Timestamp calculations

[askoog66]

Could anyone please point me in the right direction for simple addition and subtraction of a timestamp field. I am just starting to dabble in reports and am trying to shake my previous Access knowledge.

I would like my report to look something like this:

Order# 123456
Dept 25 Manufacturing
George Washington 05/03/2012 01:53:45 14 pm
George Washington 05/03/2012 01:57:12 14 pm
Total Employee Minutes 4
Abe Lincoln 05/03/2012 01:59:45 14 pm
Abe Lincoln 05/03/2012 02:17:45 14 pm
Total Employee Minutes 18
Total Department Minutes 22

Dept 32 Finishing
James Monroe 05/03/2012 02:23:45 14 pm
James Monroe 05/03/2012 01:29:53 14 pm
Total Employee Minutes 6
Total Department Minutes 6
====
Total Order Minutes 28

The Postgres backend table has the department#, employee# and the timestamp column generated from Alpha's now() that each employee is putting in with a barcode scanner. I am obviously doing a select group statement on order#, department and employee. The questions is how to do the basic math. I have played with the Run_Maximum and Run_Minimum as well as Run_Total and do not seem to get those to work. I also do not see where I reset the variables between group breaks and am unable to do this pretty basic report. Access knowledge fighting me again.

Thanks for the help.

Andy

[Steve Workings]

Re: Timestamp calculations

Andrew - the now() function value can be dealt with in seconds. Start with your interactive window and do this:

a = now()
' wait a few seconds....
b = now()
?b - a
= 9.78

So, if you have two values created with now() you can figure the number of seconds, minutes, hours between the two pretty easily.

Does this help?

[askoog66]

Re: Timestamp calculations

Thanks Steve,
I had already played around similarly in the code editor to what you showed. My problem was getting that translated into Reports. I did add another break at employee.

This is what I ended up with for a calculated field:
Employee_Minutes = (run_maximum(Timestamp,GRP->Empid)-run_minimum(Timestamp,GRP->Empid))/60

I am now unable to get Employee_minutes summarized by department. I went back and rewatched your old v10 Total Training videos and am unable to get my v11 to pop up the Drop field Summary genie like you show in the videos. I have tried selecting and deselecting "aladdin's lamp" in the DragDrop List, but it makes no difference.

Andy