What is the Functions option on the Columns tab in data grids?

Function fields are programmatically configured fields that you can add as fields in a view.   Some reasons they were created include:

• Making it easier for you to put separate elements of array fields in the grid (e.g. gift distributions).
• Controlling how the data looks in the grid.
• Doing calculations such as fund balances or available to spend.
• When creating an optimized view which only allows one table, sometimes function fields are available to add fields from another table.  

For example, if you are creating an optimized view in Application History, but you want to add Grant Notes which is actually in a separate table, it is available as a function field. Functions can be added by clicking the drop down on the Columns tab when creating a data grid.