Using Format Strings in the Finished Reports Expression Editor – BridgeWorks Help Center

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Article Goal

Explain how to use format strings inside the Expression Editor in Finished Reports and clarify when this method should and should not be used.

Expression-Level Format Strings

What: Expression-level format strings allow you to format dates, numbers, and strings directly within an expression using the FormatString() function.

Why: This provides advanced control when formatting must be applied dynamically or combined with other expression logic.

Configuration Note

Item	Details
Expression vs Label formatting	Format strings applied in expressions change the underlying value, not just its display.
Recommended usage	Use expression-level formatting only when label-level formatting cannot meet the requirement.
Impact on data	Once formatted in an expression, the value is no longer treated as its original data type.

Important Note (Read Carefully)

Expression-level format strings do not replace format strings applied directly on labels.

When a format string is applied on a label, it only affects how the value is displayed. The underlying data remains unchanged.

For example, if a date value is:

1/1/2026 12:00 PM

And the label format displays it as:

January 1, 2026

The actual value is still:

1/1/2026 12:00 PM

When a format string is applied inside an expression, the actual value is changed.

This means the same date value may now become a formatted string, such as:

February 1, 2021

Once changed at the expression level, the value can no longer be treated as a true DateTime value.

Use Case

Scenario	Description
Advanced formatting logic	Apply formatting that must be combined with expressions or conditional logic.
Output-only values	Format values intended only for display, not further calculation or grouping.
Custom string output	Generate formatted strings that cannot be achieved through label formatting alone.

Example Format Strings

Below are common examples of using FormatString() in expressions:

Long date format
FormatString('{0:MMMM dd, yyyy}', Today())
Result: January 22, 2026
ISO date format
FormatString('{0:yyyy-MM-dd}', Today())
Result: 2026-01-22
Phone number formatting
FormatString('{0:(000) 000 - 0000}', ToLong([Phone Number]))
Result: (219) 689 - 6964

Steps to Use Format Strings in the Expression Editor

Step 1: Open the Finished Reports Designer

Open or create your View, run it, then open the Finished Reports Designer.

Step 2: Add a Label and Open the Expression Editor

Place a Label into the report, then open the Expression Editor for that label.

Step 3: Create the Expression with a Format String

Build your expression using the FormatString() function.

Step 4: Preview the Results

Preview the report to compare formatted and unformatted values.

In this example:

The top label uses a format string on Today()
The label below uses Today() without formatting

Results:

Format String: January 22, 2026
No Format String: 01/22/2026 00:00:00

Additional Examples

FormatString('{0:MM/dd/yyyy}', [Date_Listed])
FormatString('{0:c2}', [Account_Balance])

Article Summary

This article explains how to use format strings within the Finished Reports Expression Editor and highlights the critical difference between expression-level formatting and label-level formatting. While expression-based format strings offer flexibility and advanced control, they also change the underlying value of the data. For most scenarios, label formatting is preferred, with expression-level formatting reserved for cases where formatting must be applied as part of the expression logic itself.