AnalysisResultFormatted and AnalysisResult Fields in Excel

Q: The AnalysisResultFormatted and AnalysisResult fields found in Excel templates that display analytical results can be a source of confusion. When do you use one vs. the other?

A: The AnalysisResultFormatted field contains text strings representing the data seen in the Report column on LIMS’ results entry screens. While the data may appear to be numeric, it is always text since a formatted result may be a text-based result type, combination of result value and result type, or a result value formatted by rounding to decimal places or significant figures.

The AnalysisResult field is numeric and only contains the result value. Always use the AnalysisResult field in your templates when you need to perform calculations or your own rounding with the LIMS’ analysis result value.