Secret Custom Format (for Date) in Webi

Hello everyone,

Update as of 6/15/2016 9:40 AM EST:

I found that there is another secret format, to show Week Number of a Year, define the custom format as (ww). You can also use this format in a variable with FormatDate function as =FormatDate([Date];”ww”), it will return the Week Number of the Year.

Did anyone notice the secret custom format (for Date) available/that works in Webi report?

Apparently, we can easily format the Dates to show Quarters as Q1/Q2/Q3/Q4, I just discovered it for myself. I don’t know how many people knew about it or since which version is this available or is not a secret anymore, I’m using BO 4.1 SP5.

Step 1:

In a sample report, add Date column twice in a table.

Step 2:

Right click on the 2nd column -> select Format Number -> in Format Number window, select Date/Time -> and from Sample select any one (screenshot has Sep 21, 2004 selected) -> click Custom

Step 3:

Update the Custom Format

From (Mmm d’, ‘yyyy) (or whatever else)

To (qq yyyy) as shown below and click Add to close this window and OK on the Format Number window to close it.

Voila, we unlocked the secret custom format. Now the reports looks like below:

Update to this post as of 10/02/2015 8:53 am (EST)

I just realized that this custom format (for Quarters) has been added in Information Design Tool’s feature where we Edit Display Format of an object. Check it out, its great and very helpful.

Update to this post as of 10/14/2015 4:12 pm (EST)

This can be done only in Java Applet mode (and Webi Rich Client) as most of you already know that HTML mode doesn’t let us create Custom Formats.

Update to this post as of 12/27/2016 3:48pm (EST):
Another secret format that works, set the custom format as ww, it shows the week number, it can be used in the formula of a variable as =FormatDate([Date];”ww”)

Thanks,
Mahboob Mohammed