Let us look at an example of using the Build Formula function. It is used to import the data about financial instruments from Refinitiv Workspace directly to Excel. It also allows refreshing the values in the future to get the actual values at that point in time without having to create a new table.
Select a cell in Excel and choose Build Formula function (click on the top half — on the symbol). A new window opens in which we can select instruments and data to be shown.
We input the instrument(s) of interest in the Search Instruments window and the desired data in the Search Data Items. The program offers us options to choose from. By clicking on an individual option, its definition gets written out on the right side to help us choose. The data is added to the selection by clicking on Add, which appears when moving the cursor over it. Afterwards, the procedure can be repeated to add other data sets.
Using the Parameters & Quick Functions button we can as already seen with the Peer Analysis table (Comparing companies -> Peer Analysis table) set the data in a way that will for example present time series (before selecting Add).
To change the row and column output or customize the table in a few other ways, select the Layout button on the bottom left side.
When selecting Layout, a new window opens where some parameters of display can be customized. Displayed rows and columns can be altered by dragging and dropping a grey square from Available headers to the desired colored square (Columns or Rows).
When we close this window, we can press Insert if selected instruments and data are also set as we want. The table will get printed out in Excel.
In this case, the output is as follows:
Changing the output can be done in the way we are used to in Excel (by clicking on the cell we generated it from and then editing the "code"), but it is easier by simply selecting that cell and then choosing Build Formula as before, doing which we will get back the Workspace window with current settings, which can be changed.
We would like to customize the table in a way that will show the dates next to corresponding close prices, and doing this in a row instead of a column. We move Calc Date from Available Headers window to Columns. We put it below Field — the order is important as the output will follow it.
In the preview on the bottom of the window it can be observed that the order of the dates is by default set to newest to oldest. Reversing that can be done with the "+" button at the Sorting Order, where we select parameter Calc Date and set it to Asc (ascending).
Press OK 2 times and then Insert and the output is changed in the way we wanted it:
When using the window from Build Formula we can, instead of typing into Search Instruments and Search Data Items, also reference a cell by using the so-called button. When clicked on, a window appears from which we can select a single or multiple cells. This can be done for both instruments and data sets.
Referencing the cells also works elsewhere, for example when choosing the time series date ranges:
