Ok, I'm a new kid to FMP. I'm stuck on something. I have a field that is defined as a value list. The list is of different types of equipment. In the layout I designed for data entry, I set the field up for check boxes (as more than one type of equipment may be applicable). I want to do a report layout that will summarize all of the checked entries for this field as compared to another field.

EX:

Failure (equipment value list)

Team (Team name)

If Team A has 3 failures, the check boxes allow for multiple entires in the failure field. I need a report that will allow me summarize all of the failures for Team A collectively, say, over a 30 day period.

Does this make sense? I know the answer is right under my nose, but I am hung on it. I really don't want to make multiple failure fields if I can help it. What's the easy way with FMP?

I may be wrong, but I would recommend making a field that corresponds to each failure checkbox that you have. Like check1, check2 etc. Make these a calc field with the value of IF(check1="T",1,0) for each. Then you can sum/total the values of the fields.

Check box fields are a neat way to enter data, but have some limitations when you wish to summarize the data. You didn't mention what a record is in your file (THE most important question in database design).

Sometimes the best way to approach a problem may not be within you current knowledge. This will put you on a fast track to learn a bunch of FM stuff. The approach I would use is to have two files, Teams, and Failures. The files could be related by Team ID. For ease of entry, create two global fields: gFailureDate and gFailureType in the Teams file. For a new failure entry, find the team you wish, enter the failure date into gFailureDate and the failure types into gFailureType (checkbox field). Then run a script (call it "Enter") which creates one new record into the Failures file for each failure checked (also fills in the date from gFailureDate) and the Team ID.

The net result is a record in the Failures file which contains the Team ID, Failure Date, and Failure Type. The advantage of data in this format is that it can be sorted any way you wish (by failure, dates, team or a combination). It's not "trapped" as multiple failure entries in a single field (check boxes create multiple entries in a text field separated by carriage returns).

(uh, sorry you did ask for the "easy" way, not the "best" way )

-bd

Thank you both for the ideas. I am going to have to do some playing around to figure out what will work best for me. At least now I have some ideas. I was stuck inside of the "box." Thanks again.