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Creating a database
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ILEMAKER PRO HELP 178
Note You must format your summary field as a repeating field to display individual summary
values. See
Setting up the display of repeating fields.
10. Click OK, then continue defining fields or click OK.
To define summary fields in Table View:
1. With the database open in Browse mode, click Table View in the layout bar.
2. Click + in the column heading to add a new field.
3. Right-click the column heading for the new field, then choose Field > Field Type >
Summary from the shortcut menu.
4. Select a summary type and set the options for the summary field in the Summary Field
dialog box.
Notes
• Use the New Layout/Report assistant to quickly create a layout that summarizes data. See
Creating a layout.
• Summary fields are associated with groups of records. The value in a summary field can
change depending on where you place the field on a layout, how many records are in the
found set, and whether the records are sorted.
• Data in a summary field reflects records currently being browsed; either all the records or a
group of found records. If you change a value in one of the fields on which the summary is
based, or if you change the found set, FileMaker
Pro recalculates the result in a summary
field.
• If you choose Fraction of Total of, you can specify a group field for Subtotaled. When you
return to Browse mode, you must sort by the group field to calculate the value correctly.
• The standard deviation formula is n-1 weighted, following the normal standard deviation.
• You can't change data in a summary field manually, but you can copy it. You can also
perform calculations with summary fields using the
GetSummary function.
• If your FileMaker Pro file accesses data from an ODBC data source, you can use
supplemental fields to define unstored calculations or summary instructions that act on data
coming from the external sources. See
Using supplemental fields.
• If you are using FileMaker Pro Advanced, you can copy field schemas from one file and
paste them into the same file or some other file. See Copying and pasting field schemas
(FileMaker Pro Advanced).
Related topics
Changing summary fields
Summary data is missing or incorrect
Specifying formats for fields containing numbers
Setting options for fields
You can set field options when you define a field, or at a later time. You can set options for:
• entering default data into fields to make entering data fast, accurate, and consistent (for
example, FileMaker
Pro can perform a calculation to automatically format a phone number)
• checking data against validation requirements