The Users tab is a table that displays information of Alchemy users who have been added to the system by an Administrator. Information includes:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Email
• Role

Sorting options are available for each column and are accessed by hovering over each header.

2.1 Adding Users

To create a new user in the tenant, click + New User in the top left corner. This opens a New User modal (Figure 2.2). 

Add a user email to the required field and click Save.

Note: The email address must be unique for each user.

Once saved, the user will get an activation email from Alchemy and can follow the steps provided to log into the system.

The user's email address will then be displayed in the list of users in the Configuration Portal. The first and last name will not appear for the user in this list until they log into the system for the first time and are prompted to provide this information.

Clicking on the row of a user will display a user menu in the right side panel (Figure 2.3).

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Two sections of information are displayed. Under the Properties tab, displayed user information includes:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Email
• Alchemy Beta User
  • Enablement of this feature makes Alchemy Beta the default version when the user logs in, allowing users to test upcoming features before they are released.
  • Users can leave the Beta version of Alchemy at any time by clicking the profile icon and selecting Leave Alchemy Beta.
• Access to UAT Tenant
  • Gives access to, and displays the UAT version of, the Alchemy tenant in the dropdown menu from the User Portal.
• Promote to Admin
  • Provides user access to the Configuration Portal
• Remove Access
  • Users cannot be deleted from the system. They can only be revoked.
  • If a user has not been invited to the tenant yet, this will say Invite User.
    • Clicking this will trigger an email invitation to be sent to the address listed for that user.

User Tags are broader groups that users belong to. It can be based on a function, location, expertise, seniority, knowledge area, etc. Multiple tags can be assigned to one user while multiple users can have the same tag(s). By adding a tag to a user, Alchemy will recognize a set of defined privileges. Additional information can be found in Section 3 - Tags.

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The User Tags tab of the panel displays all assigned tags for the user. Additional tags can be added by clicking the + Assign Tags button. In the modal that opens, select one or more tags and click the Assign Tags button in the bottom right corner. There is no limit to the number of tags a user can have.

Newly assigned tags will now appear in the displayed list.

From the Tags landing page, click on + NEW TAG in the top left corner. A modal appears with required fields for:

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• Tag Name
  • Free-text entry
• Tag Identifier - Must adhere to the following rules:
  • Alphanumeric
  • CamelCase
  • Starts with a letter

The Tag Identifier will automatically populate with an input based on the chosen tag name. Changes can be made to the identifier based on the rules outlined above, however it is strongly recommended that these two fields be as similar as possible.

Users can be assigned to a tag once it has been created. Click the tag name from the list on the landing page. This populates the right side panel with the tag overview information. Beneath the Users section, click + TAG USERS.

Records are digital models of documents, spreadsheets, data input forms and images that the user fills out to complete their flow of work.

Record Templates are the blueprints used to create Records in the User Portal. In Alchemy, a different record template will be designed in the Configuration Portal for each set of data an organization needs to collect.

Depending on how the Record Templates are configured in the Configuration Portal, in the User Portal records can be created in two ways:

• Within a process, where record(s) are created manually or automatically, following the flow of the process
• Outside a process, where record(s) do not belong to any process and are self-sufficient (Solo Record).

All record templates that you create will be stored in the Record Templates section of the Configuration portal.

• + New Record Template: Button used to create a new template.
• Import Record Template: Button used to import a record template from a .json file.
• Record Template Name: Hyperlink of the record template name. Clicking on the link will take you to that template where the design can be edited or reviewed.
• Record Template Identifier: A unique identifier for the template; used in expression formulas.
• Published Version
• Record Template Description
• Record Template Menu Icon: Options include
  • Edit
  • Duplicate
  • Export Record Template

Record templates can be imported to an environment via a .json file that was previously exported from another tenant. From the Record Templates landing page, click Import Record Template to open a modal. Within the modal, copy and paste the text from the .json file and click Import.

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To export a record template, use the record template menu icon for the selected template and click Export Record Template. This will open a modal with the template displayed in .json formatting. Click Export Template to download the file to your computer.

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Any changes made to the file should be done through a plain text editor to prevent invalid conversions to the template which may impact your ability to upload the file to a different tenant at a later date.

To create a new record template click on + NEW RECORD TEMPLATE from the landing page. Enter a name and identifier in the modal.

• Name
  • Free-text entry
• Identifier
  • Alphanumeric
  • CamelCase or use of underscores
  • Starts with a letter

As explained in Section 3 - Tags, the Record Template Identifier follows the same creation rules as the Tag Identifier. The unique identifier is used by the system to reference a record template within a process, create it or access data from it.

In the right-side panel, there are two tabs:

• Properties: Includes the record template
  • Name
  • Identifier
  • Description
• Privileges: Defines which users can create, edit, view or share records created from the template

Record Template Outside of a Process

If privileges are set for a record template, it can be created by those users in the User Portal as a solo record that is not linked to any process in Alchemy.

Privileges are set using User Tag Expressions. They define which users will be able to access this Record Template to create and view records. More about setting privileges will be discussed in Section 5.3 - Privileges.

Record Template Inside a Process

If privileges are left blank for a record template, it implies the template will be placed inside a Process Template. The process template consists of Stages. Record templates are placed within those stages. More information can be found in Section 5 - Process Templates.

• Record Template Name 
• Edit Icon: Located to the right of the record template name, the edit icon opens a panel on the right side of the screen
• Verify: Button to check if there are any errors in the configuration
• Grid: Working space to create the digital record‍
• ፧ Menu Icon: Option to delete the record template design from the system‍

Configuration of the record template occurs in a grid. The grid is the working space for creating the digital record. Each template is built by placing fields on the grid.

Fields are the building blocks of any record template. There are multiple field types that have different use cases. These field types will be explained in detail in Section 4.4 - Field Types.

To delete a record template, navigate to the configuration page of the desired template and complete the following steps:

1. Click the edit icon to the right of the record name.
2. Click the record menu icon.
3. Select Delete.

As previously stated, fields are the building blocks of any record template. This section will cover the role of fields within a template and how to properly configure a record.

Alchemy provides guidelines for how the fields should be designed within the template to provide the optimal experience for end users filling out these digital forms. Refer to the Field Property Guidelines design document for additional information.

To add a new field to a record template:

• Click on the grid in the location you wish to add the field
• Select a field type from the list

A New Data Field modal will appear. Fields include:

• Name
• Identifier
• Field has unique value

These fields must be unique on the Record Template level. If you try to create two fields with the same name or identifier, Alchemy will warn you and your changes will not be saved.

4.3.2 Grid Navigation

Fields can be rearranged by dragging and dropping to a new location on the grid. Moving multiple fields can be done by holding the Shift key while selecting each field or by clicking and dragging the mouse over an area of the grid where the fields are located.

For more precise positioning of a field, move the selected field using arrows on the keyboard.  When moving a field, it will always snap to the upper left corner of the target position on the grid. Moving a field outside of the grid borders will return the field to its original place. See the before and after grids in Figure 4.8 and Figure 4.9, respectively.

4.3.3 Margins

The pink area displayed around a field is its margins. Margins can be adjusted for every field in any of the four directions. If the fields on the grid are not separated by margins between them, in the User Portal they may appear stuck together.

Areas on the grid that are not occupied by fields or their margins are blank. Blank rows and columns on the grid appear to separate fields in the Configuration Portal, but in the User Portal, these blank areas will be rendered differently. If the whole row on the grid is not occupied by field or margin, it will not be shown in the User Portal.

There are privileged directions in the grid - first, the field goes left and then up if there is empty space that is not occupied by the field or margin.

To make sure that the layout in the User Portal is the same as the one you configured, use margins in the necessary direction.

4.3.4 Field size

Field size can be conveniently changed by clicking and dragging the lower right corner of the field. Another way to adjust the size of a field is by changing the field width and height in the Design tab.

When adjusting the size of the field in the Configuration Portal, the field should first expand to fit the entire name of the field, then expand for the input section (field identifier). The size of these areas will be preserved on the User Portal. If a user enters text that needs more space than what is set for the input section, a vertical scroll bar will appear, while the size of the field remains the same.

To delete a field in a record template select the desired field and:

• Press Delete on the keyboard.
• Right-click the mouse and select Delete.

Fields can also be copied and pasted into another record, even across different configuration environments by completing the following steps:

1. Select the desired field.
2. Right-click the field and select Copy.
3. Navigate to the other record.
4. Right-click the configuration grid and select Paste.

The field name and identifier will both begin with Copy of [Field Name or Identifier] but can be updated in the Functions tab of the field, along with any other inherited properties.

Reportable - Under this field there are 3 available options:

1. No: This will disable the value of the field to be used in View and Compare functionalities.
2. Yes: This will make the value of the field available for selection in the View and Compare functionalities.
3. Yes by default: This will make the value of the field visible in View and Compare functionalities.

Field Helper Text - Text entered in this field will be visible in the input field in the User Portal prior to any data entry.

Field is Editable - Enables the user to edit the value in the User Portal if checked. If the checkbox is unchecked, the field will not be editable in the User Portal, with the value given by calculation.

Required - Checking this box will make the input for the field required in the User Portal. Visually, the field name in the User Portal will have a red star and the field will be framed in red to indicate that input is required.

Allow Multiple Values - Checking this box will allow a user in the User Portal to select multiple values. Selected values will be displayed separated by commas. This is applicable to values of Alphanumeric, Number, Attachment, User Reference, Process Reference, and Record Reference field types.

Cloneable - When a user in the User Portal clones a record, if this box is checked, the value of the field will be copied to the cloned record. Users should uncheck this box in the event the record is cloned and the field needs a different value. In this case, only the blank field will be cloned to the new record.

A field type defines what kind of input will be required in the User Portal and how it will be saved in the system. There are 15 different field types:

• Label
• Alphanumeric
• Number
• Date & Time
• Yes/No
• Checkbox
• Rich Text
• Attachment
• Process
• Record
• User
• Link
• Image
• Button
• Chemical Structure

The Alphanumeric field type is most frequently used. The input of these fields will be saved as text (e.g.,  Raw Material, Viscometer,  Lot Number). You can define the minimum and maximum number of characters a user can enter in the Advanced Settings section. The default maximum is 255, but it can be increased up to 3000 characters.

Uniqueness

While creating the field, you can also select whether the input in the User Portal should be unique. If selected, you can choose the level on which the field will be unique (Figure 4.19).

The  levels in which the field must be unique are:

1. System - The field value must be unique to the entire system. The same field in any other record cannot have the same value. If users try to enter this unique value elsewhere, there will be an error.
2. Process - The field value must be unique in each process where it is used. The input value must be unique in each record of the process.
3. Record - The field value must be unique per record. This means two different records in a process can have the same input.

Alphanumeric Field - Predefined Values

For alphanumeric field types can limit the input to a list of predefined values. It will be shown in the User Portal as a drop-down list of values, with users having to make one or more selections.

Under the tab, Values, in the properties panel you can add predefined values by clicking on + NEW VALUE. A modal will open where you can enter the predefined value you wish to have, limited to 80 characters per item. After the value is added, it will be displayed in a list under the Values tab (Figure 4.20).

An expression can also be added to predefined values to display a certain selection when other actions are taken in the record.

To allow for more than one selection to be made, ensure Allow Multiple Values is selected under the Functions tab.

Alphanumeric Field as a Barcode

An alphanumeric field can be used to create barcodes on your record template. Under the field’s Functions tab, set the desired barcode type from Not a Barcode value to the one you need to configure (Figure 4.21). There are several types of Barcodes supported in the alphanumeric field and are listed in Appendix D - Barcode Types, in addition to the types of characters needed and their limitations.

In a Number field users can enter any numerical value in the User Portal. Decimal places are displayed with a dot and must be entered as such in the User Portal.

In the Configuration Portal you can define the number of decimal places that will be visible in the User Portal. This can be set at the bottom of the Functions tab in the field properties panel, under the Decimal Places Format.

Note: In the User Portal, the system will save the full number entered or calculated, preserving all values after the decimal place and using them in further calculations. However, if the entered or calculated value has more values after the decimal place than what is defined, only the set number of values will be displayed and the number will be rounded.

The Number field, like Alphanumeric, can also have a defined uniqueness at the System, Process or Record level.

Under the Functions tab of the number field you can select the Scientific Notation  checkbox to show a number in the User Portal in that format.

Minimum and Maximum Values can also be defined if needed (i.e., 1 to 14 for pH, 0 to 100 for percent, etc.)

Predefined Values can also be configured under the Values tab.

Date & Time is a field in which the user can select the date and time in the User Portal (e.g. , Shipping Date, Sample Received Date). This type of field cannot have multiple values, nor can it have a predefined value list selection.

By default, the format the date and time is displayed is MMM DD YYYY hh:mm. However, this can be changed. To change the format, use one of the corresponding formats in the Date & Time Format field under the Functions tab. See different options for Date and Time formats in Table 4.1.

Date and Time fields can also be subtracted. For example, ProjectDuration = EndDate - StartDate. The field for ProjectDuration needs to be a Number field in order for this equation to work. The result will be presented in milliseconds but can be converted to hours or days by using the appropriate mathematical formulas.

A Rich Text field is used to input formatted text in the User Portal, such as in a description field. 

Rich text is different from the alphanumeric field type in the following aspects:

• The text can be formatted by a user in the User Portal
• The field height can be adjusted by the user in the User Portal
• It cannot have multiple values
• It cannot have predefined values
  

The Record field is used to create a connection with another record to access its data.  In the User Portal, the field will be displayed as a dropdown list with all records created from the referenced Record Template. When choosing a record from the dropdown, it will be shown as a hyperlink to that specific record instance.

The create a record reference in the template:

1. Set the Name and Identifier
2. Select the referenced Record Template. A dropdown list with all Record Templates will appear. You can reference more than one Record Template.

Record Filter Criteria

Under the Functions tab for the field type, Record, an additional section is available called Record Filter Criteria. By setting a Filter Expression, records can be filtered down for the user to select from in the User Portal.

Filter expressions for the field type, record, are written in this way:

• ‍Result - A keyword which refers to the referenced record template chosen upon field creation.
• ‍.(dot) - Used to bring up the second level of narrowing results of the filter, from the chosen referenced record template to its specific field.
• Field Identifier - This field is located in the referenced record template. Selection of the field identifier depends on the purpose of the filter that needs to be set.
• ‍== - A command  which equals the left side with the right side of the filter expression.
• Field Identifier - This field is located in the actual record template.
  

More examples for the Record Filter Criteria formulas are explained in Section 7 - Formulas.

The Process field type is a field in which users can reference a process, accessing a specific process and its system data . In the User Portal, it will be shown as a dropdown list with a link to the process. You can use this field type to create a hyperlink to  another process, access data from that process, or if you need system data for that process. System data is further defined in Section 7 - Formulas.

When creating a process field, you have to define which process template you are referencing. For example, by selecting Lab Work as the referenced process Template, the user will see a dropdown list with all the Lab Work processes created in the User Portal.

Process Filter Criteria

Under the Functions tab for the field, Process, an additional section called Process Filter Criteria is available. Similar to the Record Filter Criteria, you can write Filter Expressions to filter the processes displayed in the drop-down list of the process field in the User Portal. After a process is selected in the User Portal, it will create a link between processes. However, if you check the Allow Multiple Values box, the user will be able to select multiple processes but none of them will be a hyperlink.

Filter expressions for the field type, process, are written in this way:

• ‍Result - A keyword which refers to the referenced process template chosen upon field creation.
• ‍. (dot) - Used to bring up the second level of narrowing results of the filter, from the chosen referenced process template to its specific field.
• ‍Process - Expression‍
• == - A command which equals the left side with the right side of the filter expression
• ‍Process Field Identifier

Pulling Data from a Referenced Process

After you have made a Process field, it can act as a connection to pull the specific record from the referenced process. Through that record, you have access to its system fields and can use it to access another record from that process, or as a filter in record field drop-downs. More on this is explained in Section 7 - Formulas.
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Parent - Child Process Relation 

The Parent Process field is a step toward implementing the hierarchy between Processes. It will help in better understanding of data hierarchy and link among the processes. 

The Parent Process field will be a field with a reserved field identifier, ParentProcess, positioned in the process creation record (i.e. the record with reserved ‘Name’ field from which the process is drawing its name). This identifier should be used on a process reference field and its value will be a reference to the parent process of the process on which this field is positioned, thus creating the parent - child processes link. 

There are certain requirements that must be fulfilled. Namely, one child process can have only one parent process, but one parent process may have multiple child processes. Hence, the Parent Process field cannot have multiple values, neither can it be positioned within a repeatable group. 

The User field type is used to reference users in a record and displays a list of users in the User Portal. In most cases, this list needs to be filtered in order to show only users of interest.

User Filter Criteria

If the filter is not defined, a dropdown menu in the User Portal will show the complete list of all system users. Filter Expressions for the User field follow the form: 

• ‍Result
• ‍. (dot) - Used to bring up the second level of narrowing results of the filter.
• ‍UserTags - Expression‍
• == - A command which equals the left side with the right side of the filter expression
• Tag[TagIdentifier] - Tag expression

Multiple links can be enabled by putting this field inside a Repeatable Row group, similar to an attachment field. Additional information can be found in Section 4.6.2 - Repeatable Row.

The Link field, like the Alphanumeric, can also have a defined uniqueness on the System, Process or Record level.

Chemical properties can also be added as a formula expression to this field to automatically extract information from a chemical drawing. These properties include:

Molecular Mass 

• Identifier: MolecularMass
• Type: Number
• Expression:
  • ChemicalDrawingFieldIdentifier.MolecularMass

Molecular Formula

• Identifier: MolecularFormula
• Type: Text
• Expression:
  • ChemicalDrawingFieldIdentifier.MolecularFormula

Atom Count

• Identifier: AtomCount
• Type: Number
• Expression:
  • ChemicalDrawingFieldIdentifier.AtomCount

Hydrogen Bond Acceptor

• Identifier: HydrogenBondAcceptor
• Type: Number
• Expression:
  • ChemicalDrawingFieldIdentifier.HydrogenBondAcceptor

Donor Count

• Identifier: DonorCount
• Type: Number
• Expression:
  • ChemicalDrawingFieldIdentifier.DonorCount

SMILES

• Identifier: Smiles
• Type: Text
• Expression:
  • ChemicalDrawingFieldIdentifier.Smiles

In the section, Company, of your Configuration Portal you can set a Theme. Here you can pre-set the default layout for all field types. You can expand each field type and set the properties for each. Once complete, each time a field is created in the grid, it will have the settings configured in the Theme. In the Appendix C - Configuration Styling Guidelines, rules are given regarding the field layout for each field type.

Themes can be imported or exported between tenants.

Field Groups in Alchemy are used to connect multiple fields in a certain context. They are used to define how fields are treated in the system. When a group of fields is wrapped in a field group, the system will put them all into one connotation. 

There are three different types of groups: Simple, Repeatable Row, Repeatable Column. Each type will be explained in further sections.

They can be created in the Configuration Portal in a few simple steps:

1. Place the cursor on the grid and click wherever you want to place the group.
2. Select which type of group you would like to create.
3. The group appears as a darker gray field. Place the created group on top of the fields you would like to group together.
4. Resize the group so that the darker square is covering all the fields you want in that group. The Design option for the group is on the right-side menu, similar to the field types. The group needs to be selected in order to change the properties.
   

The Simple group type is used to associate fields together in these cases:

• When fields are related to the same topic.
• When fields need to have the same visibility condition.
• When fields need to have the same margins. It is easier to set up the group margin instead of margins for multiple fields. 
• When fields represent labels of a table. 

In the right-side menu, groups also have different additional options, just like field types have. In the Functions tab for the Simple group type, you can set the Field Group Visibility Expression (Figure 4.27).

The Design tab is for setting up group width, height and margins. Margins can be added to groups, and the fields inside the group can have margins of their own. However, remember that the group needs to cover the whole field with its margins in order for the rendering and calculations to work properly.

In the User Portal, the evidence of groups is subtle. When the Field Physical Properties Needed (Figure 4.26) is checked, the three fields inside the group with the visibility condition PhysicalPropertiesNeeded == true will appear. The user will not see any borders around groups, nor the dark square fill.

As previously mentioned, Visibility Expressions can be set for the field in the same way it can be set for the group. In the text below, it will be explained for the field, but the same principle applies for setting the visibility condition for a group.

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Visibility Expressions

Field Visibility Expressions are written in the form of a formula, using a Field Identifier, operator (such as ==, IS SET, NOT SET, IN, NOT IN) and a field value. Field identifiers and field values are chosen depending on the desired condition of the visibility. A complete list of available operators is given in Section 7 - Formulas.

The most common use cases of setting the field Visibility Expression are:

• A field’s visibility depends on the value of a checkbox field. Since the values of this field can be either true or false (true when checkbox is filled, false when empty), the generic formula is: CheckboxIdentifier == true
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• A field’s visibility depends on the value of a yes/no field. Same as above, values are either true or false (true when yes, false when no). The generic formula is: YesNoIdentifier == true
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• A field’s visibility depends on the predefined value of an alphanumeric field. Since the predefined value of the alphanumeric field is basically text, it must be under the single quotes (‘) and the generic formula is: AlphanumericIdentifier == ‘predefined value’

Delete and Copy/Paste Groups

You can delete a simple group in the same way a field is deleted:

• Selecting the group and pressing Delete on your keyboard
• Selecting the group, right-clicking the mouse and choosing Delete.

Deleting the group will remove the group only, while the fields inside the group will remain.

You can Copy/Paste a group by selecting it, right-clicking the mouse and choosing Copy/Paste. This action will paste only the group, not the fields inside the group. All the settings will be copied, including the design elements, as well as the visibility expression.

If you want to copy/paste more fields, or fields and group(s) you can do that by selecting all the fields/group(s) together. Right-click the mouse and select copy/paste. Selecting multiple fields and/or groups is done by pressing shift+left click on each desired field/group or selecting the area of the grid where the desired fields/group(s) are.

The Repeatable Row group type is enabling the fields inside the group to repeat under each other in rows. Use cases for the Repeatable Row groups are:

• When you want to make horizontal tables‍
• When you want to allow the user to add multiple links under each other‍
• When you need a field or a group of fields to repeat under each other
  • For example, when you want to have trials and test results in the table it could be a Rich Text field type or an Alphanumeric.

All field types, except labels, can be placed inside a Repeatable Row group. The Repeatable Row group is created the same way a Simple group is created. The gray square that appears has slightly bigger dimensions, and the Functions tab has an additional field called Repeatable Options explained in the next subsection.

Tables in Alchemy are built horizontally OR vertically. They cannot be expanded in both directions at the same time. Creating a table in Alchemy consists of two parts.

Let’s say you are configuring a table with several columns, and you expand it vertically repeating the rows below each other. First you need to create the column names, by creating the desired number of Label fields. All labels should be either in a simple group ooutside of any group.

The next set of fields are the input fields that will be placed under the labels on the grid, with each field under its corresponding label. These fields will be placed inside the repeatable row group because you want just the input fields to repeat, not the labels. Since these input fields have their names in the labels you just created, the box Show field name as label should be unchecked. However, the field names will be visible and available in the View Templates, so make sure they are also self-explanatory.

To create a table in Alchemy:

1. Create all the column names using labels. Add borders to each field.
2. Create a simple group and place it over the labels. Set the group margin to Left: 13, Bottom: 0 Right: optional, Top: optional) or
   • Labels can be left without the group. In this case, the first label needs to have a left margin of 13.

3. Create input fields for each column using any field type needed. For each field uncheck the Show Field Name as Label checkbox and add borders to each field.
4. Create a repeatable row group and put it over the input fields. Set group margins to Left: 13, Bottom: 2, Right: optional, Top: optional.
5. Depending on what kind of table you want, choose the Repeatable Option, explained below.

In the Functions tab of each Repeatable Row group, there is a field called Repeatable Option where you can choose different options from the dropdown list. Options include:

• Defined by User
• Determined by Formula
• Determined by Record Reference
• Determined by Filter

Choosing the option Defined by User, will allow the users in the User Portal to add as many rows below as needed by clicking a “+” Row button.

Other three options are for making the tables where users can not add rows. These types of tables are automatically created by the system in a way that is configured in the Configuration Portal.  Tables determined by Formula, Record Reference and Filter will be explained in detail in the ADVANCED section.

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Defined by User

This is one of the most frequently used tables in Alchemy. A user is allowed to add as many rows as they need, or to delete or clone rows using the appropriate icons. The options, delete and clone, are available when multiple rows are selected as well.

Rows can be rearranged in the table by using the drag-and-drop icon. Because of these additional icons, you need to set the left margin of the repeatable group to 13 in order to display them all in the User Portal.

To create a Repeatable Row group, follow the same steps as explained for creating the Simple group.

First create Label fields for the column headers. Then create fields that will be repeated in each row and make sure Show field Name as Label is not selected. To create a group, left click on the grid and choose Repeatable Row. Set the Name and Identifier of the group, and then the size and margins. Position the group over the fields you want to repeat. It is advisable to have the group slightly wider than the field so you can select the field easily, if needed.

In Appendix C - Configuration Styling Guidelines are given rules regarding field and group layout for each type. Some general rules regarding table layout and best practices are also included.

Determined by Record Reference

If you select Determined by Record Reference, additional fields for Referenced Record Template, Referenced Record Fields and Filter Criteria will appear. With this repeatable option, your goal is to connect two different records, from the same or different processes, and pull the required data. To explain this better, imagine you have two records, R1 and R2. You are currently in the R2 record making a  table where you want data from the R1 record to be copied.

1. A precondition is to add a record field in the R1 record where you will be referencing the R2 record. This field is providing a connection to R2. For example, the Name of this field is Connection Field.
2. In the R2 record, create the record field where you will be referencing the R1 record. For example, the name of this field is Related Data. Place the repeatable row group over this field, and in the group advanced settings, under the Repeatable Options choose Determined by Record Reference. In the Referenced Record Template field choose the template that you want to reference. All Record Templates are available in the drop-down. In this case, you want to reference the R1 record.
3. In the Referenced Record Fields (it will be R1 Fields in our case) you will see a dropdown list of all the possible fields of a record type that exist in the R1 record. In this case, you will select the Connection Field.
4. The last field is for the Filter Criteria which is optional. Here you can filter down from which records you will pull data. You can use the Result keyword for system data or fields inside the referenced record. More about this is explained in Section 4.7.2 - Formulas in Filter Expressions.

Following the theoretical example in the previous section, users can make a table that allows them to pull information from other records into a table. The table is automatically filled and it accesses data from created records. It will have as many rows as there are records created from the referenced record template in the Repeatable Row option, related to the record template where the table is.

Now that the two tables are connected, or bound to each other, users can access other fields from the Literature Search using the keyword Item followed by dot and an identifier of a field from RT Literature Search that you want to pull in the table.

Since the Chemist needs more details, you will add some more fields in the Literature Search Record Template: Literature Link (field type link, identifier:  LiteratureLink) and Literature Comments (field type rich text, identifier: LiteratureComments). In the Work Plan Record Template, next to the Related Literature Search record field, you should add corresponding fields: link type field (name Link) and rich text type field (name Comment). In these fields the data will be automatically copied from the Literature Search record by setting the correct Calculation Formula. You should expand the Repeatable Row Group over these additional fields in order to make a table of them.

In the Calculation Formula of each added field inside the Repeatable Row, a formula expression with the keyword Item, a dot (to access the referenced Record Template in the Repeatable Row) and a field Identifier (of a field in the referenced Record Template that you want to copy) should be added:

• For the field Link: Item.LiteratureLink (Item refers to the record Literature Search, LiteratureLink is the identifier of a field you want to copy in this cell of a table).
• For the field Comment: Item.LiteratureComments  Item refers to the record Literature Search, LiteratureComments is the identifier of a field you want to copy in this cell of a table).

See how graphical representation looks now in Figure 4.32.

Determined by Formula

By selecting the Determined by Formula option, another field for the Formula Expression will appear. Here, you can write a formula or condition for the final number of rows that will be available. In this case, the user will not be able to add rows.

In the Characterization Tests record you want to copy this table from the Formulation record, but you do not want to allow the user to add rows. You want the user to see all materials and amounts present in the formulation before testing it. This is where you will use a repeatable row with the option, Determined by Formula.

As with any table, first create the labels for column headers. Add fields for values you want to repeat. For example, in this table you want to copy information about Material, Material Type and Added Mass. Fields will be pulling values defined in the Formulation record so types must coincide. In the record, Characterization Tests, there is a record reference field where the Formulation record template is referenced (identifier FormulationToTest). The user will choose which Formulation is being tested and the table with the corresponding materials will be pulled.

Place a repeatable row over the fields and choose a repeatable row option Determined by Formula. In the Formula Expression place the following expression:

This expression will count and create the same number of rows found in the Materials table (Figure 4.34, identifier Group1) from the Formulation record that is selected in the field, FormulationToTest. Each field in the table needs to have a proper expression in order to pull the desired value:

FormulationToTest.Material

• This will pull the selected Material in the Formulation Table

FormulationToTest.MaterialType

• This will pull the type of the material selected

FormulationToTest.AddedMaterial

• This will pull the amount of material that user has entered

See Figure 4.35. In the Characterization Test record, a table is created and the desired information is copied from the Formulation record.

Repeatable Row Determined by Filter

When selecting Determined by Filter in the repeatable options for a repeatable row group, you can define which record fields will be automatically filled in your table. After selecting this option, you will need to specify the Record Template which you are referencing, by choosing the desired one from the drop-down. In order to narrow down only desired records created from the referenced record template, you need to set the Filter Criteria using the keyword Result and a right filter expression.

A Repeatable Column group is enabling the fields inside the group to repeat next to each other in columns. Use cases for the Repeatable Column groups are:

• When you want to make vertical tables
• When you want to allow the user to attach multiple files next to each other 
• When you need a field to repeat next to each other (it could be a Notes field as a Rich Text field type or an Alphanumeric)

The creation steps, rules and logic are the same as for the Repeatable Row, explained in Section 4.6.2 Repeatable Row.

Tag Expressions can be combined using the functions UNION and INTERSECT. The resulting formula will calculate the specific list of users.

Generally, formulas are powerful tools and they are used in many different ways during the configuration. Formulas are written in different forms, depending on where you want to use them. They are generally composed using a function or an operator, combined with the field identifier or field value. Overview of all functions and operators available is given in Section 7 - Formulas. There are 4 types of formulas in Alchemy:

1. Field or group visibility expressions
2. Filter Criteria
3. Field value calculations
4. Action conditions

A field or a group can be visible in the User Portal under certain visibility conditions, written in a form of an expression. More complex visibility expressions are obtained using different operators and/or functions. The most frequently used are:

• Logical operators: AND, OR, NOT
• Field operators: IN, NOT IN, IS SET, NOT SET
• Function: IFS

The following examples are demonstrating use cases and formulas for Visibility Expressions with the use of operators.

Below are general filter criteria that can be used:

• Result.Status - Used in the filter criteria to access system data, such as the status of the record.
• Result.Process.Status - Used to add another dimension to the data. For example, to filter records based on the status of the process they are created in.

• ‍Result.NumberField - Used in a lookup to access the field with identifier NumberField in the resulting record.
  • You can also write the expression Result.NumberField < 1 and the selection will be filtered according to the value of the field.

• ‍Result.AlphanumericField == 'String Constant' - Used to filter records based on a result.alphanumeric field. The alphanumeric field is usually a dropdown to avoid errors of user entry.

Under the Functions tab for most of the field types, you can set the Formula Expression. Using this formula, the system will give a calculated value to a field. A detailed and systematic explanation on how to write formulas is given in Section 7 - Formulas. For now, we will focus on three main groups of formulas that are commonly used in configurations. These are:

• Mathematical Formulas
• Formula Expression for the Record Field
• IFS Conditions

Mathematical Formulas

You have already seen a simple example of a mathematical formula in the example of calculating the average pH value for 3 measurements (pHResult1 + pHResult2 + pHResult3)/3).  This group of formulas is using mathematical operators and are used only in number field types. A detailed list of these operators is given in Section 7.4.4 - Mathematical Operators.

It is important to remember that operators are applied to the field identifiers, and the outcome displayed in the User Portal is the result of the field's numerical values involved in mathematical operations.
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Formula Expression for the Record Field

Another example that was already shown is setting a formula expression for the record field. Within the example for setting a filter expression, we have used the calculation formula on record field, Related to Work Plan, to give this field a value of the specific record (Record[WorkPlan]).  This is helpful if you need to have a specific record already set, instead of letting the user choose from the drop-down list of all records available on that field.

For example, within a Lab Work process, various records can be created, such as: Work Plan, Formulation Design, Characterization Tests. Wherever you need to address any last created record in the current process, you can do that by creating the record field and referencing the record template of interest. In the Formula Expression of that field write Record[RecordTemplateIdentifier]. This formula will give this field a value of the last created record in the current process.

IFS conditions

The IFS operator checks whether one or more conditions are met and returns the value of the first condition met. It accepts parameters in pairs, but the first parameter in the pair must be a boolean or an error is generated. The second parameter can be a constant, variable, or another expression.

The first parameter is considered an expression before the comma and the second one is after the comma.

A pair of conditions for IFS function are written in parentheses. The first condition ends with a comma, and then if it is met, the field will get the value IN RANGE. If the first condition is not met, the operator goes to the second condition, and after it goes a comma. If the second condition is met, the field will get the value OUT OF RANGE. Since the field is alphanumeric, the value is text.

The first condition is met if both the left and right side of the AND operator are satisfied (i.e. the number entered in the pH field is greater than or equal to the number set as the pH target value, From, and at the same time the number entered in pH is less than or equal to the number set as the pH target value, To). Another operator shown here is the comparison operator >= that compares values of two numbers.

The second condition is simply written with true because IFS functions need a boolean value. This means that in all other cases different from the one set in the first condition, the alphanumeric field gets a value OUT OF RANGE. You can set the same IFS condition on more fields in order to show whether density and viscosity values entered are in or out of range using the appropriate field identifiers for density and viscosity.

The IFS function can be combined with many other operators and functions and are very useful in configuration work.

As previously mentioned in Section 4.5 - Field types, there is a button. Even though buttons are created in the same way as any other type of field, they are not fields and  do not have a value. Buttons are created in the record template when you want to allow the user to perform a certain action only when they desire. By clicking a button, the user can create a new record, task, stage or process, recalculate values in fields and many other actions.

In the Configuration Portal, the button is created by left-clicking on the Grid and choosing Button from the list. After setting the field name and identifier, there is a required field, Caption Text, under the Functions tab. The text entered in this field will be displayed in the blue area of the button in the User Portal.

A button can be placed inside a Repeatable Row. This allows a user to click on the button in the row and trigger action to be performed for that specific row. This is done by using the keyword, CurrentRow. You can find an example here: Field Action - On Change Field in a Specific Row.

Under the Functions tab, instead of Formula Expression there is an Action Expression field where a script is written. The following examples will describe the rules Action Expression scripts need to follow.

In the record template, Formulation Design, you are configuring the table using the Repeatable Row option, Defined by User. The user can add as many rows as needed for the formulation that they are composing.

Each row is for one component in the formulation, starting with a record field where the user can choose the desired material from the drop-down list of all available materials in the database. Each row also contains several number fields for the: mass of added material (identifier: AddedMaterialg), density of material (identifier: MaterialDensity) and volume of added material (identifier: AddedMaterialL). The first, AddedMaterialg, is filled in by the user. The second, MaterialDensity, is automatically pulling the information from the selected Material record. The third, AddedMaterialL, is calculated using the formula: AddedMaterialg/MaterialDensity.

There are two more number fields needed outside of the table. They are: Total Volume (identifier: TotalVolume) and Target Batch Size in liters (identifier: TargetBatchSizeL). See Figure 4.38. To display the fields better a table is shown. Total Volume has the Formula Expression set to sum all volumes added:  SUM(AddedMaterialL).

The user sets the desired batch size by filling in the number. Then the table is filled in by adding the rows for different components of formulation. For each material added, the user fills in the mass of added material. Masses are calculated to volumes, and volumes are summed to total volume. If the total volume exceeds the target batch size, or target batch size is changed, clicking the normalize button will automatically recalculate all masses of materials added to have the total volume equal to the target batch size.

The script for this button is very similar to the formula expression from above since that determines the value of a field, but it is triggered only when the user desires (i.e. clicks the button), not automatically:

Another important difference is usage of the single sign = instead of ==.  The single = should be read as “gets the value of” so in this case, after the button is clicked, a field that had a value entered by the user gets a new value as a result of the triggered calculation. See what happens to the values in the table in the User Portal before and after clicking the Normalize button.

To build up on the previous example, we will create another button. Let’s say the chemist is composing the formulation by adding rows for components, just like in the previous example. The last added material is a solvent and the chemist fills the mass of the solvent in the table. They want to recalculate only the mass of solvent in the formulation to fit in the target batch size. In this case, they need to select the row of the solvent and click the Yield button.

The Action Expression of this button is written with the following script:

‍RRGroup is the identifier of the repeatable row used to create the table. The script is similar to the one in the previous example. The difference is that only the field AddedMaterialg in the Selected row of the table is getting the value of the result obtained in the calculation on the right side of =. See what happens to the values in the table in the User Portal before and after clicking the Yield button.

Let’s say a Chemist wants to create a new formulation. In the record template, Work Plan, there is a User Defined table where they can plan the number of formulations. They add a row for each formulation and set the target pH, viscosity and density range for each. See Figure 4.41.

In the Configuration portal, the Repeatable Row group of the table has the identifier ExperimentalFormulaRRGroup. There is also a checkbox field with the identifier FormulaCreated, under label Added. In the Functions tab of this checkbox, Field is Editable should be unchecked. This will prevent the user from filling out the checkbox since it should be filled out by clicking the button.

You need to configure a button that will automatically generate as many records from the record template, Formulation, as there are rows added in the table by the Chemist (Figure 4.41).

Before creating that button you need to create a new record field that will not be cloneable, not reportable, not shown when printed and hidden. This field will not be visible anywhere but in the Configuration Portal record template and it will take part in calculation of a button. In this example, the field's identifier is FormulaHelper and it is referenced to the Formulation record template. The script that needs to be in the Action Expression field of your button is:‍

Let’s analyze each part of this script:

for(var i = 1; i <= ExperimentalFormulaRRGroup.RowCount; i = i + 1)

This is a loop that will go through all the rows in a table. A for loop is generally used when you need to do something with the table, such as: automatically add rows, create records based on rows, merge two tables in one, etc.

In the parentheses are the instructions on how and when to start and end the loop through the table. The var is a variable and is the row of the field. The loop starts from the first row, i.e. i = 1;. The middle part, i <= ExperimentalFormulaRRGroup.RowCount, defines when the loop should stop. In this example, as long as i is less than or equal to the number of rows in the table (RowCount is part that achieves this), go through the table with the given increment (last part in the parentheses). The last part i = i + 1, is an increment for how to go through the table. In this case each row, i = i + 1 will check every row.

When the for loop is defined, the block of script which will be executed in one loop step must always be in curly brackets { }. These sections can be long and complex, and can contain several inner sections defined with more curly brackets. Semicolons in the for loop are dividing segments of the loop.

if(FormulaCreated[i] == false)

The first operation inside the loop is a condition. The if operator is a function which checks a condition defined in the parentheses. As previously stated, FormulaCreated is the identifier of the checkbox field and by default is not checked, so it has the value of false. The row in the table is defined by an index [i] and is used to avoid writing conditions for each row separately. This line of script checks if the checkbox of each row is empty, and if it is, executes a block of the script defined in the set of curly brackets after the condition.

After the action initiated on the button has finished, and two new Formulation records are created, the checkboxes will be filled automatically. This is done by the last part of the script (last command):

FormulaCreated[i] = true;

Later, the chemist can add more rows, or formulations, in the table and the checkboxes will be empty by default. Clicking the button again will create Formulation records only for those additional rows. 

This section consists of several commands. Each command line must end with the semicolon.

FormulaHelper = CREATE_RECORD('Formulation', 'LabWork', Process, 1);

The first command will assign a value to the record field with the identifier FormulaHelper. This field will get the value (=) of the calculation on the right side of the = sign.

‍CREATE_RECORD is a function that creates a new record. This new record is further defined in the parentheses: 'Formulation' is the identifier of the record template from which new record will be created. 'LabWork' is the stage in which the new record will be created. Process will put the new record in the current process and 1 is the number of records that need to be created (one for each row in the table).

FormulaHelper.FormulationName = LabWorkNumber + ' ' + ExperimentalFormulaName[i];

The second command will define the name of the new record created from the previous command. FormulaHelper.FormulationName stands for accessing the Formulation Name field (identifier FormulationName) which exists in the record template, Formulation. Through the record field (identifier FormulaHelper), using a dot, you are accessing a field on that record (identifier FormulationName). That name will get the value of (=) the calculation on the right side of = sign.

‍LabWorkNumber is the identifier of an alphanumeric field located in the record template, Work Plan, and serves to track a Notebook process by giving each a unique number.

The empty space between single quotes ‘ ‘ acts as text and serves to divide two values. Without it, two values will appear stuck together).

‍ExperimentalFormulaName[i] is the value of the alphanumeric field in a certain row of a table. This field is filled by the user and its value is used to give a name to the new record that the button is creating.

FormulaHelper.TargetpHfrom=TargetpHfrom;

The third command is similar to all remaining commands in this section of the script. They serve to fill out the fields in the new record automatically. In the ecord  Work Plan there are fields that are used to set the range of pH, viscosity and density. Their identifiers are  TargetpHFrom, TargetpHTo, TargetViscosityFrom, TargetViscosityTo, TargetDensityFrom and TargetDensityTo. The chemist will set the target values for each row. These target values pulled from the Work Plan to the Formulation by using field identifiers and dots in these commands. For the sake of simplicity, identifiers are the same in Work Plan and in Formulation.
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After all commands are executed in the satisfied conditions, the appropriate new records are created. As previously stated, the last command FormulaCreated[i] = true; will fill in the checkbox FormulaCreated. The script runs through each row in the table and when it is done for all the rows, the loop ends.

In the same way this button is used to create new records, it can also be used to create new tasks, processes, compares, views, etc.

The same actions that can happen by clicking the button in the record template can also be configured in a process to happen during the transition from stage to stage. These scripts are not inside any specific record template but defined as actions on the stage. This kind of script is written in a slightly different way because you need to specify the exact location of a certain field used in a script (which record template, which stage, which process template). More about this will be explained in Section 5 - Process Templates.

In this section, you will see functions that can be utilized to write a proper script.

Conditional Predefined Values

As previously described in Section 4.5.2 - Alphanumeric, alphanumeric fields can have predefined values. In some cases, you will need to configure the first alphanumeric field with predefined values. Then, depending on the predefined value selected in this field, a specific set of predefined values should be available for selection in the second alphanumeric field. This is known as Conditional Predefined Values and it can be achieved by writing a proper script. See the following example for more information.

You need to configure the Test Instruction record template. This template will be used for the creation of different records - a variety of test instructions in your organization. First, you need to set the type of your Test Instruction. Make an alphanumeric field (name Test Type, identifier TestType) and give it three predefined values: Characterization, Application, Microbiology.

Make a second alphanumeric field (name: Test, identifier Test), where different tests will appear in a dropdown depending on the predefined value selected in the Test Type field. Let’s say these are the values you need to configure:

• When Characterization is selected in the field Test Type, you want pH, Viscosity and Density tests to appear in the dropdown of the field Test.
• When Application is selected in the field Test Type, you want Scrub Resistance, Adhesion and Tensile Elongation tests to appear in the dropdown of the field Test.
• When Microbiology is selected in the field Test Type, you want Fungal and Bacterial tests to appear in the dropdown of the field Test.

In the VALUES tab of the field, Test, add all predefined values (pH, Viscosity, Density, Scrub Resistance, Adhesion, Tensile Elongation, Fungal, Bacterial).

Then write the Expression for conditional predefined values, shown in Figure 4.42, where the Values Tab of the field Test is shown with the Expression entered.

See below for the correct Expression:‍

The first line var a=[]; is defining your variable in the code: variable a is given in the square brackets.

When the first if condition if(TestType=='Characterization') is satisfied (i.e., the field with identifier TestType has a value 'Characterization'), variable a can have only these values {a=['pH','Viscosity', 'Density'];}. This means that when the user in the User Portal selects Characterization in the Test Type field, in the dropdown of the field Tests will appear options for pH, Viscosity and Density. 

The same goes for the second if condition else if(TestType==’Application’), when variable a can have only one of these values {a=['Scrub Resistance', 'Adhesion', 'Tensile Elongation'];}. The same principle applies for the third if condition as well.

Finally, there is the last part of the expression: a; that will assign the value of variable a to the field Test Type and filter down the list of predefined values based on the satisfied condition.

Actions - On Change

Single Field

Another important and powerful functionality that you can use in every field type is Action - On Change. Each time the value of the field is changed, this functionality will execute a specific action. The action is added on the field which will be changed.

Under the ACTIONS tab, you can add a new action by clicking the + New Action button.

In the New Action modal you have to set On* to Changed. In the Action Expression field add the expression that has to happen when a User changes the value of the field. See the following example for more information.

In Section 4.7.4 - Button, there is the example: Button Recalculates all Rows in the Table. In this example you learned how the user can compose the formulation and how they can change the formulation to easily recalculate all amounts in the table using the Normalize button.

Using the On Change action functionality, you can make this recalculation completely automatic. Each time the user changes Target Batch Size [L], all amounts of materials added to the formulation will be recalculated automatically.

In the Actions tab of the field, Target Batch Size L, add a New Action. Set the On* to Changed and under Action Expression write the same calculation that is in the action script of the Normalize button:

Field in a Specific Row

Actions can also be performed on a field in a specific row of a repeatable row. Specifying a row is done by using the keyword CurrentRow. The previous example in Section 4.7.4 - Button with Helper Field, will be expanded upon to explain this functionality.

In the record template, Work Plan, there is a table for defining new formulations: users can add rows, set names and target properties for pH, Density and Viscosity. At the click of a button, Formulation records are created with the names defined in the table.

The Formulation record created with the button action will have a name defined in an alphanumeric field Experimental Formula Name (identifier ExperimentalFormulaName). Let’s say you want to configure the record so the user can change the name of the Formulation record by changing the field Experimental Formula Name in the table.

It was already explained that the Create Formulations button requires an additional record reference helper field, located outside of the repeatable row group. Now, in order to establish a link between each row in the table with the formulation created, you need to place a helper field inside a repeatable row. See Figure 4.44.

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Given the fact that the helper field is now inside the repeatable row, each line of the button script should be updated to access value for each row using  FormulaHelper[i], therefore the button script needs to be modified, like this:

Changing the name of the specific Formulation record is done  by changing the field Experimental Formula Name in that specific row. 

In the field Experimental Formula Name (identifier ExperimentalFormulaName), in the tab Actions, add New Action - On Change with the following script:

The condition if(FormulaHelper[CurrentRow] IS SET) must be placed in order to apply the On Change Action only for the already created Formulation.

Conditional Formatting

Conditional formatting enables you to change the property of a field using the appropriate Alchemy expression. It can be used on all field types except: Label, Image and Button.

The general form of a Conditional Formatting Expression is:

Where FieldProperty is the keyword to access the specific property of the field defined by the FieldIdentifier. The Specific property is getting the value defined by PropertyValue.

A Conditional Formatting Expression can be placed in fields: Formula Expression, Button Action Expression, Field Action - On Change and Stage Action - Execute Script.

When the Action is triggered, the script will be executed and the field property is changed. If you change the Conditional Formatting Expression in the Configuration Portal and back propagate, the field property will not be affected. It will remain as defined by the previous Conditional Formatting Expression.

Field Properties

Field Dimensions (Width and Height, and Margins) CANNOT be changed using conditional formatting.

Below is a list of field properties that CAN be changed using conditional formatting. A property is defined by its keyword which should be used in the Conditional Formatting Expression. In the list of available field properties below, for each property there is an output type and possible values in parentheses: 

• Required - boolean (true or false)
• Editable - boolean (true or false)
• BorderTop - boolean (true or false)
• BorderBottom - boolean (true or false)
• BorderLeft - boolean (true or false)
• BorderRight - boolean (true or false)
• NameVisible - boolean (true or false)
• NameSize - number (any positive number)
• NameOrientation - text (TOP, BOTTOM, LEFT, RIGHT, CENTER)
• NameHorizontalAlignment - text (LEFT, CENTER, RIGHT)
• NameVerticalAlignment - text (TOP, MIDDLE, BOTTOM)
• NameFont - text (ROBOTO, TIMES_NEW_ROMAN, ARIAL, CONSOLAS)
• NameFontSize - number (any positive number)
• NameFontColor - hex code (refer to Appendix F - Alchemy Color Hex Codes)
• NameBackgroundColor - hex code
• NameItalic - boolean (true or false)
• NameBold - boolean (true or false)
• NameUnderline - boolean (true or false)
• NameStrikethrough - boolean (true or false)
• InputHorizontalAlignment - text (LEFT, CENTER, RIGHT)
• InputVerticalAlignment - text (TOP, MIDDLE, BOTTOM)
• InputFont - text (ROBOTO, TIMES_NEW_ROMAN, ARIAL, CONSOLAS)
• InputFontSize - number (any positive number)
• InputFontColor - hex code
• InputBackgroundColor - hex code
• InputItalic - boolean (true or false)
• InputBold - boolean (true or false)
• InputUnderline - boolean (true or false)
• InputStrikethrough - boolean (true or false)
• Hidden - boolean (true or false)

The field property, Hidden, can only be used on a field that is not placed inside a repeatable row or repeatable column. If you need to target a specific row inside a table, use Current Row Functionality in the form:

IFS Conditions

Let’s build on an already existing example: IFS conditions. In this example we have already explained how an alphanumeric field can show text IN RANGE or OUT OF RANGE depending on the entered value for pH, Density or Viscosity and defined target values.

To make it more visually appealing, let’s say you need to configure the same alphanumeric field to be green when the entered value is in range and red when it is out of range. In the Formula Expression of the alphanumeric field (identifier pHRange) there should be this expression:

In the first condition we are checking the if entered number for pH value is greater than defined start range limit (identifier TargetpHfrom) and lower than defined end range limit (identifier TargetpHto). If that condition is satisfied, the Conditional Formatting Expression will be executed by changing the field property InputBackgroundColor to green ('#93C480'). Also, the field will show the provided text: 'IN RANGE'. In the case that this condition is not met, the field property will be red ('#DF6969') and the field will get the value 'OUT OF RANGE'.

• + NEW PROCESS TEMPLATE: Button used to create a new process template.
• IMPORT PROCESS TEMPLATE: Button used to import a process template from a .json file.
• Template Name: Hyperlink of the process template name. Clicking on the link will take you to that Process Template where the design can be edited or reviewed.
• ‍Template Identifier: A unique identifier of the template  
• ‍Published Version
• ‍Description
• ‍Process Template Menu Icon: Options include
  • Edit
  • Duplicate
  • Export Process Template
    

In this section, we will provide step-by-step instructions on how to create your own process template using the Lab Work process example that we will follow throughout this portion of the manual.

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From the Process Templates landing page, create a new process template by clicking  the + NEW PROCESS TEMPLATE button. In the modal, fill in fields for:

• Name
• Identifier

After you click the Save button, you will go to the Process Template configuration page as seen in Figure 5.4.

On the right-hand side a process template menu is displayed. It is divided into two tabs, PROPERTIES and PRIVILEGES. Under the Properties tab, you can see the name, identifier, and description fields of your process. The name of the process is editable while the identifier cannot be changed.

Under the Privileges tab, you will set which users can create a process from the template, which users can set priority, hold the process or void the process. Process privileges are written using User Tags.

You can return to the process template menu at any time by clicking the edit icon to the right of the process name.

• ‍Process Template Name 
• Flow Diagram: Process map
• ‍Process Template Information Panel
• Process Template Menu Icon: Options include
  • ‍Delete - Deleting a process is only possible if you did not use it in any formula expressions or if you did not create any processes from the template  in User Portal.
• ‍Process Template Edit Icon
• ‍Verify: Checks the configuration for errors

In the system, all processes created from the same process template must have a unique title. The process title value is always pulled from the alphanumeric field with identifier Name, that has to be placed in the first record of the first stage in the process template.

When you create a new process template, it is not empty. The system automatically creates one Stage (Stage 1, see Figure 5.5) and one Record Template in it (Process Record). Inside the Process Record there is a naming field automatically created within (type: alphanumeric, identifier: Name). You can decide whether you will keep the Process Record with the naming field, or you can place the naming field inside the record template you design. In the second case you do not need the process record anymore.

It is important to note: the Process Record record template should not be deleted, but rather removed from the process template where it is not needed.

For example, if you are configuring the process template Lab Work, it starts with the first stage: Lab Work Request. In this stage, the first record that is created is called LW Request. In this record template you should configure an alphanumeric field with identifier: Name (naming field) and it should be a required field. What the user fills in this field will be used as the title of the newly created process in the User Portal. 

Since users in the User Portal will create many processes from one Process Template, these can be titled in various and inconsistent ways. Due to that, it is highly recommended to define a pattern. Placing a pattern in the formula expression of the naming field, the process title will be created for each new process in the User Portal in a logical and defined manner. You can define a pattern using any of these options:

• Text constant
• Text formula
• Pattern formula

You can also set whether this field can be edited by the user and whether it needs to be unique. If you leave Field has unique value unchecked, that field will be automatically unique on the process level - meaning that in the process no other field can have the same value. When you check the Field has unique value checkbox, you can choose on which level the field is unique. This will help users realize if the process with the same name already exists in the system.

Similarly, you can use the PATTERN function when you want to have consistent names for records that can be created outside of the process (solo records). These record templates must have an alphanumeric field that the system uses for naming (identifier: RecordName).

If you do not use the PATTERN function that will automatically give a name to created processes or records created outside of the process, there is one rule that needs to be followed. If you configure a calculation on Name or RecordName field that uses a value of alphanumeric field, there can be a problem in creating a Process. The process will not be created because it needs to have a name, but the value that is setting a name is not yet given to the field. A record without a name will be created, but if the user does not populate any of the fields from which the record name should be created, it will be ‘nameless’ and the user will not be able to find it later.

Privileges in Alchemy define who is able to view, edit and create processes. They allow multiple teams to work on the same project without interfering with one another. This is very useful in complex organizations. You will configure privileges using User Tag Expressions. For each privilege you can set when certain conditions should be applied.

There are three distinct Privilege sets:

1) Process Privileges are given for the process level. Process privileges define who can:

• Create - Ability to create a process from a process template. This privilege is required, and must be given to at least one user.
• Set priority - Ability to change the priority of each process created using this process template. This privilege is required, and must be given to only one user tag.
• Put on hold - The ability to put the process on hold. Users cannot work on their tasks until it is reactivated. They can edit records in the process but it will not complete a task and move the process to the next stage.
• Void - Ability to stop the process and all work related to it. Once voided, it cannot be reactivated again but will stay visible in the User Portal. 

2) Stage Privileges are defined for each stage separately and define which users can:

• View or
• View and Edit the stage and all the records on the stage, as well as under which conditions they have those privileges.

3) Record Privileges are set for record templates that are not placed in any process template. Based on these privileges, users can work on records without starting the process. Privileges include:

• Create
• Edit
• View
• Share

In the record template, under the Privileges tab you can set the User Tag Expressions under each of these fields. Clicking the icon in the field, a small pop-up window will appear, providing more space for writing and better overview.

If during configuration you set the privileges on the record template i.e. Record Privileges, it will be used for creating records outside of the process. If you design a process template you will set the Process Privileges. You can still add a record template with configured privileges and use it inside the process template, but Record Privileges are no longer valid. Process Privileges will overwrite Record Privileges on the record template.

When back propagating changes made on your record template with the Record Privileges set, changes will be effective on all records created with that record template, no matter if it was used in or outside of a process.

Process privileges are added by:

1. Clicking on the edit icon next to the name on the process page.
2. Navigate to the Privileges tab.
3. Define privileges using User Tags
   • All privileges, except Can Set Priority, are defined using the User Tags in the To: field.
4. Verify which users will get privileges by clicking the eye icon. 
   

Other process privileges are added by clicking on the + ADD PRIVILEGE button from the Privileges tab. In the pop-up window, you can: 

• Define the condition under which users will receive the privilege. If you leave it empty, privilege will be assigned in each case.
• Define what the privilege allows them to do (process: set priority, void, put on hold)
• Apply the User Tag expression to define the users who will be able to Void and/or Put On Hold processes 

Can Void and Can Put On Hold privileges can be set together, if you choose, by checking the corresponding checkboxes.

Stage privileges are added in the same manner as process privileges.

Select the stage where you want to add a privilege. Choose Privileges from the right-side panel. Click the + NEW PRIVILEGE button from the Privileges tab. In the pop-up window, you can:

• Define the condition when the users will receive the privilege. If you leave it empty, privilege will be assigned in each case.
• Define the User Tag expression under which the users will be able to View and/or Edit.
• Define what the privilege allows them to do (can view, can view and edit)
  

While editing processes, all changes are saved automatically. However, users in the User Portal will not see the changes made to the existing process template immediately. Similar to changes made in record templates, process templates need to be verified and published in order to make the changes available in the user portal.

The first step is to click the VERIFY button in the top right corner of the process template. Verify is used by Alchemy to check the configured data. Alchemy is checking if all the steps of configuration are written correctly (calculation formulas, tag expressions, etc). If something is not correct, a window pops up to notify you to adjust the configuration.

After a successful verification, you can Publish your changes. On the Home Page of Configuration Portal, in the New Changes section will be a list of process and record templates that need to be published. By pressing the PUBLISH button you will publish all templates from the list.

Once published, process templates will appear in the Back Propagate section and the PUBLISH button will be inactive. Publishing the process template will create a new version. In the Process Templates landing page, you can see the latest published version. When you create a process from a template in the User Portal, the newest version will be used.

Pressing the BACK PROPAGATE button will apply the change to all processes created in the system. As previously explained, this can take some time depending on the amount of data in the system but you can track the progress by hovering over the Tenant Status.

For additional tips and troubleshooting, see Appendix E - Back Propagate Properly.

Creating a Process in the User Portal - Checklist

In order to enable creating a process in a User Portal, you need to make sure the following items are done: 

1. Create a new process template with a valid name and identifier.
2. In the first record template of the first stage, there needs to be an alphanumeric field unique to the system with the identifier: Name.
3. Process Creation privilege needs to be set using a proper User Tag Expression.
4. Priority Set privilege needs to be given to at least one user using a special User Tag Expression (Tag[PriorityTagName]).
5. Other privileges should be set at the Process level, as well as on each Stage.
6. All Stages should be connected by Transition Actions -
   • For each possible “direction” in a flow there must be a valid action.
   • On the last stage there should be a Complete Process Action. More about the Actions is explained in detail in chapter 5.8 Actions.

If you want to delete a process template, you can do so by going to the process template configuration page of the desired process, then:

1. Click the edit button next to the process name.
2. Click the process template menu icon.
3. Click Delete.
   

A process in Alchemy is constructed from stages that function as a crossroads for flow and to separate and/or group different kinds of tasks. The most common way to map out processes at your company is to define each stage as a task, or set of tasks, for each group of users to perform in a particular order. Tasks in the Alchemy User Portal will be assigned pieces of work, to be finished within a certain time.

Every stage is completed separately. Upon completion of one stage, the process transitions to another stage. A stage is completed when all the tasks of that stage are done, meaning all required work is finished and records are filled with data, including filling in all required fields.

After you have created a new process, you will need to map out the stages of your flow. To create a stage, click on the + New Stage button at the top left of the process template configuration page. You will need to provide a name and identifier for the stage, following the same logic and restrictions that have been previously explained.

Once you create a Stage, you will be able to see it on the Process Template Page as a box with the stage name. Note that Stages in Figure 5.10 do not have any connecting arrows between them. Stages become connected when you add Actions to each stage which is explained in Section 5.7 - Actions.

After clicking on a stage, the right-side panel has four tabs:

• ‍Properties: Displays the name and identifier of the selected stage. You can also set the Stage Order, Expected Duration, and select if effort spent logging is required.
• ‍Records: Define which record templates are used to create records in a particular stage.
• ‍Actions: Define the flow of a process through the stages.
• ‍Privileges: Define which users can view or view/edit a stage and under which conditions.

Records in Alchemy are digital forms in which users are entering data in the User Portal. They allow traceability and a structured flow of information. 

Most of the work in the User Portal will consist of writing information in these records. They are explained in detail in Section 4 - Record Templates.

Adding record templates to a stage defines which set of information is needed in order to complete said stage.

To add a record template to a stage, complete the following steps:

1. Select the desired stage from the process configuration page.
2. Click on the Records tab.
3. Click on the + ADD RECORD.

This will open a modal (Figure 5.12) where you need to define the:

• Record Template
• Record Naming Pattern: written as a string, field identifier, naming pattern formula, or any combination of the three.
  • The name of the record has to be unique in the process.
• Minimum Records: The minimum number of records that will be created when the stage activates. If greater than 0, that many records will be automatically created in the User Portal when the stage is activated. This number of records needs to be created (automatically or manually) in order to complete the stage.
• Maximum Records: The maximum number of records that can be created in the stage. If not defined, the user will be able to create an unlimited number of records. 
• Editable After Completed: Enabled by default, this checkbox allows users to edit the record after the stage is completed. It also allows the record to be editable even if the stage is not active.
• Record Can Be Shared: This checkbox allows users to share the record with a third party.  Anyone who has edit privilege for that stage will be able to share the record from the Alchemy User Portal with recipients outside of Alchemy. If you decide to allow the record to be shared, in the User Portal there will be a Share icon visible in the upper right corner of the record.
  • For the records that can be created outside of the process you can set in Record Privileges which users can share that record using user tag expressions. Upon setting a share privilege, records outside of the process will have a Share icon in the upper right corner and can be shared. 
  • When sharing a record, it is sent in an email and the user can also define whether the third party can edit or only view the shared record. The third party user will receive a link in their email and after setting a password, they will have access to Alchemy to interact with the shared record(s).
• Can Compare: This checkbox allows the records created from this record template to be available for COMPARE functionality.
  

When allowing more than one record to be created from the same template, you need to define the Record Naming Pattern and can use the PATTERN function which is explained in detail in Section 7.6 - Functions. It is important to note that the pattern function returns text, auto-incremented by each new iteration.

When adding a record template to a stage you can specify the minimum and maximum number of records that a user can create. Both can be defined with a number or a formula. Some examples of min and max number of records with a number are:

1. Min (1) and Max (1) - This will create only one record of that template upon process creation. The user will not be able to add more of the records, nor can they delete the one that is created on activation.
2. Min (0) and Max (5) - No records will be created at stage activation, but the user may add up to 5 records if necessary, using the + New Record button in the left-side process navigation panel.
3. Min (1) and Max (5) - One record will be created at stage activation and the user may add up to 5 records of this template in the User Portal, if necessary. The user can delete all but one record since the defined minimum is one.
4. Min (5) and Max (5) - Five records will be created at stage activation and the user may not add or delete any of them. 

You are able to use any number for defining min and max in any combination. Make sure that the minimum number is not higher than the maximum.

Any of these numbers can be a mathematical formula result. The types of formulas that could be used are explained in Section 7 - Formulas.

Using Formulas to Define the Number of Records

Formulas allow you to define the number of records that will show up in the User Portal based on a field value in another record.

It is important to understand that the number of records set is evaluated on stage activation and completion. This means that if the min/max number of records changes while the stage is active, the user may end up with a number of records lower than the minimum or higher than the maximum. (i.e. if the Lab Manager changes the Number of Samples from 5 to 3, after 5 formulation records are already created, we will have 2 records more than the new maximum). In order to complete the stage, the user will have to remove the excess records or add the missing ones (an error message will be shown otherwise).

Reordering Record Templates

After you have added multiple record templates to the stage, you can easily reorder them with the drag-and-drop method. This will enable you to define the order under which the record templates will be displayed in the User Portal.

Record Template Properties

You can click on any of the record templates on the right-side stage menu to expand its properties, where you will be able to change any of the settings you have made when adding it.

Once you add a stage, you are also able to delete it at any time

You can delete the stage by following the steps below:

1. Select the stage you want to delete.
2. In the right-side panel, click the three dots icon in the upper right corner.
3. Click Delete.
   • After choosing Delete, Alchemy will ask where you want to transfer records that were on this stage.

Actions define the outcomes of an event. When an event takes place, the system evaluates if all the conditions are met for an outcome to happen.

Every stage has its own life cycle, or series of events that the stage goes through. 

In Alchemy, those events are:

1. Activation Attempt - The first event in the stage's life cycle. When a previous stage is completed, the system evaluates conditions for the next stage activation.
2. Activated - If all the conditions are met, stage activation occurs. That means that the stage is now active and accessible by users.
3. Completed - The last event in one stage's life cycle. After all the required work is done and all essential information is captured, the stage can be completed. Completion triggers the activation attempt for the next available stage. The cycle repeats until the last stage available. When that one is finished it completes the whole process. 
   

The Actions tab defines all actions that could happen in a particular stage.  In every individual action, the condition for an outcome is set. 

On Activation Attempt actions:

• Activate Stage - This action sets specific criteria for step activation. This means that the stage will only be activated when the criteria are met.

• Execute Script - This action will show the Action Expression field. This is where you will write the script based on what you want to happen on Activation Attempt. This kind of script needs the exact context of location (exact stage and record template).

On Activated actions:

• Create a Task - This action will create a defined task in the User Portal. The task is assigned to the users defined in the action, which is done using User Tags.

• Create Record - This action will create the new record in the User Portal when the stage is activated.  A record created this way is created from the record template you added on the Stage.
• Notify - This action will send a notification to the users when a stage is activated. You will define which users will receive the notification by using an appropriate user tag in the Notification Recipients field. This is further explained in Section 5.7.6 - Adding Notify Action. 
• Send Email - This action will send an email to the recipients when a stage is activated. In the Recipients field you define who will receive the email by setting the appropriate user tag(s). Setup for this action is explained in detail in Section 5.7.8 - Adding Send Email Action.
• Execute Script - Opens the Action Script field where you can put the script for what needs to happen when a stage is activated.

On Completed actions:

• Transition to - This is an action that tells the system where to go after the stage is completed. When this action is executed, it will create an Activation Attempt event for the stage you specify in the transition.
• Notify - This action will send a notification to the users, same as the On Activation notification.
• Send Email - This action will send an email to the recipients defined in the Recipients field, same as the On Activation action.
• Complete Process - You will choose this on the last stage of the process, so when the last stage is completed, the process is completed as well. You can also use this in other stages, depending on the flow and the outcome on the stage.
• Execute Script - same as for Activation Attempt and On Activated action types.

To connect stages, transitions need to be added between them. The transitions are added in the following way:

1. Select the stage from which a transition will start.
2. Go to the Actions tab. 
3. Click on the + NEW ACTION button. 
   

This will open a modal where you will define your action in the following steps:

1. Select the event that triggers the action. For transitions it must be On Completed.
2. Define a condition under which the action will occur. Leaving it empty means the transition will always happen if the stage is completed.
3. Tell the system what to do (which action to execute). For transition, select Transition to.
4. Select the stage that will be activated after the current one is completed.
   

Stage dependencies can be different based on your flow sequences. In Figure 5.19 there is example of more complex Lab Work process flow where you can see three types of sequences:

1. Sequential
2. Looping back
3. Parallel stages
   

When defining actions, you are able to define a condition under which the action will happen. This is done by setting an appropriate expression on the Action, in the WHEN field.

The condition can be any formula that outputs a boolean value (true or false) or if no condition is defined, the action will be executed every time it is triggered.

Transition Conditions

When setting a transition, you define where the process should go. You can also define conditions under which it should happen. This is done in the When field. Leaving this field empty means that transition will always happen, without any restrictions. The following is an example of sequential progress through a flow.

Stage Runs

It is possible to activate one stage multiple times if there are multiple transitions coming (or returning) to it (i.e., if there is a loop).

Each time a stage is activated, it initiates a new run. Each run goes through all of the events of a stage life cycle and just like in the first run, activates all actions that are defined for that stage.

For example, Request Approval loops back to the Lab Work Request stage, marking its second run. It will create a record, LW Requirements 2, and when completed, goes again to the Request Approval stage. If there is still some information needed and the request is not approved, it loops back to the Lab Work Request (third run) and on its completion goes to Request Approval, etc.

All of these runs are done and edited in the same stage(s), i.e. the flow loops back and forth without creating new stages. However, the system does not automatically overwrite or modify any of the records from previous runs (unless the user does so). Below is the previous example expanded:

For each stage, you can define what tasks are automatically created in the User Portal when the stage is activated. Go to the Actions tab and click on the + NEW ACTION button for the stage you need to add the actions. Adding a Create Task Action is accomplished using the following steps:

1. Select the event that triggers the action. For tasks, it must be On: Activated. 
2. Define a condition under which the action will happen. Leaving it empty means that the action is always executed when triggered.
3. Tell the system what to do (which action to execute). Select Create Task.
4. Specify which users will get the Task.
5. Write the Task Subject.
6. Write the Task Description.

Subject and Description must be text values (written under single quotes, i.e., 'text value') or formulas that output a text value. More details about formulas is explained  in Section 7 - Formulas.

The Subject field is limited to 80 characters, including spaces and quotes, while the Description field can contain up to 2048 characters, spaces and quotes included.

For each stage you can define notifications that are created in the User Portal when the stage is activated or completed. Go to the Actions tab and click the + NEW ACTION button for the stage you need to add the actions. Adding a Notify Action is done in the following steps:

1. Select the event that triggers the action. It can be on Activated or on Completed. 
2. Define a condition under which the action will occur. Leaving it empty means that the action is always executed when triggered.
3. Tell the system what to do (which action to execute). Select Notify.
4. Specify which users will get the notification.
5. Write the Subject.
6. Write the Description.

Subject and Description must be text values (written under single quotes, i.e., 'text value') or formulas that output a text value. More details about formulas is explained  in Section 7 - Formulas.

The Subject field is limited to 80 characters, including spaces and quotes, while the Description field can contain up to 2048 characters, spaces and quotes included.

You can configure the system to automatically create records on stage activation when certain criteria are met by adding Create Record actions. Note that the stage will already have the minimum number of records that you have defined when adding records to the stage.

Go to the Actions tab and click on the + NEW ACTION button for the stage you need to create the record and follow the steps below:

1. The event that triggers the action, which for Create Records is On: Activated.
2. Define a condition under which the action will happen. 
3. Tell the system what to do. Select Create Record.
4. Select the record template from which the record will be created in the User Portal.
5. Select how many records of the template you selected will be created. This can be a number but also defined by setting a formula field Number of Records.
   

For each stage, you can define Emails that are created in the User Portal when the stage is activated or completed. Go to the Actions tab and click on the + NEW ACTION button for the stage you want to send an email. Adding Send Email Action is done in the following steps:

1. Select the event that triggers the action. It can be on Activated or on Completed. 
2. Define a condition under which the action will occur. Leaving it empty means that the action is always executed when triggered.
3. Tell the system what to do (which action to execute). Select Send Email.
4. Specify which recipients will get the email. You can define the recipients:
   • By entering the recipients email address inside single quotation marks ' ' (i.e. 'john.johnson@gmail.com') 
   • By using a system data variable, explained in Section 7.1.2 - System Data Variables, to map out appropriate user email (i.e. Record[LabWorkRequirements].SalesResponsible.Email where [LabWorkRequirements] turns the record created earlier in the process, and SalesResponsible is the identifier of a User field. Email as a system data variable will pull the information from Alchemy for the user selected in the Sales Responsible field).
   • By using an identifier of a field created for a user to type in an email address (i.e. Record[Quote].CustomerEmail where CustomerEmail is the identifier of an alphanumeric field located in the record Quote. If the user enters an incorrect email address or other text inside that field, the system will not report an error but the email will not be sent.)
5. Write the Subject.
6. Write the Description.
   

As previously stated, transitions between stages in a process can be sequential, looping and/or parallel. In the following example you will see how to configure a process with parallel stages and how an action On Activation Attempt is used.

The View Templates landing page has the following features and information:

• + Create View Template: Button used to create a new template.
• Template Name: Hyperlink of the view template name. Clicking on the link will take you to that template where the design can be edited or reviewed.
• ‍Template Identifier:  A unique identifier for the template.
• ‍Menu Group: Determines where the View belongs in the system navigation panel.
• ‍Order: Determines the placement of the View in the group in the User Portal.
• Version
• ‍Description 
• View Template Menu Icon: Options include
  • Edit
  • Duplicate

From the View templates landing page, click the + NEW VIEW TEMPLATE button. This action opens a modal, prompting the user to provide the following information:

• Name
• Identifier
• Tag

The View Template configuration page has the following features and information:

• ‍View Template Name
• ‍Verify: Button to check if there are errors in the configuration
• ‍View Template Menu: Displays information for
  • Name
  • Description
  • Tag
  • View Order
  • Users
• ፧ Menu Icon: Option to delete or duplicate the template
• ‍+ Icon: Additional format options for displaying data, such as in a grid, scatter, bars, etc.
• ‍Search: Searches the data in the View results list

The view template menu is the right side panel that contains information such as: the Name, Identifier, Description, Term, Tag and Order.

Name, Identifier and Tag are set upon the creation of a new view template. The Description will be displayed in the View Template Landing Page and serves to easily distinguish between two view templates with similar names.

Under Term you will write a user tag expression to define which users will have this View available in the system navigation panel in the User Portal. View templates in the User Portal can not be filtered using Advanced Search, nor are users able to add or remove columns from the View. For Views created directly by the Users in User Portal Advanced Search and adding/removing columns will be available.

Under Order you are setting the order of the View in system navigation panel in the User Portal. Setting the Order other than default (zero is filled in by default) will shift the View in the section. If left on zero, Views will show up in the section in the order of creation.

To configure a view template you have to first start by selecting the starting data. Clicking the Starting Data dropdown menu and select from the list. For the following example, the starting data will be the record template, Formulation Design.

• ‍Available Fields: Fields from the record or process template chosen and its system fields. Below field name you can see the field type and the record template name where it is located.
• ‍Selected Fields: Fields added from the list of available fields. A selected field is used in the search as a filter. In the top right corner, on hover, you can remove the field or add another filter criteria for the same field using the + icon. Below the field name you can see the field type and its location.
• ‍Filter Criteria: A drop-down list of a predefined set of criteria which is different for each field type. You can add more of them for each added field.
• ‍Filter Criteria Value: Here you can type in the value, or range of values, for the selected criteria.

You can also display data in a view template through the use of visualizations. To the right of the Data tab, there is a + icon. Clicking this icon will show a list of available visualizations, including:

• Grid
• Board
• Scatter
• Bar
• Boxplot
• Heatmap

Choosing a visualization will open another tab. Double click the name of the tab to rename it to something specific to your view.

Grid

A grid is a way of sorting the filtered data in the form of groups and subgroups. Each group is a branch which can be expanded to show subgroups.

Click on the + icon next to the Data tab and select Grid. It will show up in the new tab named Grid 1. Click the Columns icon on the right side of the grid to open a new sorting panel.

In the sorting panel, go to the Material Type field and use drag-and-drop to move it down to the Row Groups section below. Formulations will now be grouped by the material type.

Keep in mind how your groups are expanded, or not, before doing the Verify-Publish step. The exact same appearance will be the starting View for the users in the User Portal.

Board

In a Board visualization, data will be displayed grouped according to the chosen criteria, i.e. field value. Groups are displayed in a form of scroll-through boards. Within a board, data can be sorted by fields.

Click the  + icon and select Board from the list of options. It will create a new tab to the right of the Data tab. There will be an additional menu on the right side where you can choose by which field value formulations will be grouped.

Scatter

A Scatter plot chart can show how data depends on each other in a regression line. For example, you may want to check how viscosity will change while adjusting the percent of added material. When you have your Data tab ready with the formulations filtered to those you want to chart, click the + icon and choose Scatter. Under the X Axis, choose Material weight percent and under the Y Axis, choose Viscosity at 25 degrees Celsius. You can add more series if you need and choose to show a regression line (Figure 6.12). By default it is showing Best Fit, but you can change it to be linear or polynomial.

Under MORE OPTIONS you can set labels for each axis, minimum and maximum values for each axis, size, color and shape of the points in the chart and a style of the line. When you are finished setting up your plot, you can close the Chart Settings.

Bar

Using a Bar chart you can present values of the same category (i.e., density or viscosity) in different instances (i.e., formulations). To demonstrate this in an example, filter all Formulations in the Data tab to only those containing material, Alchemy Additive 1. Go to the Advanced Search, add the filter Material, choose the criteria, is any of, and select value, Alchemy Additive 1. Now in the Data tab you have a list of all formulations made using Alchemy Additive 1.

Click on the + icon and select Bar. Chart Settings will appear where you have to choose data for the X axis and Y axis. Under MORE OPTIONS you can  label the axis, choose the orientation and stacking, choose aggregation of data and change the color of bars.

Boxplot

A Boxplot can show where the majority of your data is and visualize median value, lowest and highest values and any outliers. For example, you want to check the pH values of your formulations at 25 degrees Celsius. You need to filter the formulations in the Data tab using the Advanced Search to have only those you want to present in a box plot like in previous examples.

Click the + icon and choose Boxplot. Under Chart Settings, choose the parameter for data in Series 1, pH at 25 degrees Celsius, (Figure 6.14) and a Boxplot will appear.

Hovering over the box will display which series are in the plot, minimum and maximum values, median value and Q1/Q3 values (first and third quartiles). Outliers are displayed as dots.

Heatmap

A Heatmap serves to correlate the data in the View. For example you can use it to see how the weight percentage of material added impacts the pH and viscosity of the formulation.

To start, filter the formulations in the Data tab using the Advanced Search to a couple of materials of interest. Click the + icon select Heatmap. Under Chart Settings, add the series of data that you want to correlate. In this example, pH and viscosity at 25 degrees Celsius as Series 1 and Series 2 (Figure 6.16 A). For Series 3, Material - Formulation Coatings is selected. In the Transform Field Material weight percent is chosen. Group By is selected as Name - Formulation Coatings (Figure 6.16 B). Make sure that all the desired columns are included in the Data tab in order to have them available for adding in the Series. Upon adding the Series, correlations will appear.

Just like when configuring record or process templates, a view template needs to be verified and published. The difference is that there is no Back Propagate step for view templates because there is no change in configuration but only how existing data is seen in the view.

Remember, how you set up a view template in the Configuration Portal prior to publishing will render in the User Portal the same way. For example, if you are displaying data in a Grid view and you leave some branches expanded, those same branches will appear expanded for the user when they view it in the User Portal.

Before we see how to write formulas, we need to define the types of data to be used in formulas: 

• String (Text): Consists of letters, numbers and characters of any kind or alphabet. Depending on the length it can be regular (up to 255 characters) or long (more than 255 characters). It is represented with an expression inside single quotation marks.
• Number: Real, decimal numbers with the decimal dot . for precision. Numbers are shown with the number of decimal places that are defined while creating the number field. However, the full number is saved in Alchemy and figures in to calculations.
• Boolean: Logical values, true and false (written all lowercase). Yes/No and Checkbox fields are saved in the system as booleans.
• Datetime: The Date and Time are saved in one format type in Alchemy. The different time and date formats can be defined in the Configuration Portal.
• User Reference - A link to a user of the Alchemy User Portal. User Reference fields may be used as variables (i.e., in the Assign To formulas).
• Record References - A link to a specific record. They can be used as connections to access configuration and system fields for the records they are referenced to. These are record reference objects that can either be accessed using expressions or configured record fields. 
• Process References -  A link to a specific process. They can be used as connections to access process system fields or records. These are process reference objects that can either be accessed using expressions for the current process or selected by the user in the user portal.

Elements of formula expressions can be:

1. Variables
2. Constants
3. Operators
4. Functions 

These elements of formula expressions are graphically represented in Figure 7.1.

Variables are different fields inside record templates or system fields. The system evaluates variables every time the calculation is triggered. Field identifiers are used as variables in formulas, and field values are treated as variable values.

Field types are treated as supported data types following the next pattern: 

• Alphanumeric, Rich Text, or Link field types: Field values are treated as a string. 
• Number field type: Field values are treated as a number.
• Yes/No or Checkbox field types: Field values are treated as a boolean.
• Date and Time field type: Field values are treated as a datetime.
• Record field type: Field values are treated as Records.
• Process field type: Field values are treated as Process.
• User Reference field type: Field values are treated as User.

To use fields from a record in the same record:

• If a variable (the field value) is used in the formula placed in the same record where the formula is written, then you can define that variable in the formula using only the field identifier.  Example of the identifier of a field: 
  VariableFieldIdentifier
  

When you want to use a variable from one record, in a formula placed in a different record, you will need to access them through record references. In general, you can access the field using the following expression:

In this expression, Record is the parameter that represents which record should be accessed. Records are aligned by the time of their creation. It is not a required part of the syntax. By writing [RecordTemplateIdentifier], Alchemy will search for and take into account the last created record in that process.

If the field variable in the record template is used in multiple stages, you need to specify which stage is meaningful for you by adding Stage[StageName] to your expression as shown below:

Record References from Other Processes

To access and perform calculations with fields located in a record in another process you will need to configure a field where users can select either:

• The record reference directly using a record field
• A process reference from where you want to access the record using a process field 

If you configure the record field, its identifier will be used as the record reference in your expressions:

If you configure a process field, you must add its identifier in the form of an expression with the Record[RecordIdentifier] syntax:

This expression behaves the same as explained earlier, with the difference that the records will be pulled from the process selected in the ProcessField field. See the examples below.

In case there are multiple records of the same template in the process you are referencing, it is advisable to create a new record field where the user can choose which record to pull the data from:

Multiple Reference Connections

As you have seen already, it is possible to connect multiple record and process references in one expression. For example, it is possible to access the system information about the process where the record was created using the expression:

RecordVariable is the identifier of your record field. This can further be expanded to access the process system fields:

This will return the string representing the status of the process in which this record is created. This could be a useful filter criteria, i.e. when we only want to be able to select formulation records in ongoing lab work processes.

While the multiple dot expressions are useful, they should be used sparingly, as more complex expressions may impact performance, and it is advised to use intermediate (possibly hidden) fields when possible.

Data generated by the system is available to be used in formulas. There are some system fields in place that can also be used in formula expressions. They can provide more information about a process, record, stage run or user. They can be activated by using specific keywords listed in further chapters.

Process Data

You can get any of the data about the process from the system fields listed below using the keyword Process or the process template identifier. In order to get process data you need to create a field (alphanumeric, number, datetime or user field)  in which you will write the expression in the Formula Expression field. The process data that you want can be related to the current process or some other process in the system:

• If you want the system data from the current process, you will write Process.SystemFieldIdentifier in the Formula Expression of the created field, where Process is the keyword for the current process template.

• If you want the system data from another process, you need to create a process field where the user will choose the exact process in the User Portal. Then you need to create the field (alphanumeric, number, datetime or user field) in which you will write in the Formula Expression field: ProcessTypeFieldIdentifier.SystemFieldIdentifier
  • ‍ProcessTypeFieldIdentifier is the identifier of the process field.

System fields that could be placed in the Formula Expression of the alphanumeric field result in a string output:

• Name: Name of the process
• Template: Name of the process template of the target process
• Status: Current status of the process, returning one of four possible values:
  • In Progress
  • Voided
  • On Hold
  • Completed
• CurrentStage: Currently active stages in the target process, formed as a comma-separated list of active stage names (i.e. Requirements, Lab Test, Sample Request).
  • If the process is completed, on hold or voided, it will return the status.

System fields that could be placed in the Formula Expression of the number field result in a number output:

• Priority: Current priority of the target process. If the process has no priority, it is set to 0. 
• FinalDuration: Returns process duration in days, hours, minutes and seconds after the process is identified as status: Completed or Voided. If the process is not completed, it returns an empty value. Duration is a number representing the number of milliseconds. 
• TotalEffortSpent: Total effort spent on the process, in hours. It is the sum of all the effort logged on the tasks linked to the process. Every time the effort spent is updated on the task linked to the process, this number is updated.

System fields that could be placed in the Formula Expression of the datetime field result in a date and time output:

• CreatedOn: Date and time when the process was created 
• CompletedOn: Date and time when the process was completed. The default value is empty.

System fields that could be placed in the Formula Expression of the user field result in the user's first and last name as the output:

• CreatedBy: The user that has created the process

Stage Run Data

You can get any of the stage run data from the system fields listed below using the stage identifier. You need to create a field (alphanumeric, number, date/time or user field) in which you will write the expression in the Formula Expression field. 

• To get the information for the stages in the current process, the expression is:  Stage[StageIdentifier].SystemFieldIdentifier. If you do not specify the stage run after the StageIdentifier, the system will pull back information from the last run.
  • ‍Stage[StageIdentifier, 1].SystemFieldIdentifier will access the first run, Stage[StageIdentifier, 2].SystemFieldIdentifier will access the second run, etc.
• To get the information from another process, similar to the process data, first you need to select the process from which you would like to pull information from a process reference field, then create an appropriate field for the data and write in the formula expression field: ProcessTypeFieldIdentifier.Stage[StageIdentifier].SystemFieldIdentifier

System fields that could be placed in the Formula Expression of the alphanumeric field result in a string output:

• Name: Name of the stage

System fields that could be placed in the Formula Expression of the yes/no and checkbox fields result in a boolean output:

• Completed: Current status of the stage run which returns true if completed

System fields that could be placed in the Formula Expression of the number field result in a number output:

• Run: Stage run number
• TotalEffortSpent: Total effort spent for the stage run, in hours. It is the sum of all the effort logged on the tasks linked to the stage run. Every time the effort spent is updated on the task linked to the stage run, this number is updated.

System fields that could be placed in the Formula Expression of the datetime field result in a date and time output:

• CreatedOn: Date when the stage was created 
• CompletedOn: Date when the stage was completed

System fields that could be placed in the Formula Expression of the user field result in a user's first and last name output:

• CompletedBy: User that has completed the stage run

Record Data

You can get any record data from the system fields listed below using the record field identifier or record template identifier. You need to create a field (alphanumeric, number, date/time or user field) in which you will write the expression in the Formula Expression field. You can access the record data that you want if the record is in the current process or if the record is from another process:

• If you want the system data about the record from the current process, you will write Record[RecordTemplateIdentifier].SystemFieldIdentifier in the Formula Expression of your field. You can use this same syntax for any other field, not just the system field. The system will pull back information from the last created record. 
• If you want the system data about the record from another process, you need to create a record field where the user will choose the exact record in the User Portal. In another field where you want to pull the data (alphanumeric, number, datetime or user field) you will write in the Formula Expression field: RecordTypeFieldIdentifier.SystemFieldIdentifier. The RecordTypeFieldIdentifier is the identifier of the record field type.

System fields that could be placed in the Formula Expression of the alphanumeric field result in a string output:

• Name: Name of the record 
• Template: Name of the record template of the target record
• Status: Record status. String data values can be:
  • Valid
  • Invalid

System field that could be placed in the Formula Expression of the datetime field results in a date and time output:

• CreatedOn: Date and time when the record was created

System field that could be placed in the Formula Expression of the user field results in a user's first and last name output:

• CreatedBy: The user that created the record

System field that could be placed in the Formula Expression of the process field results in a process reference output:

• Process: Reference to process a record is linked to
• Stage: Reference to stage run a record is linked to

System field that could be placed in the Formula Expression of the number field results in a number output:

• Id: Unique identification number of the record

User Data

You can get any of the data about the users from the system fields listed below using the user field identifier. First, create a user field. In order to get user data, you need to create an alphanumeric field in which you will write the expression in the Formula Expression field: UserFieldTypeIdentifier.SystemFieldIdentifier

System fields that could be placed in the Formula Expression of the alphanumeric field:

• FirstName: First name of the user 
• LastName: Last name of the user 
• Email:  User's email
• UserTags:  Returns a list of tags the user is associated with

Accessing Data - Summary

Use square brackets when you want to access the record from the current process the user is in, and you know exactly which record they need (i.e., if there is more than one record, you know which one you need - first, second, last, etc.).

When you want the user to have a dropdown list in the User Portal and to choose a record that they need from the process where they are at that moment, you need to make a link between them using a record reference field.

Complex expressions are possible by dotting record and process variables together, allowing you to access data from different processes and records. However, overly complex expressions should be avoided. 

To summarize - accessing system data can be done by following the logic below:

• Process data can be accessed using:
  • Process.CreatedBy - Used to access the created by property of the current process
  • ProcessReferenceField.CreatedBy - Used to access the created by property of the process referenced in the  prior process reference field

• Stage run data can be accessed using:‍
  • Stage[RequestReview].CreatedOn  - Will access the last run of the Request Review stage in the current process. In this example, the CreatedOn value of the last stage run is accessed. ‍
  • Stage[RequestReview, last].CreatedOn - Alternative expression to access the same data as the previous example.

• To access a specific stage run:‍
  • Stage[RequestReview, 1].CreatedOn - Will access the first run of the Request Review stage in the current process.

• Record data can be accessed using:‍
  • Stage[RequestReview].Record[Approval].CreatedOn - Will access the last record based on the Approval record template from the last stage, Request Review, run. In this example, the CreatedOn value of the last record created in the last stage run is accessed. ‍
  • Stage[RequestReview, last].Record[Approval, last] -‍Alternative expression to access the same data as the previous example.‍
  • Stage[RequestReview].Record[Approval, 1].CreatedOn - Will access the first record based on the Approval record template from the last stage, Request Review, run. In this example, the CreatedOn value of the first record created in the last stage run is accessed.‍
  • Record[Approval, 1].CreatedOn - Will access the first record of type Approval in the whole process.‍
  • Record[Approval, last].CreatedOn - Will access the last record of type Approval in the whole process.

Constants are values that are entered directly into the formula and do not change when the context is changed. They can only be the following types:

• String - Single quotes (' ') are used to indicate the string constant.
  • ‍Examples: 'abc' 'a10' '154.3$'
• Number - Regular numbers can be used.
  • ‍Example: 10, 7.5, -4.0000
• Boolean - Written as true or false.

Note that other data types (mainly references) cannot be used as constants, as such data always depends on the context in the user portal. 

An Item keyword is used to access the specific item from the result set used in formulas in repeatable rows or columns (Item.FieldIdentifier). Namely, they are helping you narrow down the options in the Filter Criteria and enabling the creation of bound tables.

The Item keyword is used as a record reference variable, to access a specific item from the result set of fields in repeatable rows or columns. Item is used in the Formula Expression of fields in repeatable rows or columns where the repeatable option is set to Determined by Record Reference or Determined by Filter.  

In our example on how to make a bound table in Alchemy we configured a bound table in the Work Plan record that is determined by the Literature Search record reference. In this case, the Item keyword will act as a record reference variable, for the Literature Search record.

Since the Item is a record variable, all other options explained in Section 7.1 - Variables are available, as long as they are used inside the repeatable row group. Some use cases are:

• Item - A calculation placed on a record field. Each row in the table (repeatable row group) will have different value i.e. different record
• Item.Process - A calculation placed on a process field. It will serve as a link to access the process in which a certain record is located.
• Item.Process.Status - A calculation to be placed on an alphanumeric field (returns a string variable). It will show  the status of the process where a certain record is located.
• Item.CreatedBy - A calculation placed on a user field. It returns a user who created a certain record.

AND - Performs a logical conjunction of two operands. Returns true if both left and right operands are true, otherwise false.

• Keyword: AND
• Supported operand types: boolean 
• Output type: boolean

OR  - Performs a logical disjunction of two operands. Returns true if the left or right operand is true, otherwise false.

• Keyword: OR
• Supported operand types: boolean 
• Output type: boolean

NOT - Performs a logical negation of one operand. Returns true if the operand is false,  otherwise false.

• Keyword: NOT
• Supported operand types: boolean 
• Output type: boolean

IN - Checks whether all the values of the left operand are all contained in the right operand. Returns true if all the values present in the left operand are a subset of all the values in the right operand. Otherwise, false is returned.

The left and right operand can be a single constant, enumerated constants in brackets, a single field, a single field with multiple values (multiple, column or multiple columns) or an enumerated field in brackets. 

- If the left and right operands are of different types, a warning is generated.

- If the left operand is empty, it returns true. If the right operand is empty, it returns false.

• Keyword: IN
• Supported operand type: boolean, number, string, datetime, process reference, user reference, stage reference
• Output type: boolean

‍

NOT IN - Negation of IN. Returns true if all the values present in the left operand are not a subset of all the values in the right operand. Otherwise, false is returned.

The left and right operands can be a single constant, enumerated constants in brackets, a single field, a single field with multiple values (multiple, column or multiple column) or an enumerated field in brackets.

- If left and right operands are of different types, a warning is generated.

- If the left operand is empty, it returns false.

- If the right operand is empty, it returns true.

• Keyword: NOT IN
• Supported operand type: boolean, number, string, datetime, process reference, user reference
• Output type: boolean

IS SET - Checks whether a value of a field is set. Returns true if the supplied operand contains at least a single value, otherwise false.

- If it is defined to be used on a constant, it always returns true and generates a warning during configuration.

• Keyword: IS SET
• Supported operand type: all
• Output type: boolean
  

‍

NOT SET - Checks whether a value of a field is set. Returns false if the supplied operand contains at least a single value, otherwise true. 

- If it is defined to be used on a constant, it always returns false and generates a warning during configuration.

• Keyword: NOT SET
• Supported operand type: all
• Output type: boolean

‍

IS VALID - Checks if there is any value error at the field template. Returns true if there is no value error, otherwise false.

• Keyword: IS VALID
• Supported operand type: all
• Output type: boolean

‍‍

NOT VALID - Checks if there is any value error at the field template. Returns true if there is a value error, otherwise false.

• Keyword: NOT VALID
• Supported operand type: all
• Output type: boolean

Greater Than - Denotes inequality between two operands, checking if the left operand is greater than the right operand. Returns true if the left operand is greater than the right operand, otherwise false (null value is treated as 0).

• Keyword: >
• Supported operand type: number
• Output type: boolean

‍Greater Than or Equal - Checks if the left operand is greater than or equal to the right operand. Returns true if the left operand is greater than or equal to the right operand, otherwise false.

• Keyword: >=
• Supported operand type: number
• Output type: boolean

‍

Less Than - Denotes inequality between two operands, checking if the left operand is less than the right operand. Returns true if the left operand is less than the right operand, otherwise false.

• Keyword: <
• Supported operand type: number
• Output type: boolean

‍

‍Less Than or Equal - Checks if the left operand is less than or equal to the right operand. Returns true if the left operand is less than or equal to the right operand, otherwise false.

• Keyword: <=
• Supported operand type: number
• Output type: boolean

‍‍

Equal - Compares two operands for equality. Returns true if the left operand is equal to the right operand, otherwise false.

• Keyword: ==
• Supported operand type: string, number, boolean, datetime, user reference
• Output type: boolean 

- Text fields are equal if all the characters are the same (comparison is case sensitive) and the text is of the same length. If the value of both operands is null value or an empty string, equals returns true.

- Numbers are equal if the numeric value is the same, regardless of the precision. (i.e. 1 == 1.000 will return true).

- Boolean is equal if both operands have the same value (true and true, false and false).

- Date comparison returns true if every part of the date is the same. Namely, equals returns true if the day, month and year part of the date is the same for both operands, otherwise false (comparison is done in UTC - Coordinated Universal Time).

- Link comparison works the same as text comparison.

- File comparison (when attachment field types are compared) returns true if both operands contain the same file path, otherwise false.

- Process reference comparison returns true if both operands contain the same process ID, otherwise false.

- Stage reference comparison returns true if both operands contain the same stage name, otherwise false.

- User reference comparison returns true if both operands contain the same user ID, otherwise false.

- If empty fields are compared (Null values - no value present) comparison returns true.

A comparison between two operands of different types always returns false and a validation error is generated.

‍‍

Not Equal - Compares two operands for inequality. Works the exact opposite of the equals operator.

• Keyword: ! =
• Supported operand type: string, number, boolean, datetime, process reference, user reference, file, link
• Output type: boolean 

Assignment operator - Used to assign value from the right side to the variable on the left side

• Keyword: =
• Supported operand type: Any
• Left operand: field, local variable or element of array
• Right operand: Any type

Examples: 

• See Section 4.6.4 Button; Examples 1 and 2
• array[index] = element; gets value of element on i position
• struct[key] = text; put element for exact key or change it if already exist
  

‍

Addition/Concatenation - Performs numeric addition or string concatenation, depending on operand type.

• Keyword: +
• Supported operand type: string, number, datetime, user reference, and link. Process and record reference can be used as a way to have access to some field that you want to add, through dotting.‍
• Output type: string, number

If two numbers are added together, the resulting number is the sum of the operands with the precision of the number to the furthest decimal.

If two string values are added together, the result is a string value formed by concatenating the two operands.

- If a number and string value are added together, the resulting value is a string that is made by concatenating the string and the string representation of the number. The decimal places format is conserved in the string conversion.

- If the addition results in a number that is higher or lower than the target field defined max/min, an error will be shown by the frontend validator. For example, if you adjust min and max for the pH field as 1 and 14, an error will be shown in the event that pH1 + pH2 = 14.2 since it is greater than 14. 

- If the addition results in a number greater than 2,147,483,647 an out-of-range error is shown.  

- If the addition result is a number smaller than -2,147,483,647 an out-of-range error is shown.  

- An error is shown if a string is too long and will be shortened with “...” appended at the end.

- If any of the other operand supported types is used with this operator, the values are converted to their string representation and a concatenation of string values is performed.

‍

Subtraction - Performs numeric subtraction of two operands. 

• Keyword: -
• Supported operand type: number
• Output type: number

- If two numbers are subtracted, the resulting number is the result of the subtraction of the second operand from the first operand. The result is a number with the precision of the operand to the furthest decimal.

- If subtraction results in a number that is higher or lower than the target field defined max/min, an error will be shown by the frontend validator.

- If subtraction results in a number greater than 2,147,483,647, an out-of-range error is shown.  

- If subtraction results in a number smaller than -2,147,483,648, an out-of-range error is shown.

‍‍

Multiplication - Performs numeric multiplication of two operands.

• Keyword: *
• Supported operand type: number
• Output type: number

- If two numbers are multiplied, the resulting number is the result of multiplication of the two operands. The result is a number with the precision of the operand to the furthest decimal.

- If multiplication results in a number that is higher or lower than the target field defined max/min, an error will be shown.

- If multiplication results in a number greater than 2,147,483,647, an out-of-range error is shown.

- If multiplication results in a number smaller than -2,147,483,648, an out-of-range error is shown.

‍‍

Division - Performs numeric division of two operands.

• Keyword: /
• Supported operand type: number
• Output type: number

- If two numbers are divided, the resulting number is the result of dividing the left operand with the right operand. The result is a number with the precision of the operand to the furthest decimal. 

- If division results in a number that is higher or lower than the target field defined max/min, an error is shown.

- If division results in a number greater than 2,147,483,647, an out-of-range error is shown.  

- If division results in a number smaller than -2,147,483,648, an out-of-range error is shown.

- If the right operand is 0, a divide by zero result is returned.

‍‍

Negation - Changes the sign of the number. Transfers it from a negative to a positive or vice versa. 

• Keyword: #
• Supported operand type: number
• Output type: number

‍‍

MOD - Calculates the remainder after the number is divided by a divisor. The result has the same sign as the divisor. Number a is dividend, number b is divisor.

• Keyword: MOD(a%b)
• Supported operand type: number
• Output type: number

7.5 User Tag Expressions

As previously mentioned, we use tags to define which users will be assigned certain privileges,  tasks or notifications. This can be done by using User Tag Expressions. The available User Tag expression formulas are:

• HAS_ANY_TAG - Returns a list of users that have at least one of the tags under the expression. Tags are added using the word Tag and Tag Name inside the square brackets, with multiple entries separated by a comma. Examples include:‍
  • HAS_ANY_TAG(Tag[LabManager], Tag[Chemist], Tag[Technician]) - This expression returns a list of users who have the tag LabManager, Chemist or Technician.‍
  • HAS_ANY_TAG(Tag[Sales], Tag[Marketing]) - This expression returns a list of users who have the tag Sales or Marketing.

• HAS_ALL_TAGS - Returns a list of users that have all of the tags under the expression. Tags are added using the word Tag and Tag Name inside the square brackets, with multiple entries separated by a comma. Examples include:‍
  • HAS_ALL_TAGS(Tag[Chemist], Tag[SynthesisLab]) - This expression returns a list of users who have tags Chemist and SynthesisLab.‍
  • HAS_ALL_TAGS(Tag[Chemist], Tag[ApplicationLab]) - This expression returns a list of users who have tags Chemist and ApplicationLab.‍
  • HAS_ALL_TAGS(Tag[Sales], Tag[Americas]) - This expression returns a list of users who have tags Sales and Americas.

You can further combine user tag expressions HAS_ANY_TAG and HAS_ALL_TAGS with functions. Two functions are applicable for use with user tags and user tag expressions:

• UNION - Creates a list of users by adding all the users given under the all user tag expressions. In the following example, resulting users will be: a user who has the tag [Chemist] or tag [SynthesisLab], plus the Lab Manager tag.
  Example:
  • ‍UNION(HAS_ANY_TAG(Tag[Chemist], Tag[SynthesisLab]),HAS_ALL_TAGS(Tag[LabManager]))

• INTERSECT - Returns a list of users that are contained in each user tag expression. In the following example, the resulting users are only Chemists who are located in North America and work in the Synthesis Lab (i.e. users who have all three tags).
  Example: 
  • ‍INTERSECT(HAS_ALL_TAGS(Tag[Chemists], Tag[SynthesisLab]),HAS_ALL_TAGS(Tag[NorthAmerica])

Functions are expressions in Alchemy that can use one or more inputs, given in brackets (), and perform complex calculations before returning the output. 

Functions that are the most frequently used are explained below with examples. Detailed list and explanations of Functions used in action scripts, Trigonometric functions, Miscellaneous mathematical functions, String functions, Statistical functions, Date and Time functions and Array functions are given in the Alchemy Script User Manual.

IFS - Checks whether one or more conditions are met and returns the value that corresponds to the first true condition.

It accepts parameters in pairs, where the first parameter in the pair must evaluate to a boolean or an error is generated. The second parameter can be a constant, variable or another expression. The first parameter is considered an expression before the comma, and the second one is after the comma.

• Keyword: IFS
• Supported operand type: All
• Output type: Any

- If the first parameter in a pair evaluates to true, the function returns the second parameter of the pair.

- If IFS is defined with an odd number of parameters, an error is generated.

- If IFS is defined without parameters, an error is generated.

‍

SQRT - A function that calculates the square root of the operand. When performed on an operand, it finds the square root of the number. 

• Keyword: SQRT
• Supported operand type: number
• Output type: number

- If the operand is negative, it returns an error. 

- If the function is performed on an empty value, it returns 0. 

- If square root is used on a negative constant, a warning is shown. 

- If square root is used on a number whose minimum is less than 0, a warning is shown.

‍

POW - A function that calculates the result of a number raised to a power. Returns the value of the first operand (before the comma) being raised to the power of the second operand (after the comma). The second operand needs to be an integer.

• Keyword: POW
• Supported operand type: number
• Output type: number
  

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ABS - Returns the absolute value of a number or the operand (value without the sign).

• Keyword: ABS
• Supported operand type: number
• Output type: number
  

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SUM - Returns the sum of all the values of a multiple value property or all the values in a column. Adds all the values of the specified field or constant.

• Keyword: SUM
• Supported operand type: number
• Output type: number

- If used on a constant number, the result is that number.

- If used on a single value field that belongs to a simple type group, a warning is issued during configuration. In that case, SUM will return the value of that field. If used on a constant, a warning is issued.

- If used on a field that is marked as multiple, all the values are added together and returned.

- If used on a single value field in a table (repeatable row or repeatable column group) all the values in all the rows are added together.

- If used on a multiple value field in a table, all the values in all the rows and all the multiple values within a single cell are added.

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‍LOG - Calculates the logarithm (base 10) of the value in argument.

• Keyword: LOG
• Supported operand type: Number
• Output type: Number
  

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COUNT - Counts all the values of a multiple value property or all the values in a column. This function counts all the values of the specified field or constant.

• Keyword: COUNT
• Supported operand type: All
• Output type: number

- If used on a single value field that belongs to a simple type group, a warning is issued during configuration. It will return 1 if there is value, 0 otherwise. If used on a constant, a warning is issued.

- If used on a field that is marked as multiple, all the values are counted.

- If used on a single value field in a table (repeatable row or repeatable column group) all the values in all the rows are counted.

- If used on a multiple value field in a table, all the values in all the rows and all the multiple values within a single cell are counted together.

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ROW_COUNT - Counts rows or columns of a certain field. 

• Keyword: ROW_COUNT
• Supported operand type: All
• Output type: number

-  If it is used on a constant, the result is 1. If it is used on a single value field (multiple=false) that belongs to a group that is a single type, a warning is issued during configuration. It will return 1 if there is value, 0 otherwise. 

-  If it is used on a field that is marked as multiple (multiple=true, groupType=SINGLE) the  result is 1.

-  If it is used on a single value field in a table (multiple=false, groupType!=SINGLE) the result is the number of rows or columns.

 -  If used on a multiple value field in a table (multiple=true, groupType!=SINGLE) the result is the number of rows or columns.

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AVERAGE - Calculates the average (arithmetic mean) of all the values of a multiple value property or all the values in a column. This function works by adding together all the values and then dividing it by the number of values. It calculates the average of the specified field or constant.

• Keyword: AVERAGE
• Supported operand type: number
• Output type: number

- If used on a constant number, the result is that number. If used on a single value field that belongs to a simple type group, a warning is issued during configuration. It will return that number as a result. If used on a constant, a warning is issued.

- If used on a field that is marked as multiple, all the values are added together and divided.

- If used on a single value field in a table (repeatable row or repeatable column group) all the values in all the rows are added together and divided.

- If used on a multiple value field in a table, all the values in all the rows and all the multiple values within a single cell are added together and divided by the total count of all the values.

- It is identical to SUM(n)/COUNT(n).

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TODAY - A function that returns current date, in UTC, and can be parameterized optionally.

• Keyword: TODAY
• Supported operand type: number
• Output type: datetime

- When defined without parameters, it returns the current timestamp without seconds.

- When defined with parameters, the first parameter represents offset in days, the second represents hours and the third represents minutes For example, TODAY(2, 0, 0) will return a UTC date that is two days from now, while TODAY(0, -1, 0) will return a UTC date that is one hour in the past.

- If a parameter is not supplied, it is assumed to be 0.

- When a non-integer number is supplied as a parameter, a warning is generated.

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DATE_FORMAT - A function that returns a text representation of a date input based on the supplied format.

• Keyword: DATE_FORMAT
• Supported operand type: Date and Time as first operand, string as second operand
• Output type: string

- The first parameter is the Date and Time variable.

- The second parameter is the format, provided as a string. You can use any of the formats supported by Alchemy.

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ROUND - Rounds the number to the given precision. It is rounded using half-up mode. For example, everything above 12.5 will be shown as 13, and everything below 12.5 will be shown as 11. If the number that is rounded is 12.5, 13 will be shown.

• Keyword: ROUND
• Supported operand type: number
• Output type: number

- Rounds the first operand to the number of digits supplied in the second operand. For example, ROUND(12.5, 0) 13 will be shown, while ROUND(12.54, 1) will show 12.5.

- If the second operand is less than 0, 0 is returned as a result.

- When the rounding has more digits than the source number (first operand), the result number has its precision increased.

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TRANSITION_FROM - Checks whether the activation path is coming from the selected stage. Returns true if stage activation is coming from the specified stage, otherwise false. It can only be used in process template rules (i.e., in conditions for actions) and an error is generated if used in other types of formulas.

• Keyword: TRANSITION_FROM
• Supported operand type: stage reference
• Output type: boolean

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HAS_ANY_TAG - Returns a list of users that have any of the supplied tags.

• Keyword: HAS_ANY_TAG
• Supported operand type: tag
• Output type: list of users

- If no tags are supplied, a warning is generated.

- If the same tag is passed multiple times a warning is generated.

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HAS_ALL_TAGS - Returns a list of users that have all of the supplied tags.

• Keyword: HAS_ALL_TAGS
• Supported operand type: tag
• Output type: list of users

- If no tags are supplied, a warning is generated.

- If the same tag is passed multiple times a warning is generated.

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INTERSECT - Calculates the intersection between multiple lists of the same type. Only the values that are found in all the supplied lists are returned.

• Keyword: INTERSECT
• Supported operand type: All, but must be of the same type
• Output type: List of results of the same type as provided parameters

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UNION - Calculates the union between multiple lists of the same type. All the values that are found in all the supplied lists are returned. List members are not repeated if found multiple times.

• Keyword: UNION
• Supported operand type: All, but must be of the same type
• Output type: List of results of the same type as provided parameters

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‍CREATED_BY - Determines if the process has been created by supplied users. Returns true if one of the supplied users has created the process, otherwise false.

• Keyword: CREATED_BY
• Supported operand type: List of users
• Output type: boolean

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‍PATTERN - Returns an auto-incremented pattern based on the supplied pattern in the operand. A defined pattern supports letters (a, b, c, d, etc.), digits (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) and date and time. The Maximum length of this field is 255 characters.

Alchemy supports single pattern definition. If multiple patterns are defined in a formula, an error is generated. If you need a pattern to start from the specific number you can use the following expression: PATTERN('NN','41'), where 41 can be any two digits number. 

• Keyword: PATTERN
• Supported operand type: string
• Output type: string

Pattern parameters:

• N - Single digit
• A - Single letter uppercase
• a - Single letter lowercase
• YYYY - Current year represented as 4 digits (2019 - Present)
• MM - Current month represented as 2 digits (1 -12)
• MMM - Current month represented as 3 chars (Jan, Feb, Mar, etc.)
• DD - Current date represented as 2 digits (1 - 31)
• hh - Current hours represented as 2 digits (00 to 23)
• mm - Current minutes represented as 2 digits (1 to 59)
• ss - Current seconds represented as 2 digits (1 to 59)
• characters '-', '/', '.', '_', whitespaces,  and ':' can be used as delimiter characters inside the pattern. They are just there to make the pattern more readable, but they are not breaking the pattern.

Each time you reach the end of the pattern limits, the pattern will restart from the beginning. So if you use N for single digits, when N reaches 9, it will start from the 1 again; the same thing applies for letters. This does not apply for the time-based pattern values, since their values are dependent on the current date and time, but changes of these values influence the resetting of the values from there (i.e., if you are counting Lab Works per date, the pattern would start from the beginning with the new day). Date values are calculated in the time zone from which the request is coming from. 

KEY_PATTERN - Returns an auto incremented pattern based on the supplied pattern in the operand.

• Keyword: KEY_PATTERN
• Supported operand type: string
• Output type: string

- The first parameter defines the prefix for the pattern. The prefix can be a constant or field value.

- The second parameter is the pattern value and the same rule used in the PATTERN function can be applied.

- The third parameter is optional. It defines which value is the starting point from which the pattern should count and can be a constant or field value.

TextField + KEY_PATTERN(TextField, 'NNN') - Shows pattern value with the KEY KEY_PATTERN(TextField,'N') - Shows pattern value
KEY_PATTERN('Text','NN','23') - Shows pattern value starting from 23
KEY_PATTERN('Text','NN',TextFieldWithNumber)

The value of KEY_PATTERN will reset with the change of KEY. If the configurator decides to return the previous KEY in the calculation, the pattern will continue to calculate from the last value that KEY returned before the change is made.

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STAGE_COMPLETED_BY - Determines if the stage has been completed by supplied users. Returns true if one of the supplied users has completed the stage, otherwise false.

• Keyword: STAGE_COMPLETED_BY
• Supported operand type: tag
• Output type: boolean
  

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RUN_COUNT - Returns the number of runs the given Stage has.

• Keyword: RUN_COUNT
• Supported operand type: Stage reference
• Output type: number

‍‍

CONVERT_UNIT - Converts the provided number value in the desired unit.

• Keyword: CONVERT_UNIT
• Supported operand type: number
• Output type: number

- UnitField and UnitFieldToConvert are alphanumeric values, which have to be exact with defined units in the system, otherwise an error will be thrown. 

- In case UnitFieldToConvert is not provided, the result of the conversion will be the same as a value of ValueToConvertField. 

- In case there is a conversion from one Unit Type to another additional parameter, it needs to be defined as a JSON object in form like: 

Refer to Appendix 1 in the ELN & LIMS User Manual for supported units and their abbreviations.

Fields with and without margins (4.3.1 Creating a New Field in the Record Template)

Hidden Fields - Project Scoring (4.4 Field’s Function Tab)

Calculation Formula Example - average value of three measurements (4.4 Field’s Function Tab)

Uniqueness on the system level (4.5.2 Alphanumeric)

Choosing the Material in the Formulation (4.5.9 Record)

Show only the list of Lot numbers from a chosen material (4.5.9 Record)

Show only the list of finished goods from all products available (4.5.9 Record)

Process Filter Criteria according to process status (4.5.10 Process)

Assigning the Sample Preparation to a specific Chemist (4.5.11 User)

Simple Group - fields related to the same topic and visibility condition (4.6.1 Simple Group)

Visibility Conditions - selection of the pH test (4.6.1 Simple Group)

Visibility condition - test selected on another record (4.6.1 Simple Group)

A horizontal table in Alchemy (4.6.2 Repeatable Row option - Defined by User)

Number of rows determined by number of samples (4.6.2 Repeatable Row option - Determined by formula)

Number of rows automatically determined by number of tests created (4.6.2 Repeatable Row option - Determined by Filter)

Operator AND (4.7.1 Formulas in Visibility Conditions)

Operator OR (4.7.1 Formulas in Visibility Conditions)

Combination of operators AND, IN and OR (4.7.1 Formulas in Visibility Conditions)

Operator IS SET (4.7.1 Formulas in Visibility Conditions)

System field in Filter Expression (4.7.2 Formulas in Filter Expressions)

Operator in Filter Expression (4.7.2 Formulas in Filter Expressions)

Use of Operator and SystemFiled in Filter Expression (4.7.2 Formulas in Filter Expressions)

Filter the Formulation records according to status (4.7.2 Formulas in Filter Expressions)

Filter the Formulation selection according to the batch size (4.7.2 Formulas in Filter Expressions)

Filter records based on alphanumeric fields (4.7.2 Formulas in Filter Expressions)

Lab Work Startup Process (5. Process Templates)

Lab Work Title in the User Portal (5.2.2 Process Title in the User Portal)

Privileges for Process Lab Work Startup and its Stages (5.3 Privileges)

Setting Priority for Lab Work (5.3.2 Set Priority Privileges)

Stage: Request (5.6 Stages)

Stage Duration (5.6.2 Editing Stage Properties)

Record Templates in Lab Work stage (5.6.3 Adding Record Templates to a Stage)

Request Approval 1 - making a pattern for the Approval Record Template (5.6.4 Using Patterns for Record Names)

Setting up a minimum and maximum number of records in the Lab Work Request stage (5.6.5 Number of Records)

Setting up a minimum and maximum number of records in the LWR Approval stage (5.6.5 Number of Records)

Sequential progress from LWR Approval to Lab Work Stage (5.7.4 Action Conditions)

Loop between stage Request and  Request Approval (5.7.4 Action Conditions)

Looping from Request Approval to Request (5.7.4 Action Conditions)

Writing Subject and Description for a task on the Request Approval stage (5.7.5 Adding Create Task Action)

Task assignment to the person who has created the process (5.7.5 Adding Create Task Action)

Creating a record LWR Approval as action on activated Request Approval Stage (5.7.7 Adding Create Record Action)

Field value used in calculation in same record (7.1 Variables)

Accessing a field through record reference (7.1.1 Reference Variables)

Number of rows determined by number of samples (7.1.1 Reference Variables)

Record field to use data from another process (7.1.1 Reference Variables)

Process field to use data from another process (7.1.1 Reference Variables)

Multiple record of the same record template (7.1.1 Reference Variables)

System data from the current process (7.1.2 System Data Variables)

System data from another process (7.1.2 System Data Variables)

Effort spent for Application Testing visible in Lab Work Review (7.1.2 System Data Variables)

Record Formulation 2 completion date (7.1.2 System Data Variables)

Email of the responsible person for the Technical Call (7.1.2 System Data Variables)

Transition condition with logical operator AND (7.4.1 Logical Operators)

Calculation Formula based on Status of the Formulation (7.4.1 Logical Operators)

Today’s date (7.6 Functions)

Request Review task subject based on TRANSITION_FROM (7.6 Functions)

Lab Work Title in the User Portal (7.6 Functions)

Naming Characterization Tests record (7.6 Functions)

Changing KEY will reset the KEY_PATTERN (7.6 Functions)

Using tag expressions to assign privileges (7.5 User Tag Expressions)

Best practice: Use Label Type Field to create Title on record template. If the record template is complex and contains a great number of fields, it is best to divide the record template in subsections using subtitles. Labels are used to give names to columns in a Table.

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Alphanumeric

BE CAREFUL: When adding a new field, be careful that the name and identifier of this field are not the same as the name and identifier of some other field that was previously deleted. If you have a situation like this, make sure you follow these steps:

1. Delete the field
2. Back propagate - Ensures the field is registered for the first time
3. Add a new field
4. Back propagate

If you would like to keep the values from the field you are deleting, refer to the following example.

BE CAREFUL: When deleting a field of one type (e.g. alphanumeric field) in order to create a new field of another type (e.g. record reference field), ensure the name and identifier of the new field are not the same as the name and identifier of the field that you are deleting. 

First check if you DO or DO NOT need the value from the field you want to delete. If you DO need the values, follow these steps:

1. Add a new field
2. Back propagate - Ensures the field is registered for the first time
3. Add a calculation to pull the values from the old field to the new field
4. Back propagate
5. Remove the calculation
6. Back propagate
7. Delete the old field
8. Back propagate

If you DO NOT need the values, follow these steps:

1. Delete the field
2. Back propagate
3. Add a new field
4. Back propagate

Actions depend on the field type and what is updated for the field. See the examples below.

Single Field to a Field in Repeatable Row

1. Put the Single field in the Repeatable Row
2. Back propagate

In this case you will have only the information for the first value. Other fields in the table will be empty since they do not have the values.

BE CAREFUL: If you are adding a Single Field into an already existing Repeatable Row, it should not cause any problems. On the other hand, if you are adding a Repeatable Row itself, then the value of the Single field will be lost because the Repeatable Row will have 0 row by default. Consequently, you should follow these steps:

1. Create the Repeatable Row; defined by Formula (Calculation: 1)
2. Back propagate
3. Make the Repeatable Row User Defined
4. Back propagate

Single Field in Simple Group to Field in Repeatable Row - NOT RECOMMENDED

1. Replace the field from the Simple group to make the field Single, out of the group
2. Back propagate
3. Put the Single field in the Repeatable Row
4. Back propagate

Field from the Repeatable Row to Multiple Single Field

1. Add a new Single field and check the Allow Multiple checkbox
2. Back propagate
3. Add a calculation in order to pull the values from the field in Repeatable Row to Multiple Single field
4. Back propagate
5. Remove the calculation
6. Back propagate
7. Delete the old field

BE CAREFUL: If you are adding a new field that you want to pull to a bound table, make sure you connect it to the table immediately. If the values are entered before the connection is made, those values will not be pulled into the bound table once the field is connected to it. 

If you are making a new bound table in one record that needs to pull the data from a certain field in some other record, follow these steps:

1. Create a field in one record and a bound table in another and connect them
2. Back propagate
3. Add a calculation to pull the values from the old field into the new field
4. Back propagate
5. Remove the calculation from the field
6. Back propagate
7. Delete the old field