Calculation field shows two different values on same layout

[djlane]

Hi Guys,

I have an unstored calculation (SUM value of related values) which is displayed in two locations on the same layout. Sometimes, the two locations do not show the same value until the screen is manually refreshed.

I understand that a refresh might be required after changing some supporting data... but that on the same layout the same field shows different values... Is this expected behavior ?

[Genx]

Part of the layout may have been refreshed... or that particular field may have been refreshed i.e. you put your cursor into the field, or you opened a window over the field or any of a variety of different things can cause a particular area of the screen to refresh while not refreshing the rest -- so effectively yes, it is normal, but why it's on your layout twice is another question.

[djlane]

Hmmm, I didn't know you could refresh only part of a screen !

I didn't put my cursor onto the field (its a calculation) nor did I open any window over it. I just made some changes to some numbers (again on the same layout) which should cause the calculated amount to change.

It appears twice on the layout just for aesthetics. Once on top of the portal, and once in another part of the screen which shows the SUM vales from all 5 portals, along with percentages.

[fabriceN]

I would have an idea if you had 8.5, but your profile says 8 Advanced. Is it correct?

[djlane]

Fabrice - Oops.. I'm now 8.5 advanced.

[Genx]

I didn't put my cursor onto the field (its a calculation) nor did I open any window over it. I just made some changes to some numbers (again on the same layout) which should cause the calculated amount to change.

Well, 2 things, firstly what does your calc rely on, local (same table) or remote fields?

If it relies on both... Try changing your unstored calc to

Evaluate( currentCalc ;

numberField1 ; numberfield2; numberfield3 ; any ; local ; field ; you ; think ; should ; have ; an ; effect ; on ; this ; field ; as ; a ; list ; goes ;

after ; your ; calc)

Secondly, are they both actually fields, or is one a merge field?

[djlane]

The field in question is a sum of values in a portal. Those values in turn are dependent on some fields in the header file.

That evaluate function looks very useful - Whenever the value in any of the fields in that list changes, the calculation will re-evaluate. Excellent !

Thanks for that pointer. You said any LOCAL field... I can't include related fields on that list ?

They are "both" calculation fields. I say "both" as "they" are in fact the same field

[fabriceN]

Well, if you have 8.5...

Something has apparently completely changed in the way FileMaker displays a layout between 8 and 8.5 on Macs, as pointed out by Ugo Di Luca. I still wonder why they changed this, but we will probably get an answer in the future... ?

I can't find Ugo's file anymore, but the idea was:

put a repeating calculated field on a layout, showing a random value, and then resize the window: every repetition shows a different value.

In other words, it's like if pixels were refreshed real time instead of waiting for the all layout to be calculated.

Edited April 11, 2007 by Guest

[djlane]

Wow.. that's even stranger than the problem that I have (or had.. the evaluate function looks like it will fix it for me)

[comment]

the evaluate function looks like it will fix it for me

I doubt it. Can you reproduce this problem in a simple demo file, and post it?

[djlane]

Hi Comment.. I'm not sure I could reproduce it in a simpler file because I don't know exactly how it is caused, and it is intermittent. I can post a sceenprint of my layout from a few days ago when it happened. Would that be any use ?

[comment]

But does it persist if you clone the file, strip everything that's not required for the calc, and put some sample data in?

If it's intermittent and not easily reproducible, I would suspect the problem is somewhere in the file itself - perhaps some corruption on the specific layout? Are you sure the two instances of the field belong to the same TO?