Names in report formulas
Report formulas read the open batch. Names are case-insensitive. result.fconc and Result.FConc are the same path.
Object paths
A path is one or more pieces separated by dots. The Names panel inserts these prefixes:
| Prefix | What it is |
|---|---|
| Sample. | The sample (Sample.SampleName, Sample.Type, Sample.Acquired). Sample.Name is the same as Sample.SampleName. |
| Method. | The method on the sample. |
| Analyte. | The method analyte (Analyte.Name, expected RT). |
| AnalyteName. | The shared name record (code, sum group, aliases). |
| Quant. | Quant settings (fit, ISTD, limits). |
| Result. | The selected result (Result.Concentration, Result.FConc, Result.CalcFConc, Result.ManFConc). |
| Peak. | The selected peak (Peak.Area, Peak.ActRt). Peak.AutoInt. is the original integration. Peak.ManInt. is manual only. |
| Signal. / Channel. | The signal and its channel. |
| Candidate. | The selected candidate. |
| CalBracket. | The bracket (index, formula, R, coefficients). |
| Level. | The calibration level for this sample. |
| ISTD. | The internal-standard compound. |
| Q1. Q2. Q3. | Qualifier 1, 2, 3. Q1.Percent is the measured percent. Q1.Qualifier.Percent is the expected percent. |
| Prev. / Blank. / QC. / CCV. / Cal. | The previous sample, previous blank, previous QC, previous continuing calibration verification, or previous calibration sample. |
Q.Compound also accepts those prefixes. Q.Sample reads sample fields. Q.Batch reads batch fields (Name, DataPath, LastSaved, LastUser). Q.Method reads method fields (Name, CalibrationMode).
How a compound is named
Q.Compound, Q.Compounds, and Q.KeyCompound take the analyte’s primary name. Matching is case-insensitive. The formula does not take a CAS number or an alias as the compound argument. CAS and aliases are fields you can display (AnalyteName), not a second way to point at the compound.
There is no numeric index argument such as “analyte 3”. Spill a list with Q.Analytes() or Q.Compounds() and point another formula at that spill (A1#).
Sample arguments are the relative file path (Q.Samples returns those paths), or Q.CurrentSample. Sample keys are text (Q.SmpKeys, Q.CurrentSmpKey), not paths.
Missing names
An unknown field, a missing sample, or a missing compound returns an empty cell, not a made-up zero. When a sample, compound, or field argument is itself a spilled array, each cell is resolved on its own and the blank fallback used for a single empty argument is not applied. Q.ByRowAndColumn returns #REF! when the row or column argument is not a cell reference, and #CALC! when the third argument is not a LAMBDA.
Filter operators accept i in front (i=, icontains) when you want the comparison itself to ignore case. Paths already ignore case.
Named ranges and arrays
Q.CurrentSample, Q.CurrentCompound, Q.CurrentSmpKey, and Q.SmpKeys are workbook names. Use them without calling them as functions: =Q.SmpKeys, not =Q.SmpKeys().
Other Q. names are functions. They spill downward or across. A trailing # on a cell address passes that spill into the next formula, as in Excel. See Array functions.