Desktop User Guides > Reporter > Creating tables > Advanced table definitions > Example: Creating table definitions using non-categorical variables
 
Example: Creating table definitions using non-categorical variables
When you create a table using a variable other than a categorical variable (for example, a numeric or text variable) you need to create an axis expression for the variable. For numeric variables, UNICOM Intelligence Reporter adds a default axis expression for any numeric variable that you add to a table using the Design pane. However, as the Table Syntax pane is an advanced feature, UNICOM Intelligence Reporter does not assume what you want to include in the table definition, so you must enter a valid axis expression for the numeric variable.
For example, you can create a table in the Design pane by dragging and dropping the visits variable onto the side of the table and the gender variable onto the top.
However, if you try to create this table using the Table Syntax pane by typing:
visits * gender
an error is displayed when you click Apply. This is because the visits variable is a numeric variable and so requires an axis expression. If you create the preceding table using the Design pane, the Table Syntax pane shows this syntax:
visits{base(), 'Mean' mean(visits), 'Min' min(visits), 'Max' max(visits), 'stddev' stddev(visits)} * gender
The highlighted section is the default axis expression for the numeric variable, which UNICOM Intelligence Reporter has added. To create a table containing the visits variable using the Table Syntax pane, you must add this axis expression, or create another axis expression containing the information you want to see.
To create valid axis expressions for different types of variable, see the Table specification syntax.
See also
Advanced table definitions