Meet Notion's Formula Property: Part 1

Summary

The video script introduces the Formula property in Notion as a powerful feature that automates calculations and reformatting of data within databases. Users can create new properties with the formula type to generate unique values for each item by writing formulas that perform operations on other properties' values. The script covers the basics of formula composition, including the use of operators for arithmetic and concatenation, and the use of functions that package these operations. It also explains how to reference other properties within a formula to create dynamic and context-specific values. The importance of value types is emphasized, with examples of how operators behave differently with numbers and strings. The script concludes with a teaser for further resources and videos that delve deeper into formula conditions and advanced examples, encouraging users to explore the full potential of Notion's formula capabilities.

Takeaways

• 🔢 The Formula property in Notion is a powerful feature that can automatically generate values for each item in a database by executing a predefined formula.
• 📚 Users can reference three resources on Notion VIP for learning about formulas: a video introduction, a collection of examples, and a cheat sheet with all functions, operators, and constants.
• ✅ Formulas can perform calculations using other property values or reformat values, such as calculating a player's age from their birthday or adding context to a number.
• 💡 To write a formula, you create a new property, select the 'Formula' type, and compose your formula using either operators or functions.
• 🔧 Operators are symbols that perform actions on values, like addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*), division (/), and modulo (%).
• 📝 Functions are like packaged operations that require specific arguments and can perform more complex tasks than operators.
• 📌 Literal values are directly input into the formula and used for every iteration, while constants are predefined values like mathematical constants or booleans.
• 🔑 To reference another property's value, use the `prop` function, specifying the property name as an argument.
• 📈 Value types are crucial in formulas; they include numbers, text strings, dates, and booleans, and must match the expected input types of operators and functions.
• 🧩 Concatenation can be achieved using the `+` operator with text strings, the `concat` function, or the `join` function with a specified separator.
• 📐 Notion automatically aligns numbers to the right and strings to the left, which can help identify the value type in a formula.
• 🔄 Conversion between value types is possible using functions like `format` to convert numbers to strings and `to_number` to convert strings to numbers.

Q & A

What is the Formula property in Notion?

The Formula property in Notion is a feature that allows users to automatically generate values for each item in a database by conducting a series of operations defined by the user through a formula. It can reference other properties for each item, and because those properties vary from item to item, the output of the formulas will also vary.

How can the Formula property be used to calculate new values in Notion?

The Formula property can be used to calculate new values by combining or manipulating the values of other properties. For example, it can concatenate a first name and last name to create a full name, or it can calculate a person's age by finding the difference between their birthday and the current date.

What are the three resources available on Notion VIP for learning about formulas?

The three resources available on Notion VIP are: 1) A guide called 'Meet Notion's Formula Property' corresponding with a video, 2) A collection of simple and useful formula examples with a corresponding video, and 3) A cheat sheet that includes every Notion function, operator, and constant with descriptions and examples, as well as patterns for formatting dates within Notion.

How do you create a new Formula property in Notion?

To create a new Formula property, you add a new property as you would with any other type, but for the type, you choose 'Formula'. You can then compose your formula by clicking the top of the property and choosing 'Edit formula' or by clicking any cell beneath it to open the formula composition window.

What are the two ways to define actions in a Notion formula?

In a Notion formula, actions can be defined using either operators or functions. Operators are characters placed between two values to perform an action, such as '+' for addition or '*' for multiplication. Functions are more complex and consist of a keyword followed by a set of parentheses, where you put your inputs (known as arguments).

How does the Formula property use literal values?

Literal values in the Formula property are values that are input directly into the formula and do not reference another property. They will be the same for every iteration of the formula. An example is using the number '2' or a text string 'age' in a formula to ensure it appears the same across all database items.

What is the purpose of the 'prop' function in Notion formulas?

The 'prop' function in Notion formulas is used to reference another property within the formula. It takes the name of the property to be referenced as an argument and allows the formula to use the value of that property for each specific item in the database.

How can you reformat values in Notion using formulas?

Reformatting values in Notion using formulas can be achieved through the use of functions that format dates or through concatenation to combine text strings with other values. For example, you can append the text 'age: ' before a numerical value representing age to provide context.

What are the four primary types of input values that Notion accepts in formulas?

The four primary types of input values that Notion accepts in formulas are numbers, text strings, dates, and boolean values (true or false).

Why is it important to pay attention to value types when using Notion formulas?

It is important to pay attention to value types in Notion formulas because every operator and function accepts certain types of inputs. Using incorrect or inconsistent value types can result in errors. Ensuring the correct value types are used guarantees that the formula operates as intended and produces accurate results.

How can you convert a number to a string or a string to a number in Notion formulas?

Notion provides the 'format' function to convert a number to a string and the 'to_number' function to convert a string to a number. The 'format' function is particularly useful for concatenating a numerical value with a text string.

What is the 'now' function used for in Notion formulas?

The 'now' function in Notion formulas is used to generate the current date. It accepts no arguments and is always up-to-date with the current date, making it useful for calculating time intervals such as a person's age.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Notion's Formula Property

The video introduces the Formula property in Notion as a powerful yet underutilized feature. It emphasizes the potential of formulas to enhance Notion workspaces and mentions three resources for further learning: a video tutorial, a collection of formula examples, and a cheat sheet covering all Notion functions, operators, constants, and date formatting patterns. The Formula property is explained as a unique feature that automatically generates values for each item in a database by executing a user-defined formula, often referencing other properties to produce varying outputs. An example is given on how to create and use a simple formula to add two numbers.

05:02

🔢 Formulas for Calculations and Reformatting

This paragraph delves into the two main uses of formulas: calculating new values from existing property values and reformatting values. Examples include creating a full name from first and last names, calculating a person's age, and determining the tax and total price of items in an online store order database. The paragraph also highlights the use of formulas in enhancing the presentation of information, such as adding context to a player's age in a gallery view. The basics of formula composition are introduced, including answering high-level questions about actions, inputs, and conditions, with a focus on actions and inputs in this segment.

10:03

🧩 Understanding Operators and Functions

The paragraph explains the difference between operators and functions in the context of Notion formulas. Operators are basic symbols that perform actions between two values, such as addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*), division (/), and modulus (%). Functions are more complex, described as packaged operations that require specific arguments. The paragraph also touches on how operators can act differently based on the types of values they are used with, such as the plus sign concatenating text strings instead of adding numbers. The concept of literal values and constants as inputs for formulas is introduced, with examples provided.

15:05

📝 Referencing Properties and Concatenation Techniques

This section focuses on how to reference other properties within a formula using the prop function and how to concatenate values to create new information, such as combining a first name and last name to form a full name. It also discusses alternative methods for concatenation, such as using the concat and join functions. The importance of understanding how formulas use the values from referenced properties to generate different outputs for each item in the database is emphasized.

20:07

🔡 Value Types and Their Significance in Formulas

The importance of value types in Notion formulas is discussed, with a focus on how operators and functions accept specific types of inputs. The four primary input types in Notion are numbers, text strings, dates, and boolean values. The paragraph explains how the plus sign can act as both an arithmetic operator and a concatenation operator depending on the context. It also covers how to use the now function to generate the current date and how to calculate the difference between two dates. The rendering of true and false values as checkboxes in Notion is highlighted, along with the use of constants like pi in calculations.

25:09

🚫 Handling Type Mismatch Errors and Conversion Functions

The final paragraph addresses the potential for type mismatch errors when using incorrect value types in formulas and the importance of aligning value types correctly. It provides a trick to identify value types by their alignment in the interface: numbers align to the right and strings to the left. The paragraph introduces two functions for converting value types: format, which converts numbers to text strings, and to number, which converts strings to numbers. An example is given on how to concatenate a text string with a number after converting the number to a string. The paragraph concludes with a reminder of the resources available for learning more about Notion's Formula property.

Keywords

💡Formula Property

The formula property in Notion is a feature that allows users to automatically generate values for each item in a database by conducting a series of operations defined by the user through a formula. It is a powerful tool for creating dynamic and calculated content within a Notion workspace. In the video, it is used to calculate new values from existing properties, such as creating a full name from first and last names or calculating a player's age from their birthday.

💡Literal Values

Literal values in the context of Notion's formula property are fixed inputs that do not change from one database item to another. They are directly entered into the formula and used in every iteration, making them ideal for consistent elements like labels or titles. For example, in the script, '2 & 2' are literal values used to demonstrate a basic arithmetic operation within a formula.

💡Property Reference

Property reference is the method by which a formula in Notion accesses the values of other properties within the same database item. This allows for dynamic and unique outputs for each item based on its specific property values. The script demonstrates this by showing how to concatenate a first name and last name from separate properties to create a full name.

💡Concatenation Operator

The concatenation operator in Notion's formula property is used to combine or merge text strings. When the plus sign is placed between two strings of text, it concatenates them instead of performing arithmetic addition. This is shown in the script where '2 & 2' within quotation marks results in the text '2 & 2' rather than the numeric sum of 4.

💡Functions

Functions in Notion's formula property are pre-defined operations that can be used to perform more complex calculations or manipulations than basic operators. They consist of a keyword followed by parentheses containing the required arguments. Functions can take one or more arguments and can be categorized into logic, numeric, text, and date/time functions. An example from the script is the 'add' function, which performs addition, similar to the arithmetic operator '+' but within the context of a formula.

💡Operators

Operators in the formula property are symbols that perform actions on values in a formula. They include arithmetic operators like '+' for addition and '-' for subtraction, as well as concatenation operators when used with text strings. Operators are fundamental to defining actions within a formula, as shown in the script where the addition operator is used to sum two numbers or concatenate two text strings.

💡Value Types

Value types refer to the different kinds of data that can be used in Notion's formula property, including numbers, text strings, dates, and boolean values. Each operator and function in Notion expects certain value types as inputs, and using the incorrect type can result in errors. The importance of value types is emphasized in the script, with examples of how operators behave differently with numbers versus text strings.

💡Constants

Constants in the context of Notion's formula property are fixed values like mathematical constants (e.g., pi) or boolean values (true/false) that can be used in formulas. They are less frequently used compared to literal values or property references but can be useful for advanced calculations or specific conditions. The script mentions constants as part of the inputs that can be used in formulas.

💡Conditions

Conditions in Notion's formula property are used to define when certain actions should be taken within a formula. They allow for alternative actions based on whether specific conditions are met. While not fully explored in the provided script, conditions are mentioned as a topic for a later video, highlighting their importance in creating more complex and versatile formulas.

💡Cheat Sheet

The cheat sheet mentioned in the script is a resource that includes every Notion function, operator, and constant with descriptions and examples. It serves as a quick reference guide for users to understand how to format dates, use different functions, and troubleshoot common issues. It is a valuable tool for users looking to master the use of formulas in Notion.

💡Gallery View

Gallery view in Notion is a way to display database content in a visually appealing card format. In the context of the script, it is used to show how calculated values, such as a player's full name or labeled age, can be displayed within the gallery view for better readability and context. The script demonstrates how formulas can enhance the presentation and understanding of data in gallery view.

Highlights

The formula property in Notion is a powerful feature that can automatically generate values by conducting a series of operations defined by the user.

Formulas can reference other properties, allowing for dynamic and item-specific outputs within a database.

Three resources for learning about Notion formulas include a video introduction, a collection of examples, and a comprehensive cheat sheet.

Formulas can be used to calculate new values from existing properties, such as creating a full name from first and last names or calculating a player's age.

Reformatting values is another use of formulas, such as appending context to a number or using patterns to format dates.

Formulas answer high-level questions about actions, inputs, and conditions, with alternative actions defined for unmet conditions.

Operators in formulas perform actions on values and can function differently based on the type of values used, such as addition for numbers or concatenation for strings.

Functions in Notion are packaged operations that can take multiple arguments and are categorized by logic, numeric, text, and date/time.

Every function in Notion has a corresponding operator, such as the 'add' function corresponding to the '+' operator for addition.

Literal values and constants are directly input into formulas and do not change with each iteration, making them useful for consistent elements like labels.

The 'prop' function is used to reference other properties within a formula, allowing the formula to dynamically adapt to each database item.

Value types in Notion are crucial for formula composition, with different operators and functions requiring specific types such as numbers, text strings, dates, or booleans.

Mismatching value types in a formula will result in an error, emphasizing the importance of understanding and using the correct value types.

The 'format' function can convert numbers to text strings, and 'to number' can convert strings to numbers, aiding in formula composition when different types are required.

Notion's gallery view can be enhanced with formulas to provide context, such as labeling a calculated age with the term 'Age' for clarity.

A cheat sheet available on Notion VIP includes every function, operator, and constant with descriptions and examples, aiding users in mastering formulas.

Understanding and correctly using value types is essential for successful formula composition and avoiding errors in Notion.

Transcripts

the formula property is one of notions

most powerful yet underutilized features

with this brief introduction and a

little bit of practice users at all

levels can use formulas to bolster their

notion workspaces and as you get to know

and work with formulas you might want to

reference three resources available on

notion VIP so the first is opposed

called meet notions formula property

that's going to correspond with this

video the second is a collection of

simple and useful formula examples that

will also have a corresponding video and

then the third will probably prove most

beneficial to you in the long run and

that's a cheat sheet that includes every

notion function operator and constant

with a description and an example and it

also includes the patterns that you'll

use to format your dates within notion

formulas so what is this formula

property well like the other properties

you're used to working with like texts

and number and date the formula property

is going to contain a unique value for

each item in your database but unlike

those other properties where you

manually input the value for each item

in the database the formula property is

going to generate its values

automatically and it does that by

conducting a series of operations that

you define and you define those

operations by writing a formula and that

formula is going to execute on each item

in your database and oftentimes it's

going to reference other properties for

each of those items and so because those

properties are gonna vary from item to

item the output of your formulas will

vary as well so let's take a look at an

example to write a formula you'll create

a new property just like any other

property and for the type you'll choose

formula

to compose your formula and you can

either click the top of the property and

choose edit formula or you can click any

cell beneath it and that's going to open

up this formula composition window so a

formula can be as simple as two plus two

or it can really be as simple as just

the number two or the value of true but

we'll type two plus two as our first

formula here and then after typing your

formula you can click the done button or

you can hold command or ctrl on your

keyboard depending on what type of

computer you're using and then hit

return or enter so here we have four

returned for every item in our database

and the reason is we entered what's

called literal values we used a 2 and a

2 for our values so that's going to be

the value that your formula uses in

every iteration for every item in the

database but as I mentioned you're

typically going to reference values from

other properties in the database so when

the formula executes on each item it

will use that items respective values

for those properties in order to

generate a unique output so that'll make

the output different for most items

so our first formula returned a bunch of

fours which are useless to us so what is

useful about the formula property well

you're going to use formulas for kind of

two overarching reasons the first is to

calculate new values from the values of

other properties so let's look at a

couple of quick examples of that in our

database of players that comprise a

basketball team we're given the last

name in the first name and then using a

formula we can combine the last name in

the first name to create the full name

in another example were given the

player's birthday and by finding the

amount of time between the birthday and

the current date and time were able to

calculate the players age

and then moving down to our database of

orders from an online store we can see

that we are given the tax rate and then

each item has an independent price and

so by multiplying the price and the tax

rate we know exactly how much tax to add

to the price of each item and then we

can calculate the total price of each

item by adding the tax and the original

price

so the second overarching use of

formulas is going to be to reformat

values so we mentioned that we'll be

using patterns to format dates but one

of my favorite uses of this reformatting

approach is using notions gallery view

so if we look at our player roster in

the gallery view we can see that we have

the player's headshot as the card cover

and then we're using that calculated

full name within the players information

and then we also have this arbitrary

number we're not quite sure what it

means we're inclined to think that it

probably corresponds with the players

jersey number but in reality that's the

players age so using a formula we can

append some helpful context to that age

we can add the term age with a colon

that will allow us to understand exactly

what that number means so we already

have this pre configured here let's swap

out the standalone age and include the

labelled age and there we have a very

nicely contextualized age for each

player on our roster so we have a

glimpse into what the formula property

is and why it's useful

let's explore exactly how it works so

when you compose a formula you're gonna

answer one or more of three kind of

high-level questions you're gonna answer

do what what are the actions that you

want the formula to take to what what

are the input values on which you want

those actions to be taken and

when what conditions need to be met in

order for those actions to be taken and

then you can also define alternative

actions to be taken when those

conditions are unmet so we're going to

cover the first two here in this video

and then a later video we'll cover the

conditions question so let's start with

the actions when you compose your

formula you can define your actions in

one of two ways you can use operators or

you can use functions so let's start

with operators operators are very simple

you're already familiar with them so I

don't want to over complicate them here

an operator is simply the plus sign that

we use to add two in to an operator is a

character that you place between two

values to perform an action on those

values so the plus sign performs

addition the minus sign performs

subtraction we have the star character

to perform multiplication the backslash

to perform division and then we can use

the percent sign to return the remainder

after division so if you go over to that

cheat sheet at notion dot VIP

slash formulas at the top you'll find

kind of a sub navigation menu and within

that menu you'll find operators so if

you click on the operators that's going

to jump down the page to a list of those

operators that I just described so the

way that I described those operators

where they're placed between two numbers

to perform an action on those numbers

that makes them arithmetic operators and

that's the largest number of operators

but I mentioned that when you place that

plus sign between two numbers such as

the two and two it performs addition on

them making it an arithmetic operator

but if you place that plus sign between

two strings of text it's going to

combine those two strings or it's going

to concatenate them and that makes the

plus sign in that instance a

concatenation operator rather than an

arithmetic operator

so let's take a quick look at the use of

an operator of course we've already

added 2 & 2

when we did so we were using the

addition operator and arithmetic

operator but if we were to place those

two twos within quotation marks that

makes them strings they're not

technically numbers and we're gonna

explore value types here in just a

little bit but when we confirm this

formula we're gonna see 2 & 2 here

returned by our formula and they're

aligned to the left rather than to the

right meaning that they are a text

string rather than a number that can be

used as a input with arithmetic

operators so that's operators let's dive

into functions so if functions are kind

of like packaged series of operations

and they consist of a keyword followed

by a set of parentheses and within those

parentheses you put your inputs in the

case of functions those inputs are known

as arguments in every function can

accept one two three or virtually

unlimited arguments so going back over

to our cheat sheet scroll back up to the

top and then look again at our sub

navigation menu you can see here that we

have a functions category and within

that category you can see that we have

four different types of functions so we

have logic functions numeric functions

text functions and date and time

functions and generally those types of

functions are going to correlate with

the types of inputs or arguments that

those functions accept or the types of

values that they return so if we jump

down the page we can see a full list of

notions functions and you can see that

they consist of that keyword followed by

a set of parentheses

so each of these functions within this

cheat sheet are gonna include a brief

description an example and then a list

of that functions arguments you can see

how many arguments the function takes

and you can see exactly what those

arguments need to be so let's look at a

function so actually there's a function

that corresponds with each operator that

we just discussed so we added the

numbers two and two using the addition

operator but there's actually a function

called add add is the keyword and then

within the parentheses for its arguments

we could just put two and two again and

you're gonna separate a functions

arguments with a comma so when we

confirm this formula we're gonna see

that we have our useless series of fours

here again but it came about those fours

in a different way rather than using the

addition operator it used the add

function and as you saw there are a

variety of different functions that

perform a variety of different types of

operations on their inputs and we're

gonna be looking at a few examples

throughout the rest of this video but

another video covers a collection of

simple and useful examples and as I

mentioned there's also that

corresponding post on notion VIP and

that's linked within the youtube video

description so those are our actions

operators and functions are the way that

we tell a formula what we want it to do

so let's move on to input values what

are the values on which we want those

actions to be taken and there's three

different types of input values that you

can provide a formula we've already seen

literal values so let's explore them

briefly here first so as I mentioned

when

- and - whether using the operator or

the function those twos are literal twos

we input them directly into the formula

and because they don't reference another

property those two and twos are going to

be the inputs for every iteration of the

formula so as I've said that's kind of

useless here in this example but we did

see a useful example of literal values

and that's when we created our labelled

age property when we added the text

string age to the age the actual age

which is a reference to the age property

that texturing was a literal value it's

the same for every iteration of this

formula and we want it to be that way

because we want that term age to appear

within our player gallery for every

player so that's a useful example of

literal values so we also have the

option to use constants as our inputs

and constants you're not going to use

very frequently so I won't spend a lot

of time on it but notion offers a

collection of mathematical constants

such as pi you may be familiar with to

perform more advanced calculations so

those constants if you're interested are

also available on the cheat sheet back

up at our sub menu we can see that we

have a constants options here at the

bottom and here's a list of constants so

technically true and false are constants

as well and true and false are

interesting in notion because when a

formula returns the value of true or

false it's going to display that output

as a checkbox so false is just going to

show an empty checkbox and then true is

going to show a check checkbox and of

course when you just use that value for

every iteration

of the formula it doesn't it doesn't

offer much purpose but you can imagine

that if we're using conditions and we

want to say if this this and this are

true check the box otherwise leave it

unchecked then this rendering of true

and false can be helpful so those are

literal values in constants but most

often your formulas are gonna reference

other properties for its input values so

each time your formula performs its

operations on an item in your database

it's gonna reference the properties for

that specific item and because the

values of those properties will differ

from item to item the way that your

formulas use it within its operations is

going to differ as well and that will

create a different output for each item

in your database so let's see exactly

how that works to verb to reference

another property there's a special

function the function uses the prop

keyword and then you'll open its

parentheses and for its argument you're

gonna input the name of the property

that you want to reference within

quotation marks so we created the full

name by combining the first name and the

last name along with the space between

them so we referenced the first name in

the last name to do that so let's look

exactly how we may have done that with

the prop function we can include first

name and then we can use that plus sign

and remember when placed between strings

of text that's going to combine them or

concatenate them whereas with numbers it

adds them so we want to concatenate the

first name with a space and then we want

to concatenate that with the last name

so we can create another reference

this time to the last-named property and

close it out so here we're referencing

two properties the first name in the

last name we're concatenating them using

the concatenation operator and between

them we're adding a literal value which

is just a space so when we confirm we

can see that we have recreated our

full-name property here now as I said

there's a function for every operator so

we saw the add function how that is a

substitute for the addition operator so

there's actually another way of

performing this concatenation we can use

the concat function and within it we can

reference the values that we want to

concatenate as it's argument so we'll

use the property function again and

first name and then our space and then a

last name so we have our full-name again

but this time generated using the concat

function now there's actually another

function that could perform the same

operation in a different way and produce

the same outcome and that is the join

function so with the join function

you'll use the join keyword and its

first argument is going to be the

character or a series of characters that

you want to use to separate the values

that you're combining or concatenating

so in our case we're just using a space

between them so we'll enter that literal

value there and then we can reference

those properties again starting with the

first name

and in the last name and here we have

our full names generated in a third way

but with the same value so that covers

our input values and we covered our

actions as well before we wrap up this

video I want to cover the importance of

value types so I've mentioned how the

plus sign serves a different role when

placed between two different types of

values when you place it between numbers

that's going to add those numbers when

you place it between text strings it's

going to merge or concatenate those text

strings so every operator and every

function is going to accept a certain

type of input as I said we talked about

numbers and text strings and those are

two of the four primary types of inputs

that notion is going to accept so as I

said numbers are one type they can be

integers or they can be floating-point

numbers which are numbers that have

decimals and then of course we mentioned

strings which are placed between

quotation marks and then we also have

dates and dates are values that are

generated using notions date property or

there's a special function that can

generate a date as well the now function

is the only function that accepts no

arguments and that's always going to

remain current with the current date so

when we calculated the players ages for

example we found the amount of time

between the players birthday in the

current date so to do that we used the

now function for the current date and

I'll go ahead and show you exactly which

formula we use to do that - even though

another video is going to cover that

same example among a variety of others

so we'll use our same property property

here so there is a function specifically

for finding the amount of time between

two dates it's called the day between

function and you'll see that when the

keyword for a function includes two

words it's going to use what's called

camel case where there's no spaces

between the two words the first word is

all lowercase but then subsequent words

begin with a capital letter so in this

case we have a lowercase date and then a

capital B for between so the arguments

for this date between function are going

to be the two dates that we want to find

the amount of time between so the first

one's going to be the later date in the

later date in our case is going to be

the current date so that's where we can

enter the now function and again it

accepts no arguments and then the

earlier date is going to be the player's

birthday so we're gonna reference the

players birthday using the prop function

and entering the name of the function of

the property which is birthday and then

the third argument is going to be the

units we want to use when we return the

amount of time between the two days so

for the players age we want to use years

and when we confirm our sample property

here returns all of the players ages and

you can see that because we were

referencing the players birthday

referencing another property which is

different for every player each age is

going to be different as well so the

fourth type of value you're going to be

working with is

million values and that's just true and

false and we already looked at how at

how notion renders true and false so

again you have numbers text strings or

just strings dates and boolean x' and

popping back over to our cheat sheet and

then scrolling up to our sub menu and

then selecting functions again when you

look at the arguments you're gonna see

exactly which value type the arguments

need to be so in most cases it's going

to be a specific type of argument in

some cases it can be any type of

argument any type of value but the vet

all the values will need to match so if

for example you don't follow these

guidelines and you try to use the wrong

value types or inconsistent value types

you're gonna get an error so if we were

to try to concatenate a number with a

text string for example you can see that

this is showing an error a type mismatch

error so that's why it's always

important to pay spec specially careful

attention to your value types and when

you make a property reference when you

reference another property that is going

to be inputting the value type of that

property you reference so when we

referenced the birthday it was inputting

a date property if we were when we

referenced the first name in the last

name it was inputting a string and if we

were to reference the age it would be of

the number type and so another trick to

keep in mind is that numbers are always

going to be aligned to the right as I

mentioned and strings to the left so if

you see a series of numbers but they're

aligned to the left

like we saw when we combined our two and

our two with our concatenation operator

this is actually gonna be a string and

so we can only use that in functions

that accept strings as their input value

types so that brings me to one last

example for this video which is our

combination of the string age with the

number H so we actually needed to

convert the number H to a text string in

order to combine it or concatenate it

with the string age so to convert a

number to a string or a string to not a

number notion offers two helpful

functions so when we combine that age

the string with the age the number we

use the format function to convert the

number age to string so to do that we

enter the string age our literal value

and then used our concatenation operator

and then we use the format function and

then a reference to the age property to

merge that texturing with the players

age and returning that gives us our

nicely labeled age which we can

reference in our gallery now if we were

to not use the format function and only

try to input the age property that's

going to give us that type mismatch

error again

so the the format property we use to

convert a number to a text string and

then we have the two number property

which again uses camelcase to convert

strings to numbers so we could in

but 24 within a string within quotation

marks to create a string and then

confirm and using the to number function

that's going to return a value of the

number type and we know that because

it's aligned to the right so in that

meet notions formula property post

there's another kind of sub navigation

and that sub navigation includes a link

to the importance of value types and

that's where I talk about these various

value types and I present those two

conversion functions that you can use to

convert those values so that wraps up

this introductory video as I mentioned

there's another video and that full post

includes a variety of examples of all of

these concepts in terms we just covered

and then another video is going to cover

the third question that you can ask at

the high at the high level when

composing your formulas which is when do

you want to perform certain actions in

other words which conditions need to be

met and which actions should you take as

an alternative if those conditions are

unmet so all of that will be available

in the YouTube video description as they

come about

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