How to use the sum tool for databases

[CS1]

I have read the help menu but still doesnt make sense to me.

I have a database in a worksheet.

I have selected the header cell and at the top of the column there is the ability to:

Organize in decending order

Organize in increasing order

The sum function

I drag the sum icon on the the column and it takes a few seconds to have a think, but then I dont notice any change.

Do I need glasses or am I missing something.

[Pat Stanford]

You probably need glasses ;-)

Make sure that the column you have a row (header or data) in the database selected before you drag the sum icon to the desired column header.

Make sure the column you are summing on has data that can be summed. By this a mean if you are summing doors by tag, then there must be more than one D-1, d-2, d-04, etc. If the data in the column is all unique, the sum will not do anything and you will need to find a different column to sum on.

Pat

[CS1]

OK im feeling really stupid now, I just tried it and still cant see what it is doing.

I did the above and my list of values shrunk from about 20 to 10 but I cant see what info has gone or being added together?

In each Header Cell the total is shown there anyway, does the sum tool provide a different value than this?

[islandmon]

Sum = Summarize identical database items in the desired column

[CS1]

Ok I Im not sure in this case the definition of identical.

The set criteria has already grouped the particular items according to layer, type, class etc.

Then there are various lists showing the selected objects lengths, heights, layers, areas etc.

If I was to drag the sum tool to the Row Header that showed the length.

What is it summarizing? What is it seeing as the identical database item? Is is summarizing all walls of a certain height together etc?

[Pat Stanford]

It is summerizing based on whatever column you drag the sum icon to.

If you put it in a column listing wall heights, it will give you a row for each different row height.

If you put it in a column listing object types, it will give a row for each different object type.

If you put it in a column listing classes, it will give a row for each different class of object.

The total at the top show the total number of objects or the mathamatical sum of the values of every cell in the database.

If you want to see the number of objects in each summed row, use the =count function in a column of the database.

You need to separate in your mind the difference between the mathamatical SUMMATION (totaling) and database SUMMARY.

Pat