Calculation to count instances of a text field

[n7mafia]

I have a text field called TYPE with an attached value list with three alphabetical values (A,B,C).

I intend to make a pie-chart to display the % of A,B,C; I reckon I should create a calculation field which takes the data from TYPE and calculates the number of times A, B or C appear.

 

How can I do it?

 

Edit: I added a sample DB for clarity and reference, basically the field I want to interact with is: "Autorita" which can be one of three values (Cassazione; Corte d'Appello; Tribunale); in the sampleDB I made 4 records: 3 of which have "Cassazione" in it and one of which has "Tribunale".

 

What I need, on the "Stats" layout is to make a pie-chart that display a pie with 75% of "Cassazione" and 25% of "Tribunale"

 

 

SampleDB.zip

[comment]

I intend to make a pie-chart to display the % of A,B,C; I reckon I should create a calculation field which takes the data from TYPE and calculates the number of times A, B or C appear.

 

No, all you need is a summary field, defined as Count of [ TYPE ] (or of any other field that cannot be empty). Then set your chart as follows:

 

Label Data: YourTable::TYPE

Value Data: YourTable::sCount (the above summary field)

Use Data From: [ Current Found Set ]

[v] Show data points for groups of records when sorted

 

Records must be sorted by TYPE for this to work.

[n7mafia]

I created the summary field as per your instructions and I set the piechart as follows:

Category Labels -> Pratica Forense::Autorita (Shouldn't I specify the 3 labels in here?)

Slice Data -> Pratica Forense::sAutorita

[v] Show Legend

[v] Show Values on Chart

[v] Percentages

[v] Actual Values

Data Type: Number

Format: Percent

 

And all I get is a humongous all-red pie and beneath it, it reads:

"Cassazione

56%

100%"

 

I am pretty sure I missed something.

[comment]

I don't know. Does this (attached) work for you?

SimplePieChart.fp7.zip

[n7mafia]

Not really, if I open it I get a pie divided equally in 26 slices of the same size (3.85% each) instead of a correct % representation. Apparently the reccurrent states do not get considered in the same group as they should.

[comment]

Records must be sorted by TYPE for this to work.

[n7mafia]

Yes, I know, I tried to sort it but it didn't change much on my DB. I'm getting increasingly frustrated, I've always had troubles with pie charts in filemaker, I'm either still missing something terribly obvious in my pie construction or I missed your pointers completely, I'm running out of options.

 

I am not even sure if I should link the layout "Stats" with either the "DataEntry" table records or to create a new record in the stats table?

That's what I get anyways:

[LaRetta]

You really didn't give enough time to receive a response.

Please zip and attach your file.

[comment]

Unfortunately I cannot look at your file. However, I can tell you that a pie chart (or any other chart, for that matter) is just a graphical representation of the data - in this case, summarized data. If you can get a report going, summarizing your records by Type (in a layout of the same table where records with the Type field live), then the chart will practically draw itself.

[eos]

Some wrong settings that prevented your data from being charted:

 

1. You need to use an actually existing, non-quoted (!) field name as the slice data source, and …

 

2. in Data Source, select Found Set as Chart Data (instead of Current Record); this will then allow you to …

 

3. simply use the Type field as label source, instead of manually having to create a List () of labels

[n7mafia]

Apologies for the confusion but this thing's driving me crazy.

 

I have this database where a field called "TYPE" can have one of three alphabetic values (CSZ, CA, TRB), I need to make a pie-chart which displays the occurences of the "TYPE" field in a neat pie chart; I've been told in another post to make a summary field to count the occurences and to sort it to make it work which I did but I still didn't manage to make the chart work.

 

This is the sampleDB:

 

 

SampleDB - PieChart.zip

[eos]

My points in post #10 above weren't of theoretical nature, it's what's actually wrong in your chart setup.

[bruceR]

Mods as described by EOS.

SampleDB - PieChartBFR.fmp12.zip

[n7mafia]

Okay, thanks to you guys I finally managed to get it to work and the graph now displays things properly, I got a couple of follow-up questions though:

1) I wish to add a few other graphs to evaluate different fields with other pie-charts but since I had to order by the TYPE field how can I set it up? I mean, is there a way to tell FM to order by Field1 for Pie-Chart1 and by Field2 for Pie-Chart2 and so on? Maybe, and I am just theorizing, one could write a simple script to tell FM to sort by X when opening layout 1, sort by Y when opening layout 2 and so on?

2) Also, the mandatory sorting to make the pie-chart work on the "Stats" layout messes up things in the other two layouts which should be ordered by something else like for instance the record number, is there any way to avoid that?

 

Edit: By digging this very forum I noticed I posed a similar questions two years ago and I found some interesting pointers, which at that time I was unable to grasp, they look on the right track though, can anyone help me out developing on them?

 

The old thread is this one: http://fmforums.com/forum/topic/85680-find-script-to-get-the-most-profitable-sales/

 

The last post is by comment and reads like this:

 

Posted 16 August 2012 - 08:41 PM

The idea is roughly this:

Sort the records by one field, and write the first 10 names/values into variables. Then sort by another field and again write the first 10 records into another pair of variables. Point your charts to draw their data from the variables.

[comment]

I mean, is there a way to tell FM to order by Field1 for Pie-Chart1 and by Field2 for Pie-Chart2 and so on?

 

Yes, but records cannot be sorted two different (conflicting) ways at the same time.

 

 

By digging this very forum I noticed I posed a similar questions two years ago and I found some interesting pointers, which at that time I was unable to grasp, they look on the right track though, can anyone help me out developing on them?

 

Perhaps you should ask a more specific question. I would also suggest you do a search for a technique called Fast Summaries, as this could be very useful to you in this context.