Explain Formula

📌 Explain Formula #

The Explain Formula page is where users can paste any existing Oracle Fast Formula code and receive a detailed, plain-English explanation of what the formula does. This powerful AI-driven feature breaks down complex formulas into understandable sections, making it ideal for knowledge transfer, onboarding, validation, and troubleshooting.

🎯 Purpose #

Explain Formula is designed to help you:

• Understand legacy formulas inherited from previous implementations
• Onboard new team members by providing clear explanations of existing formulas
• Validate formula logic before deployment to ensure it matches business requirements
• Document formulas for compliance and audit purposes
• Troubleshoot issues by understanding exactly what each section does
• Learn Fast Formula syntax by seeing how code translates to business logic

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🔥 How It Works #

Step 1: Access Explain Formula #

Navigate to Explain Formula from the main menu or Dashboard quick actions.

Step 2: Paste Your Formula Code #

Copy the complete Fast Formula code from Oracle Cloud HCM and paste it into the text area. FormulaX accepts:

• Full formula definitions including INPUTS, RETURN statements, and logic
• Partial code snippets for quick analysis
• Formulas of any size (very large formulas are automatically split into sections)

Step 3: Click “Explain Formula” #

The AI assistant analyzes your formula and generates a comprehensive explanation.

Step 4: Review the Explanation #

The AI breaks down your formula section by section, explaining:

• Purpose: What the formula is designed to do
• Inputs: All input values and their data types
• Variables: Local variables and their purpose
• Business Logic: Step-by-step explanation of calculations and conditions
• Database Items (DBIs): Context variables being accessed
• Return Values: What the formula outputs
• Edge Cases: How the formula handles special scenarios

For large formulas, the explanation is divided into logical sections with clear headings.

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💡 What You Get #

When you explain a formula, FormulaX provides:

Plain-English Description

• Clear, jargon-free explanation of what the formula does
• Business context for technical operations
• Identification of the formula type (Payroll, Absence, Element, etc.)

Code Breakdown

• Section-by-section analysis
• Explanation of INPUTS declarations
• Description of each calculation step
• Clarification of conditional logic (IF/THEN/ELSE)
• Translation of Oracle-specific functions (GET_CONTEXT, DAYS_BETWEEN, etc.)

Visual Highlighting

• Color-coded sections for easy reading
• Syntax highlighting of formula code
• Clear separation between explanation and code

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🛠️ Common Use Cases #

1. Legacy Formula Documentation #

Paste in old formulas from previous consultants or implementations to understand what they do without manually tracing the logic.

Example: You inherit a complex payroll formula with no documentation. Paste it into Explain Formula to get instant clarity.

2. Training and Knowledge Transfer #

New team members can paste formulas they’re unfamiliar with and learn how they work without needing an experienced developer to explain.

3. Pre-Deployment Validation #

Before deploying a formula to production, explain it to verify the logic matches your business requirements.

4. Troubleshooting Errors #

When a formula produces unexpected results, paste it in to understand the exact calculation flow and identify where the issue might be.

5. Compliance and Audit #

Generate plain-English documentation of payroll or absence formulas for audit requirements or compliance reviews.

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✅ Best Practices #

Paste Complete Formulas

• Include the full formula definition from INPUTS to RETURN statements
• This ensures the AI has full context for accurate explanations

Use for Complex Formulas

• The AI excels at breaking down intricate logic
• Particularly useful for formulas with nested conditions or multiple calculations

Review Formula Type Context

• If you know the formula type (Payroll, Absence, etc.), the explanation will be more accurate
• The AI automatically detects formula type from the code structure

Large Formulas

• Very large formulas are automatically split into manageable sections
• Each section is explained independently for clarity

Save Explanations

• After explaining, you can save the explanation alongside the formula for future reference
• Useful for building a knowledge base

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🔍 Example Workflow #

Scenario: You need to understand a bonus calculation formula from your Oracle Cloud HCM system.

1. Copy the formula from Oracle Cloud HCM > Payroll > Formulas
2. Navigate to Explain Formula in FormulaX
3. Paste the code into the text area
4. Click “Explain Formula”
5. Review the explanation:
   • “This formula calculates quarterly bonus based on performance rating and base salary…”
   • “INPUT: PERFORMANCE_RATING (number) – Employee’s quarterly rating from 1-5”
   • “INPUT: BASE_SALARY (number) – Employee’s annual base salary”
   • “Logic: If rating >= 4, bonus = 10% of salary. If rating >= 3, bonus = 5%…”
6. Share or save the explanation for documentation

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💬 AI Conversation #

The Explain Formula feature creates an AI conversation that you can continue. After receiving the initial explanation, you can:

• Ask follow-up questions: “What happens if PERFORMANCE_RATING is null?”
• Request clarification: “Can you explain the DAYS_BETWEEN function in more detail?”
• Explore alternatives: “How could this formula be optimized?”
• Get examples: “Show me an example calculation with sample values”

All conversations are saved in AI Conversations for future reference.

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⚡ Tips for Better Explanations #

✅ Include full context: Paste complete formulas including all INPUTS and RETURN statements
✅ Add comments in code: If your formula has comments, they help the AI provide more accurate context
✅ One formula at a time: Explain one formula per request for clearest results
✅ Use for learning: Great way to understand Oracle Fast Formula syntax and best practices

❌ Don’t paste partial snippets without context – the AI needs to see the full logic flow
❌ Don’t expect formula fixes – this feature explains, it doesn’t modify code (use Generate/Optimize for that)

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📊 Supported Formula Types #

FormulaX can explain all Oracle Cloud HCM Fast Formula types:

• Payroll Formulas: Element input values, earnings, deductions
• Absence Formulas: Accrual rules, duration calculations, eligibility
• Element Skip Formulas: Conditional element processing
• Validation Formulas: Data validation rules
• Time Calculation Formulas: Time entry processing
• Rate Calculation Formulas: Complex rate determinations
• Custom Formulas: Any valid Fast Formula syntax

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❓ FAQ #

Q: How long does it take to explain a formula?
A: Most formulas are explained in 5-10 seconds. Very large or complex formulas may take 20-30 seconds.

Q: Can I explain formulas from older Oracle versions?
A: Yes, FormulaX supports Fast Formula syntax from older Oracle E-Business Suite versions as well as Oracle Cloud HCM.

Q: What if the explanation is unclear?
A: Use the AI conversation to ask follow-up questions for clarification. The AI can provide additional detail on specific sections.

Q: Can I explain formulas in other languages?
A: The AI explains formulas in English but can handle formula code with variable names in other languages.

Q: Is there a size limit?
A: No hard limit, but very large formulas (1000+ lines) are automatically split into sections for easier understanding.

Q: Can I export the explanation?
A: Yes, explanations can be copied, saved within FormulaX, or exported as part of the AI conversation history.

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🎓 Learning Resources #

• See the Quick Start Guide for example formulas to practice with
• Visit AI Conversations to review past formula explanations
• Check Generate Formula to create new formulas based on explained logic

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Need help? Contact MKSK Consulting Support or create a support ticket from the Support Features section.