Semantic formats provide a way to customize numeric formatting in reports. They combine a numeric format with a set of criteria specifying where the format will be used. Instead of overriding formats every time a particular report is opened, you can set the format once and new reports that match the specified criteria will automatically be formatted.
There are many scenarios in which semantic formatting can be used. For example, the default format for Rsquare in a Summary of Fit report has 6 digits of precision. You can customize the format to show 2 digits of precision. This preference can be set using semantic formatting. Every report in the future will use this preference. The preference can also be defined for a row in the table, in this case, the Rsquare row. The preference can also be defined for the entire table.