I have a Photo database I created in DB/Textworks, version 5.01. Among the fields I've created in this database are "creator" (who took the photo) and "number of items" (how many photos are contained in a folder, which comprises one record).

I'd like to be able to get a total of the number of items (photos) I own that were taken by specific photographers (creators). How do you do this?

The documentation wasn't very clear about this. It sounded like you had to create a footer field in order to do the calculation, but I've not been able to accomplish this.

Any help would be appreciated.

Sincerely,

Burt Altman

Create a Sort Footer box containing:

Sort Key Level 1
Calculation: total ("number of photos")

Use Report Options>Compulsory Sort to specify a sort by the Creator field.

You may want to use Tools>Form Properties to set the "Distance between records" to 0.

Lisa,

Thanks for your quick reply.

I was able to set up the sort footer box, as you suggested, with sort key level 1 and the calculation written as total ("number of items"), and specifying a sort by the creator field. However, how do I get the total count of the number of items (photos) for a particular creator?

To get a total, I assume that I would not do a regular search. When I searched by a specific creator and typed * in the number of items field, all I got was the number of records satisfying those search conditions, which is not what I want.

Thanks - Burt

The total for each creator will appear in the sort footer box for that creator. The Sort Key Level 1 in the Sort Footer box shows which creator goes with which count.

You'll get a report like:

Dilbert 3
Edison 25
Zarathustra 12

Lisa,

I'm still having some difficulty setting everything up for me to calculate the number of photos created by specific individuals. Once I set up my sort footer box and set it to sort key level 1, and type in my calculation as TOTAL ("number of items"), and specify my sort by the creator field, what do I do next to get the total number of items for a specific creator? Do I need to conduct a search from the query screen in the photos database?

Thanks - Burt

PS -- Does InMagic have interactive online support?

You can perform any search you want.

If you perform a search for a specific creator, you'll get a report with just:

CreatorName 27

If you use Search>Find All Records, you'll get a report with:

Creator1 87
Creator2 93
Creator3 12
Creator4 11

You do, of course, need to display the report and have used Display>Select Forms to specify the form you designed as your Report Window form.

This is as "interactive" as the online support gets. The phone support representatives can use Microsoft LiveMeeting to see your screen, and even "take control" (if you cede control to them) to make changes to forms, textbases, etc.

Lisa:

Sorry to keep coming back with questions, but I think I'm getting closer to a solution. Here's what I need to know:

1. After I've set up my sort footer box and set it to sort key level 1, typed in my calculation in the calculation box as TOTAL (number of items"), and specified my sort by the creator field (I moved the "Created by" from the Sort Specification field to the Sort Field in the Compulsort Sort window), I ended up with a sort footer box that looks lke:

<Sort Footer: Level 1 box>[Sort Key: Level 1]
[Calculated Value: TOTAL ("number of items")]

Is this the way it's supposed to look?

2. Once this is done, should the "sort footer" be designed as a field, such as the other fields in the database, like number of items, photo number, etc.?

3. If so, should I save this report by a specific name, such as "creator?"

4. Then, do I initially need to use Display>Select Forms, and select the "Creator" form, before I search for a specific creator or for a list of all records by a specific creator in the query form?

5. If a search for the number of photos done by a specific creator, do I type in the name of the creator in the "Created By" field in the query form?

6. And will this give me a report telling me the number of photos done by that creator?

quote:

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<Sort Footer: Level 1 box>[Sort Key: Level 1]
[Calculated Value: TOTAL ("number of items")]

Is this the way it's supposed to look?

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Yes.

quote:

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2. Once this is done, should the "sort footer" be designed as a field, such as the other fields in the database, like number of items, photo number, etc.?

---

The Sort Key Level 1 box contents will automatically be replaced, when you display the form in the Report Window, with the contents of the field you are sorting by (in this case, Creator).

quote:

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3. If so, should I save this report by a specific name, such as "creator?"

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You should sort this report by the Creator field. You can enforce this by choosing Report Options>Compulsory Sort and moving the Creator field from the left list to the right list.

It doesn't matter under what name you save the form; use something that will remind you of what the form is for. You may also want to fill in the Description box.

quote:

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4. Then, do I initially need to use Display>Select Forms, and select the "Creator" form, before I search for a specific creator or for a list of all records by a specific creator in the query form?

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You can use Display>Select Forms before or after you do the search. If you do it after, you'll see the records in some other form first, then the form will change when you click OK on the Select Forms dialog box.

quote:

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5. If a search for the number of photos done by a specific creator, do I type in the name of the creator in the "Created By" field in the query form?

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Yes. Or you could just choose Search>Find All Records and get a list of all creators with the number of photos each has done.

quote:

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6. And will this give me a report telling me the number of photos done by that creator?

---

Yes. It should look like:

Heather Brown 27

Lisa,

Think I'm getting closer to a solution, but not quite there yet.

Now, I am finally getting the total number of photos for each creator when I search by a specific creator using the appropriate form.

However, what's happening is that I don't always get a GRAND TOTAL at the end of my report when I do a search. With a report that only consists of a few records, I do get what seems to be a grand total at the bottom of the report.

But most of the time, I get a box at the bottom of EACH RECORD displaying the number of photos for that record, by creator.

Why am I not able to get a consistent GRAND TOTAL at the end of my report?

I think at this point, you may need to follow normal support channels (if you have a support contract with Inmagic or your local dealer). There's no way for me tell where the error in your form lies without actually having your textbase and form.