Use Portals for Summaries and Grand Summaries?

[x_actly]

Can anyone tell me if this is even possible, before I keep banging my head against the wall? I have 4 related files with a LOT going on, but a very simplified description follows...

BACKGROUND: Master file with records that use Date as a primary key. Related file (Line Items) contains records (key is primaryTask + subTask) which include financial data. A portal in the master file lists all Line Items (i.e. tasks) for a given day, and gives a single summary of financial data for that day. (No problems here.)

PROBLEM: Is it possible to create a view - not a report - that shows summaries by primaryTask on a given date (i.e. primaryTask1:summary, primaryTask2:summary, primaryTask3:summary...etc.)? In other words, I want to roll up the (primaryTask + subTask)s into primaryTask groups, and show the summary for each group for that day.

If this is possible, I also need to create a 'master summary view', that shows date in rows, primaryTask groups in columns, and gives a grand summary at the bottom of each primaryTask column.

I've been trying to do this with scripts, loops and find commands but it is getting unwieldy. I am fairly new to portals but it seems that they would be the right way to go, no? Any suggestions or examples that I can refer to?

[Ugo DI LUCA]

Hi,

PROBLEM: Is it possible to create a view - not a report - that shows summaries by primaryTask on a given date

I would do the following.

Create a concanated calc in the Line Items

ItemConcanated = Date &"-"&Primary Task

Add a global field in the master called g_Primary Task.

Create a concanated calc there

MasterConcanted = Date&"-"&g_Primary Task.

Format g_Primary Task to use a value list from the Line Item using the relationship Date::Date.

You will therefore have a list of all Primary Task for the date choosen.

Use a new relationship with MasterConcanated at left side and ItemConcanated at right side. Draw a portal using this relationship.

You therefore have listed all Sub-Task for that date and Primary Task.

I also need to create a 'master summary view', that shows date in rows, primaryTask groups in columns, and gives a grand summary at the bottom of each primaryTask column.

Do you need a x and y columnar ?

[x_actly]

Thx Ugo for your proposed solution for rolling up primaryTask/subTasks into primary Task groups. I'll try implementing it this afternoon and let u know how it goes.

For the 'master summary view', the problem with a columnar layout is that it is meant for a printed report and requires Preview mode. I require this information to be displayed while in Browse mode, with:

x ( columns) = task group, 1 to 15

y (rows) = date, unlimited

If your primaryTask grouping solution works, I can probably extend it to create the 'master summary view'...I hope. -)

doug