Simple summary problem driving me crazy!

[Jenna]

Hi,

All I want to do is summarize the numbers in one field of a found set.

When a user clicks a certain button on one of my layouts, a script is executed that:

1. Goes to another layout--a Table View only layout

2. Sorts records by date

This new layout has a column called "Payment Amount" with all number values. I added a Summary field to the table called "Total" whose options are set to Total the Payment Amount. But when I add a Trailing Grand Summary to the layout and put the Total field in it, it doesn't work at all. In browse mode, it just says "Total."

I feel like it should be very simple to summarize the values of one field in a given found set--what am I doing wrong??

[omegagoh]

Hi Jenna, I guess you are new to FMP. Traditionally, we usually don't create report in Table View. Also, Table View show only data from the Body part and optionally, the Header and/or Footer part (Enter Layout mode, select Layouts > Layout Setup. Click on the View tab then the Properties button beside Table View).

Anyway, I created a simple sample in FMP8 for you. Please notice that there are two summary fields, one is a running total (in the Table View) and the other is the total (sum). I guess the running total may be more useful for you as it enable you to have running total for the found records and in any sort order.

Hope that it does help you.

Regards,

Omega Goh

Speedy Scaleable Solutions

Payment_total_by_Omega.zip

[comment]

when I add a Trailing Grand Summary to the layout and put the Total field in it, it doesn't work at all. In browse mode, it just says "Total."

Try making the column wider?

Table View show only data from the Body part and optionally, the Header and/or Footer part

That's no longer true, starting with version 10.

[omegagoh]

Dear Comment,

Thanks for the info. as I was away for quite awhile (FMP8.5 was the latest version then) and just came back to work on a project running on FMP8.5. Hence, I haven't have time to try FMPA11 which I just bought recently.

In fact, I am experiencing theme files error at the moment (please refer to post#359133). Do you have any suggestion?

Regards,

Omega Goh

[Jenna]

Dear Omega,

Thank you for taking the time to explain this. I'm still having trouble, though. Whenever I add a total to my table, whether I set it to give me a running total or a sum total of all the records, it doesn't do any summing. Instead, it simply spits out, one after another, whatever number is in the field it is supposed to be summing. I'll attach my file so you can see.

Click on any of the "Check Deposit Log" buttons. That's where the problem is. (Basically, we enter fiction, poetry, and nonfiction contest submission on the other pages, and then we generate a check deposit log for each genre when it is time to deposit the contest submission fees.)

I know that the "Payment Description" field (which the summary field is set to calculate) has text and numbers in it, but even when it was an edit field set to "number," this happened.

Any idea???

DB_summary.fp7.zip

[LaRetta]

Why isn't is your summary based upon description and not payment amount? Your check deposit form should be based upon your Payments table and not Contestants.

Edited June 30, 2010 by Guest
corrected isn't to is

[Jenna]

LaRetta, thank you!

It's a long story why the summary is based on the description field instead of another one, but you were absolutely right that the layout had to be based on the Payment table!! I thought it would be fine to pull the summary field, etc. from a related table--but now I see that the layout should be *set* to that table in the first place! Thank you!!