Calculating the sum of related records.

[droosan]

Let's say record Parent1 is related to three records ChildA, ChildB, and ChildC. (If it matters, I am imagining the relationship working by ChildA, ChildB, and ChildC all having the value Parent1 in their Parent field.)

The children have a field called Score. Parent1 has a field called Total. I want Total to hold the sum of the children's Score field.

I can do this by having a script run down a portal, total them up and stuff the result in Total. It seems, however, there should be an easier way, using a calculation or a summary field.

Ideas anyone?

Much Grass.

(I am starting to mess around with FM7, so if a solution is easier in 7 let me know.)

[The Shadow]

The solution in FM7 is that the "Total" field is a summary that is a total of Child::Score, the summaries only work over the set of related records.

If I remember correctly, FM6 computed summaries from other tables using the found-set in that table, so I think you could do a "go to related record" to get the correct found set in the Child file, then the summary setup in Parent will be correct when you switch back to it?

[droosan]

The solution in FM7 is that the "Total" field is a summary that is a total of Child::Score, the summaries only work over the set of related records.

When I try a Summary field, there seems to be no way to get a total of a related field. However, from your suggestion I made Total a Calculation field = Sum(Child::Score), and it worked perfectly.

Thanks

Drew

[transpower]

Put the total field (type summary) in the child table. Then put this field in the parent layout.