Control Numeric Accuracy
The accuracy of monetary and other numeric values in an XBRL WIP report can be controlled by setting the following report properties: Accuracy of Monetary Items and Accuracy of Percentage Items. These properties are available in the WIP Report Pane (see screenshot below).
Most report items are numeric monetary items. Therefore, the property Accuracy of Monetary Items applies to nearly all numeric cells in the report. The property Accuracy of Percentage Items applies to values that represent a percentage: e.g., values in the Percent Complete column.
In the XBRL instance file, the Accuracy properties are bound to the decimals attribute. By default, they are set as follows:
•The property Accuracy of Monetary Items is set to Units, which sets the value of the decimals attribute in the XBRL instance to 0.
•The property Accuracy of Percentage Items is set to Cents, which sets the value of the decimals attribute in the XBRL instance to 2.
Accuracy values
To find out how each Accuracy property value affects the decimals attribute in the XBRL instance file, see the third column of the table below. You can set the accuracy to one of the predefined values or specify a custom accuracy value. The predefined values are listed in the table below.
Accuracy value | Meaning | Sets the value of the decimals attribute in the XBRL instance to: |
|---|---|---|
Exact | This is the default value. When this value is selected, the accuracy will be set exactly as you entered it. | INF |
Billions | Sets accuracy up to 9 digits to the left of the decimal point (billions). | -9 |
Millions | Sets accuracy up to 6 digits to the left of the decimal point (millions). | -6 |
Thousands | Sets accuracy up to 3 digits to the left of the decimal point (thousands). | -3 |
Units | Sets accuracy up to integers. | 0 |
Cents | Sets accuracy up to 2 digits to the right of the decimal point. | 2 |
Mills | Sets accuracy up to 3 digits to the right of the decimal point. | 3 |
| Note: | Do not set the property Accuracy of Percentage Items to Units, Billions, Millions, or Thousands. Instead, use the accuracy values Exact, Cents or Mills or a custom value that would not result in an incorrectly rounded value in the XBRL instance. For example, if the accuracy is set to Cents, the value of 23% in the Excel report will be displayed as 0.23 in the XBRL instance and rounded up to 2 decimals to the right of the decimal point (which is acceptable). Using the accuracy of Units is not acceptable, since it rounds up 0.23 to 0. |
As shown in the table, the accuracy value can be either positive or negative. A positive value N specifies the accuracy of up to N digits to the right of the decimal separator. For example, the value 2 specifies the accuracy to be in cents, while the value 3 specifies the accuracy to be up to mills. A negative value N specifies the accuracy of up to N digits to the left of the decimal separator. For example, the value -3 specifies the accuracy to be up to thousands, while the value -6 specifies the accuracy to be up to millions.
As you enter data in Excel, the add-in may automatically round up values in those cells which are calculated automatically: the so-called calculated cells, which always have a white background. The add-in never rounds up values in cells where you enter data (such cells appear with a gray background).
However, when you export data to XBRL, both the manually entered cells and the calculated cells will be rounded up automatically, if necessary, in the XBRL instance file. This behavior is intentional. Otherwise, it would lead to inconsistency warnings due to the rounding up. Note that the values in the original Excel spreadsheet remain unaffected after you export data to an XBRL instance file.