Computed field types

Aarthi
Aarthi
  • Updated

Computed fields automatically calculate a value based on other values in your Benchling tenant. For an overview of what computed fields are and how they work, visit Computed fields basics.

Snapshot fields

Users can configure snapshot fields, a type of computed field, on results and workflows schemas to look up data from anything that is linked to inventory or registry items. Unlike other computed fields however, snapshot fields are frozen in time.

Configuring Benchling to capture results at a specific point in time enables you to view and query this information in context with experiments, workflows, and the sample itself. Snapshot fields can be used many ways, some of which include:

  • The ability to record results against a sample’s container

    • Teams can associate results with wells and containers in their inventory.

  • Automatic data entry

    • Scientists can automatically populate a results table with a sample’s metadata.

Field types and definitions

The tables below list configurable computed fields and a brief description of what each field type pulls (hoists) or calculates. They are organized based on what they’re used for:

Molecular Biology

These computed fields help calculate properties of DNA and AA sequences.

Chemistry

These computed fields calculate properties of molecules and chemical compounds, or render the chemical structure.

Aggregating and hoisting values

The computed fields in the table below help display values from linked entities or aggregate values. When aggregating values, you can choose to have values unsorted with duplicates, or sorted and deduplicated.

General calculations

The computed fields in the table below do calculations with entity field values.

Resurface results to the entity

Use the computed fields in the table below to pull a specific field from a results table associated with the entity into the schema fields.

Custom formulas

At this time, custom formulas are not supported. However, if you have feedback or ideas for computed field formulas that would be useful to your team, you can submit them for consideration through our in-app support chat or support@benchling.com.

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