Ratio Assignment System - User Guide

Overview

The Metrics sheet is a grid. Every metric you save gets its own row in Column A, and every ticker you follow gets its own column. Assigning a metric means giving it the row it should occupy; FinForge then fills in the values. All of the logic is in Python, so the workbook only stores names and numbers.

Key Features

What You Can Do:

Assign Metrics: Give any saved metric a row in Column A of the Metrics sheet
View Status: See every metric and whether it has a row yet
View Notes: Read the notes saved with a metric
Calculate Metrics: Compute every assigned metric for every ticker using Parquet data
Tickers: Tickers come from Row 4, so the ones you imported in the Statement Lines tab are used automatically

Benefits:

Fast: Uses Parquet data for quick calculations
Reliable: Minimal VBA, all logic in Python
Simple: Clean UI with clear feedback
Flexible: Any metric can sit in any free row

Excel Layout (Metrics Sheet)

The Metrics sheet is a grid: metric names run down Column A, and one column per ticker runs across Row 4.

Row 4:  ticker symbols in row 4
        A4: empty, B4: AAPL, C4: MSFT, D4: GOOGL
Row 5:  reserved, left empty
Row 6:  reserved, left empty
Row 7:  A7: Current Ratio, B7: 1.2500, C7: 1.3000, D7: 1.1800
Row 8:  A8: Quick Ratio,   B8: 0.8500, C8: 0.9200, D8: 0.7800
Row 9:  A9: Debt to Equity, B9: 0.4500, C9: 0.3800, D9: 0.5200

Column Structure:

Column A: Metric names, written by FinForge from Row 7 onwards
Columns B onwards: Ticker symbols in Row 4, calculated values below

Row Functions:

Row 4: Ticker symbols, plus the special INDEX and CUSTOM column types
Rows 5 and 6: Reserved and left empty
Row 7+: Metric names in Column A and their calculated values per ticker

Two column types are treated specially. A column marked INDEX in Row 4 is filled with the metric names (mirroring the balance sheet and income statement sheets). A column marked CUSTOM is never touched by FinForge, so your own formulas there stay intact.

How to Use

1. Create Your Metrics

Metrics are created in the Metrics tab of the FinForge workspace, or loaded from the built-in Beginning Template. See Creating Ratios for both routes.

2. Assign a Row to Each Metric

Open the FinForge workspace
Go to the Metrics tab
Click the Assignments subtab
Every saved metric is listed with a row box on the right
Type the row it should occupy in Column A (7 or higher) and press Enter

Rules:

Rows must be 7 or higher - the earlier rows are reserved for headers
Two metrics cannot share a row - a duplicate row is flagged in red
Leave a row box empty to keep a metric out of the sheet (shown as N/A)
Metrics are written to Column A in row order, so gaps are allowed

3. View Metric Notes

Notes are stored with each metric. Open the metric in the Metrics tab, or read its notes field in Importing/ratio_config.json, to see what it measures.

4. Set the Tickers

Tickers are read from Row 4 of the Metrics sheet, columns B onwards. They come from the tickers you imported in the Statement Lines tab, so there is normally nothing to type. You can also enter a symbol straight into Row 4.

5. Calculate the Metrics

From the FinForge Workspace:

Open the FinForge workspace
Go to the Metrics tab
Click Refresh metrics sheet in the Actions panel

From Python:

python -c "from Internal.Ratios.ratio_calculator import calculate_ratios; calculate_ratios()"

What Happens:

The system reads the tickers from Row 4 and the metric names from Column A
Loads financial data from the Parquet files
Calculates each assigned metric for each ticker
Writes the results into the matching cells
Reports progress while it runs

6. Update an Assignment

Go back to the Assignments subtab
Change the row number for the metric, or clear it to remove it
Click Refresh metrics sheet so the sheet is rewritten for the new layout

Excel Ribbon

The FinForge add-in adds a FinForge tab with two groups:

Dashboard -> Dashboard opens the FinForge app
Formulas -> Refresh Custom Formulas regenerates the FF.* worksheet functions from your saved metrics (see the Custom Excel Formulas guide)

The sheet refresh itself is driven from the workspace, so there is no separate macro to run in Excel.

File Structure

FinForge/
+-- Internal/Ratios/
|   +-- ratio_handeling.py       (Config management)
|   +-- ratio_calculator.py      (Calculation engine, Column A sync)
|   +-- ratio_manager_ui.py      (Optional standalone Python manager, legacy)
+-- ElectronHome/
|   +-- src/renderer.js          (Metrics tab: list, folders, assignments)
+-- Importing/
|   +-- ratio_config.json        (Ratio storage)
|   +-- ratio_maker.py           (Create ratios)
+-- data/
|   +-- fundamentals/            (Financial data in Parquet)

Example Workflow

Complete Example:

Create the metrics in the Metrics tab
- Current Ratio: BS: Current Assets / BS: Current Liabilities
- Quick Ratio: BS: Cash / BS: Current Liabilities
Assign rows in the Assignments subtab
- Current Ratio -> row 7
- Quick Ratio -> row 8
Check the tickers in Row 4 of the Metrics sheet
```
B4: AAPL    C4: MSFT    D4: GOOGL
```

Calculate

Click Refresh metrics sheet in the Metrics tab
See results:

B7: 1.2500    C7: 1.3000    D7: 1.1800
B8: 0.8500    C8: 0.9200    D8: 0.7800

Update if Needed
- Change a row number in the Assignments subtab, then refresh again

Troubleshooting

“No ratios found”

Solution: Create or load metrics first (see Creating Ratios)

“No tickers found in row 4”

Solution: Import tickers in the Statement Lines tab, or type the symbols into Row 4 of the Metrics sheet starting at column B

“Failed to load Parquet data”

Solution: Make sure data/fundamentals/balance_sheet/ and data/fundamentals/income_statement/ contain Parquet files
Run an import from the Statement Lines tab first if needed

“Duplicate row”

Solution: Two metrics are claiming the same row in Column A. Clear one of the boxes in the Assignments subtab and refresh

Calculation shows “N/A”

Reason: Financial data not found for that ticker/item
Check: Ticker spelling and data availability

Calculation shows “DIV/0”

Reason: Denominator is zero
Normal: Some ratios can legitimately be undefined

UI Features

Metrics Tab (Actions panel):

Refresh metrics sheet - recalculates every assigned metric
Create metric - opens the metric builder
Export timeseries - appears once metrics are selected

Metrics Tab (subtab bar):

Metrics - the metric list, with a folder filter and a search box
Folders - group metrics so a large library stays manageable
Assignments - every metric with its row box for Column A

Assignments Subtab:

List: Every saved metric, with an editable row box
Red row number: Two metrics are claiming the same row
Empty row: The metric is not written to the sheet (shown as N/A)
Order: Metrics sort by row number; unassigned metrics sort last

Performance

Fast Data Access: Parquet files are optimized for speed
Efficient Calculation: Only calculates what’s needed
Minimal Excel Interaction: Batch writes for better performance
Progress Tracking: Know exactly what’s happening

Safety Features

Validation: Rows must be 7 or higher, and duplicates are flagged
Error Handling: Clear error messages
Data Preservation: CUSTOM columns are never overwritten

Notes

Column A: Reserved for metric names, written from Row 7 downwards
Row 4: Reserved for ticker symbols, from column B onwards
Rows 5 and 6: Reserved and left empty
Row 7+: Metric names and their calculated values
No Limit: Assign as many metrics as you have free rows
One Metric Per Row: Keeps the sheet readable and unambiguous

Best Practices

Create metrics first before trying to assign rows
Import tickers before calculating, so Row 4 is populated
Use meaningful metric names for easy identification
Add notes to metrics to remember what they do
Refresh data regularly to keep metrics up to date
Save the workbook after a refresh

This is a clean, simple, and efficient system. Enjoy!