Dialog box summary report

[neecy]

Hello-
I am at a dilemna. I have several separate tables in a database that I will need to combine into a new table and display as one report. However each table have the same field names. What I am looking to do is allow me to have a diaglog box display when I click a button on a form with a list of the fieldnames and I choose which name I am interested in. The process will take that name from each separate table, import their values by date into a new table of different field names (if that's possible), and my report will display these results into my own custom form I will create. I need a good example to go by for this process to help get me started. I am using the action scripting dialog box options to pick a field name, but am lost on where to go from here.

Any examples to go by?

Neecy

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Dialog box summary report

Seems you should just need a set linked on the identifier field which will tie records together in your report(s). Then create reports for each of the fields you want to compare.

Much easier than what you outlined.

[neecy]

Re: Dialog box summary report

Thanks Stan-

I have linked my tables together and am starting to create my form. I am at a cross road though. As I setup my form, I realize that my layout needs to display the last 5 weeks of the current month. I have attached a sample of what the form should look like. My tables already calculated for the week ending date. The Alpha table has the rows for dates and the field names as building names and of course each table is based on their category. With 13 different category linked and each form will be based on their building, how will I be able to have week1 - week5 displayed as the Excel attachment?

Neecy

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Dialog box summary report

Seems your tables were constructed, as we often encounter, by the developer's best understanding of the data. This often presents an obstacle to easily deriving desired results.

Instead of a table for each category with the same fields in each table, you should have one table with one more field than you have now - a category field. To examine one category you filter the table for the desired category, not switch tables, etc. One set of reports, properly filtered, satisfies all needs - not a set of reports, forms, etc for each table.

To get to this point you can utilize much of your existing work and not destroy anything you have until you are comfortable.

Create a duplicate of one of the present category tables. Include the records, indexes, and support files.
Restructure that table to include a category field.
Run an update operation on the new table to fill in the category field that the original table represented.
Append one of the other tables to this new table, in the append operation you can specify/add the category field in the master table and the fixed value you want in the field.
Repeat the append process for each of the category tables.

Harder to describe than it is to do.

Now you should be able to create a summarize operation on the new table, grouping by category and totaling as desired.

[neecy]

Re: Dialog box summary report

Hi Stan-
I was able to create my table listed below and append the records into the new table. So far all the data is correct, however, my report layout is not in the same format as the Excel spreadsheet I sent you. I can create 5 new columns and name them Week1-Week5, however, I need the values to copy over based on the record number. For example, I created a field called record number and set the field rule to assign record number. My table has 5 records and Week1 field should equal to date value for the first record, Week2 field should equal to date value for 2nd record, and so on. The example attached will give you an idea of what I am trying to achieve for the Week fields.

Is this possible?

Thanks-

[neecy]

Re: Dialog box summary report

Hi Stan-
Actually, disregard my inquiry. I just realized something that answered my question.

Thanks :)

[neecy]

Re: Dialog box summary report

Hi Stan-
My efforts that I was working on didn't pan out. I have include a sample of the data current format in hopes that if you see it, you can better understand my dilemna. Let me know if you need another example of the desired report format