Summary fields

Question

I'm very new to Quickbase. I have a thorough knowledge with MS Access programming, which I find helpful in many aspects of this database. But there are many things that I find head-scratching.

The latest is how to utilize a summary field. I have a relationship to the table that I want to count records based on specific criteria in the parent table. I add the summary field but all I get is a big fat zero. I compare it to a summary field that someone else inserted and they setup is identical.

The only result I can get is zero and when I click on that number it takes me to a report that filters for criteria that seems odd. Do I need to change the criteria in some way? I'm really at a loss. Any advise would be helpful.

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Barry Dolan
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donlarson · Answer

Barry,The Summary Field lets you do a variety of mathematical calculations but the specific criteria are from the Child Table not the Parent.&nbsp; &nbsp;Here is a screen shot of a Summary field counting records where there is criteria set about the Child
This will give us a numeric field in the Parent table of the number of child records where the Check Box [Deposit] has been set in the Child table.Naturally the next question is what it the total dollars deposited. That requires a different Summary field.
This time we are not counting the records.&nbsp; It is a summary of the filed [Deposit Amount] in the child table where [Deposit] is checked.The drill down behavior of the Summary field is controlled in the Parent table after you have created the field.&nbsp; If you do not configure the field after creations you will get all the default settings and those are terrible.In this case I created a report in the Child table just for use with the Summary field.&nbsp; Here is a screen shot for you showing all available reports.

I always use Drill Down in the name of a Drill Down report and use a folder just for organizing them.&nbsp; It is easy to have a thousand Summary fields in an application and the corresponding Drill Down reports.&nbsp; &nbsp;It is one of the most fundamental parts of Quick Base.
------------------------------Don LarsonPaasporterWestlake OH------------------------------

barrydolan1 · Answer

Thank you for all this. I still can't get any results.I created a summary field in the relationship to the parent table. Added the field to the default report and still get a zero.

I believe I set it all up following your description. But obviously there is more to it.Here is my relationships setup:

Here is my criteria on the summary field:

You can see that I set up a drill down report. The only criteria in the drill down report is that I want to only want a count of records created during the current month.------------------------------Barry Dolan------------------------------

donlarson · Answer

Barry,Lets test this with an entirely new Summary Field set up to get the Total Number of Records instead of a Count.&nbsp; &nbsp;Here is the screenshot.I have included the filter to only Total ( Count #&nbsp;of records) where the Child record was created in the Current Month.&nbsp; Leave that out until you get your first result with a positive number.&nbsp; Then edit the Summary Field and add the filter on the Date Created.

​------------------------------Don LarsonPaasporterWestlake OH------------------------------

donlarson · Answer

Barry,On a related issue, your Drill Down report should have no filters in it.&nbsp; Only put in the columns.&nbsp; When you click on the Summary Field, the Drill Down will inherit the criteria from the Summary Field.&nbsp; Otherwise you can get some very strange results showing fewer records than the Summary.------------------------------Don LarsonPaasporterWestlake OH------------------------------

barrydolan1 · Answer

I got it figured out. I had to set up the counter in another parent table and then add a total in the main parent table relationship blah blah blah.I don't even know how to put all that in words, but it came to me to give it a try and it works exactly how I need it to.&nbsp;Thank you,------------------------------Barry Dolan------------------------------

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