tenant or the sandbox.
3. Import the downloaded file into your new project by selecting History > Replace in the top-right corner, and then selecting the downloaded project. 

You should now have the skeleton project.

Inside the app, we have already created a page variable called StartValue that contains the starting data that we want you to transform. 

The Challenge

When you are ready, on the UI Canvas, select the Transform button, open the logic canvas, then select the Set page variable flow function, and finally go to set the formula for Assigned Value on the right (which currently returns an empty list).

This is what you need to do:

1. Write a formula that replaces the empty list for the assigned value and that does the following:
   • Aggregates the data from StartValue so that in EndValue each name appears only once with an average calculated from the amount fields.
   • Names should be sorted alphabetically, from A to Z
   • Averages should be rounded to the nearest integer.
2. Launch your app.
3. Click the Transform button (which will display 4 names and an average for each), and then type your name in the input field.
4. Take a screenshot and post it to THIS discussion.
   • BONUS: Add to your entry the movie from where the 4 names in the results are taken.

Your screenshot should look something like this but without the blur (I need to see the names and averages) and with your name:

Good luck ... and have fun!!

Hint

You have to do 3 things in the formula (aggregate/group, sort, round), so find a function that does each one. Use the wonderful editor features that document the available functions.

For example, for aggregating, go to the List area, and then find a function that aggregates (in this case, GROUP). You'll see all the documentation for it on the right, plus a little playground inside the documentation for testing it. Pretty cool! 

 

[Dan_Wroblewski]

Glad you liked it!! 🧩🎈

[javiermartin02]

Sorry, I couldn't help it.

Movie name: Madagascar

Thanks for the challenge!

 

[Dan_Wroblewski]

You transformed ... MY KITTY!!!!!!! He used to be so grumpy and look at him now!

[javiermartin02]

Sorry but it practiced with some SAP Build challenges and look at him now 🙂

[NoeJC]

Hi Dan,

Movie: Madagascar

Great challenge! First time on SAP Build and I enjoyed it playing with Formulas.

[former_member135516]

Hi Dan, 

Movie is Madagascar.

Nice challenge! 

[samuelesalines]

Hello everyone!
Here's my answer!

Movie: Madagascar 😎

[filippocapecci]

Hello everyone!

Movie: Madagascar

[nabheetscn]

Here you go Dan.  Thanks for the challenge it helped me restart my learning journey.

[Dan_Wroblewski]

Glad you liked this and it helped you 😺

[evra83]

Hi Dan, 

Thanks you for this challenge

[Thierry]

Hi Dan,

Thank you for the cool challenge 🙂

[JesseSukhbayar]

Thanks to @Kanishka for help on this! 😊

[Dan_Wroblewski]

The numbers are not exact and the list is not sorted by the name ... do you want to share your formula?

Also, most everyone else has their name in red ... what happened here?

[vishalakshmi]

Challenge was accepted and completed! Looking forward to the next challenge.

Thanks,

[KarthickD]

Hi @Dan_Wroblewski ,
Thanks for that Challenge!!
Here is my screen shot form web and Mobile App
I really don't know the movie name...just got to know from the comments.

[Dan_Wroblewski]

I get 97 for Marty ... want to share your formula?

[KarthickD]

Hi @Dan_Wroblewski ,
I have mistakenly used "CEIL" Function instead of "ROUND".

[Suneel]

Thanks for the challenge. I learnt something new. 🙂

movie_Name: ["Madagascar 1", "Madagascar 2", "Madagascar 3"]

movie_Name[0]: "Madagascar 1"

Note; consider including "the Self Proclaimed Illustrious King in your test data. His Royal Highness King Julien.😃

[Dan_Wroblewski]

I prefer the deadpan sidekick Maurice

[cwitschel]

Hi all, enjoyed this first challenge.
The names are from the movie Madagascar

[gphadnis2000]

Hi Dan,

Enjoyed the first Challenge.

The names from the movie Madagascar.

Thanks,

Gaurav Phadnis

[GizemSoyluu]

Hello,
Thank you for this challenge!
The movie is Madagascar 😍

[Dan_Wroblewski]

Like the dark theme!!

[Badar_MD]

Thanks! Looks fun and interesting!

[ManojSutar]

Movie Madagascar

[ADR]

Thanks Dan for the challenge. Looking forward to the next one. 

[JJAIMES]

Hi @Dan_Wroblewski ,

it was worth it.

Thanks 

[Dan_Wroblewski]

Nice work, and thanks for the video. It is not quite displaying properly in the post -- maybe make the screenshot smaller and put video on new line. I'm new to the Groups interface, too 🙂

[SUNIL_JOHN]

Looking forward for next week! 

[Dan_Wroblewski]

No idea about the movie 😺 ?

[Dan_Wroblewski]

I get 97 for Marty. Interested, a few others got 98. Want to share your formula?

[Dpacheco]

Hi, thanks for the opportunity and better late than never!!!

Movie: Madagascar

See you in the next one!!!

[Dan_Wroblewski]

Not late at all -- you have until May 7 to do all of them.

P.S.: There is a Claudia Pacheco who works with me here at SAP. Related?

[Dpacheco]

I don't think so, but who knows maybe some kind of distant cousin 🙂 

[aaruljothi]

Hi all,

My answer below:

Movie: Madagascar

[rohit_kadam]

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the Challenge.

🎬Madagascar 

[PranayaBhanja]

Hi Dan.

Here is the Screenshot.

Thanks for the challenge!!

[former_member136326]

Hi Dan, great challenge!

Movie: Madagascar 😉

Thank you! Looking forward for the next one! 

[Dan_Wroblewski]

Glad you participated.

Second one already out 😺

https://blogs.sap.com/2023/03/30/you-think-you-know-sap-build-take-our-challenge/

https://youtu.be/uq2wJNqygkU

😺