My summary fields are calculating correctly, but when I add a new record they go blank. If I leave the layout and come back to it - they are populated correctly again. What's up?

Here are my fields:

Debit = a number

Credit = a number

SDebit = Summary field, sum of Debit (running)

SCredit = Summary field, sum of Credit (running)

Balance = SCredit - SDebit

When I add a new record and put data into the field "Debit", as soon as I hit Tab the SDebit field will go blank. Same pattern for Credit and SCredit.

Please help.

Use Aggregate functions ...or rather lean against the the transaction model. What you tries to do should be scripted instead, simply because the amount of data you presumably will throw at it, goes nicely in the beginning but later will the system tilt under the pressure - forget how spreadsheets does it but study this instead:

http://www.filemakerpros.com/LULAST.zip

...and when you think about it, is it much more to the core of Luca de Paciolis double sided ledger....

--sd

All you need to do is commit the record, e.g. by pressing Enter.

Veteran: Even after I commit the record, the summary fields still don't update. I tried on a simple database with only one summary field and one data field with the same results. I don't know why this doesn't work.

However, Soren's solution is good. I'll re-examine the way I'm approaching this. His file works very well, so I'll learn from that. Thanks very much.

Berrett

First of isn't it my file but JMO's! Comment is right that issuing commits actually could freshen the value, but with book keeping should the cumulative data come in as soon as the field is left, while Summary fields are designed to appeare in subsummary reports, and not a live field.

One more probem is that you wich to search in these cumulative figures, which Summary field simply not are up to, except when making a script loop though the records. But the ...running total feature has one advantage over the LU method, and that is if you change something in an earler record, the following cumulative fields adjusts ...where the LU method goes wrong if a record is deleted or altered.

Neither is in Paciolis spirit anyhow, so if an error occures do you need to make a new record counterposting the error - exactly like it is with a ink written ledger.

--sd