Calculations in Tables

  • Thread starter Thread starter Toddy
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Toddy

Hi
I'm trying to sum three fields in a table in a fourth field, is this
possible? I have figured out how to do it on a form i.e. calculating the
nett, vat and gross but the data doesn't transfer to the table data and
therefore I can not use it in a MS Word mail merge.

Please can you help me in plain english as I really am not a techy!! Thanks
everyone
 
If you already have all of the data in the table for the first 3
fields, you could do it via an update query. something like

UPDATE tablename SET [FourthField] = [FirstField]+[SecondField]+
[ThirdField] WHERE....
 
You can't do it in a table. However you can do it in a query, probably very
similar as to how you did it in the form. You can then use the query for the
mail merge to Word.
 
Hi
I'm trying to sum three fields in a table in a fourth field, is this
possible? I have figured out how to do it on a form i.e. calculating the
nett, vat and gross but the data doesn't transfer to the table data and
therefore I can not use it in a MS Word mail merge.

Please can you help me in plain english as I really am not a techy!! Thanks
everyone
Click to expand...

Storing derived data such as this in your table accomplishes
three things: it wastes disk space; it wastes time (almost
any calculation will be MUCH faster than a disk fetch); and
most importantly, it risks data corruption. If one of the
underlying fields is subsequently edited, you will have data
in your table WHICH IS WRONG, and no automatic way to detect
that fact.

Just redo the calculation whenever you need it, as a calculated field in a
Query. You do *NOT* need to have the data in a table to do a mail merge; Word
can use a Query as the source of the merge (in fact I've never used anything
else for that purpose). Create a query based on the table, and in a vacant
Field cell type the fieldname you want (e.g. Nett) followed by a colon,
followed by the expression that does your calculation.
 
Toddy said:
Hi
I'm trying to sum three fields in a table in a fourth field, is this
possible? I have figured out how to do it on a form i.e. calculating the
nett, vat and gross but the data doesn't transfer to the table data and
therefore I can not use it in a MS Word mail merge.

Please can you help me in plain english as I really am not a techy!!
Thanks
everyone
Click to expand...
 
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