I am very new to using FM, and sadly we are running version 4.1 on a Mac. I need to tally up the total number from certain fields. For example, we keep a record of each print job done and the number of copies in each job. I need the total number of copies for all print jobs. Is there a way to calculate the number of jobs from each record? I REALLY don't want to do this manually. I think I might quit if I have to.

This should be no problem. Though I don't have FM 4 handy, the basics for this sort of thing remain the same throughout the FileMaker evolution: create a field, and define it as a "SUMMARY" field (where you would otherwise choose "Text", "Number", "Calculation," etc.

Up pops a box (I believe) that asks you what KIND of summary. Tell it you want a TOTAL, and specify which field you want to total.

Now, on one of your layouts, INSERT a new PART of the layout, say, a TRAILING GRAND SUMMARY, and put the newly defined summary field there.

One beginner's glitch to be aware of with summary fields: they total (or average, or count, etc.) the FOUND set. So, make sure to "Show All Records" before looking to the summary field (in a printout or on the screen) for the overall total. (You can also use this feature to your advantage, by, say, finding all the records within a certain date range, or for a specific kind of print job, etc. You can also use a "sub-summary" PART on your layout to register the totals for, say, a day at a time, if you sort by date. Such sub-summaries will show up only when you have sorted properly and print or display in preview mode.)

Best of luck!