3 New DBRW Features in Slice

Since its introduction, DBRW has become the most popular function for Excel reports in the IBM Planning Analytics (TM1) community. Slice extends DBRW with three powerful features that go beyond standard TM1 functionality.

Feature 1 – Virtual Consolidations

Virtual Consolidations let you sum multiple TM1 elements on the fly — without creating a formal consolidation in the TM1 model.

How to create a Virtual Consolidation:

1. Double-click on a cell containing a SUBNM function to open the Set Editor.

2. CTRL+click the elements you want to roll up.

3. Apply the change. The cell will display a # prefix followed by the selected elements, for example:

The default operation is sum, but subtraction (-), multiplication (*), and division (/) are also supported.

Tip: You can also enter the virtual consolidation string manually into any cell and reference it from a DBRW formula — no SUBNM formula required.

Feature 2 – Virtual Expressions

Virtual Expressions allow on-the-fly MDX-based calculations directly in a worksheet. Functions such as AVG, MIN, MAX, and STDDEV can be used.

Syntax:

A Virtual Expression starts with ##, followed by the MDX function and element set. It replaces the SUBNM cell reference in the DBRW formula.

Feature 3 – Cell Range or Named Range References in DBRW

Slice allows you to reference a named range or a range of cells directly inside a DBRW formula, aggregating all values in the range automatically.

Example:

Define a named range TopSalesModels containing a list of the top 5 sales models. Then use it in DBRW:

Slice will sum all elements in TopSalesModels for the given dimension intersection — enabling dynamic, real-time reporting without modifying the cube structure.