Using data from inactive tab

[mjc]

As one will soon be able to see I'm a novice at using FM and I need some help trying to figure out how to use data from inactive tabs for a calculation on the main layout. What I have is four tabs in a layout and I would like to add the contents from a field of each tab and show that in the layout where the tabs exist. When I try it I only get the result to be the contents from the "active" tab. Is there help? I can send the file if this explanation fails to make sense.

Thank you in advance.

[comment]

Tab control are layouts objects. As such, they are ignored by calculations. It's not quite clear from your description whether you actually need to calculate anything, or just show existing data. If the latter, you can simply put another instance of the same field on the layout.

[mjc]

Thanks for the response. As I said I'm a novice so I really don't understand everything yet. I do need calculations as i am try to sum fields that are on each of the four different tabs. Every calculation I try seems to sum only the active tab.

[comment]

A calculation field such as Sum ( field1 ; field2 ; field3 ; field4 ) will return the sum of values in the 4 fields (from the same record) - regardless of where they are on any layout, or even IF they are on any layout. If you're seeing something else, then you must have some other problem.

[mjc]

I wouldn't be surprised if I'm explaining my problem incorrectly. Would it help if I sent you the file?

[comment]

It might. Attach it here (zipped).

[mjc]

Ok, here is the file. To activate the top tab the vehicle field must be the same as the tab. M3 = M3, F150=F150 and so on. If you look you'll see a set of numbers under the "Fuel Records" these should be the total from the information on the four tabs. This is an unfinished file but I'd like to solve this problem first.

Thank You so much for any help.

Fuel_Data_Copy.fp7.zip

[comment]

Your problem is deeper than that - the data needs to be structured in an entirely different way. I am not sure this will help you at this stage, before you have learned the basics of relational design, but you need a table of vehicles and ONE table for all mileage/fueling data. Having duplicate tables for each vehicle will not get you very far: what if you add a vehicle? Will you then rework your file?

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P.S. Here is a somewhat similar thread:

http://www.fmforums.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/176142/

[mjc]

Thank you so much for your thoughts. As I said I am a novice with a lot to learn.