No Re-calc on the Fly? (First Post)

[George Noonan]

Hi,
I'm not an overly sophisticated user. I just upgraded to A5 and am converting an application from A4 to A5. I pay direct mail list invoice. Frequently, I will change some of the variables in previous invoice to see how those changes will affect my bottom line "Cost Per Thousand" and then I get out of the record w/o saving changes.

I have replicated the calcuated fields I had in A4 to A5, but my data is not all of my data is re-calculating.

I had a charge of $10.00 x 42.430 = $424.30. When I changed the $10.00 to $0.00, it did not change the $424.30. Any idea why? The same procedure works as it should in A4v6.

I doubt it matters, but I'm using the "Evaluation" software downloaded from ZD Net until the official stuff arrives.

Thanks,
George

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: No Re-calc on the Fly? (First Post)

George, I'm not sure why your total did not recalculate.

Here's how I'd do it in Alpha Five.

Assume table with three fields, all numeric, all w/ 2 decimals

costperthousand
numberofthousands
totalcost


In the field rules for the table I'd set the totalcost field to be a
calculated field. I'd specify a calc expression of

costperthousand * numberofthousands


Thereafter, the totalcost field would be updated whenever either the
costperthousand or the numberofthousands field values in a record were changed. And a pending change could be abandoned with the ESC key causing values to revert to those stored in the table already.

I wonder if you perhaps created a form level calculated field (or calculated display) instead of an actual field in your table? The former is displayed on screen but is not stored in the table. The latter is an actual field in your table.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: No Re-calc on the Fly? (First Post)

Perhaps it's also possible that you used the 'Default Expression' field rule to initially suggest a calculated value for the total field? If so, this rule will not kick in again when you change values in the fields which make up the calculated expression.

[George Noonan]

RE: No Re-calc on the Fly? (First Post)

Thanks for your reply, Tom. I am only using calculated fields from the database--placing them on the form. The forumula that doesn't re-calc is based on two other calculated fields as noted below.

I set up the database with 5 "Per M" fiels (M=roman numeral for 1,000). I only pay on "valid" names, so I deduct certain names from the gross qty. received. Then, I multiply by the "Total Selects" field which sums up the total number of "Per M" charges.

Side issue: Each "Per M" field has a skip rule based on a "Selects Qty" field--I designed it so that if I had two selects, it would skip over fields 3-5 (and their description fields--I thought this was so cool back in '92).

Here are the formulas involved. First, the "Extended Selects" formula that doesn't update. (TTL_SLCTS*NET_RECD)/1000.

*TTL_SLCTS: (S1_PER_M+S2_PER_M+S3_PER_M+S4_PER_M+S5_PER_M)
*NET_RECD: (NAMES_RECD-STATE_ZIP-DMA_DELET-NIXIES-INTRAFILES)

All the inputs for TTL_SLCTS and NET_RECD are user entered.

Any idea what is wrong?

Thanks,
George

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: No Re-calc on the Fly? (First Post)

George, I've never defined a calculated field using other calculated fields as inputs... at least not in the tables themselves. I've done this many times in reports.

Your question, as I understand it, is will a calculated field automatically recalculate when it is based on other calculated fields and the input values to those other calculated fields is changed by the user. Right?

You're looking at a three layer calculation consisting of
input fields
calculated fields derived from the input fields
other calculated fields derived from the calculated fields

Right?

Will look into it when time permits.

-- tom

[George Noonan]

RE: No Re-calc on the Fly? (First Post)

Yes, I think you have a handle on my problem. I know that it works in A4v6 and older versions. Also, I was playing around with it (changing values around in the S1_Per_M field) and noticed that it was updating, but seemed to be a version or two behind the current values I was putting in.

????

Thanks.

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: No Re-calc on the Fly? (First Post)

George,

Quick testing here indicates that, with version 4.5 of Alpha Five, the derived calculated field is not computed until the record is saved.

i.e.

in a three layer calculation involving
input fields, which change (quantity and price)
calculated fields, based on the input fields, (totalcost = quantity * price) and
other calculated fields, based on the calculated fields (totalcost * totalcost)

I find that the first level calc field updated itself during data entry, as the input field values changed.

The 'other' calc fields (second level, or derived calc field) did not update itself during data entry, but did compute when the record was saved.

It sounds as though this is different from what you were used to in Alpha Four, so unless I'm way off base here, you may need to use a different approach, to test alternative scenarios on the fly. You might consider using a form that contains variables derived from the current record, with buttons and scripts to recalc the second level (derived) values after you supply new inputs.

-- tom

[George Noonan]

RE: No Re-calc on the Fly? (First Post)

Thanks Tom,
There is no reason why I can't just add up my Per M's within my Extended Cost field instead of relying upon a calculated field that does the sums.

That is what I will do. Again, thanks for your help.

George

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: No Re-calc on the Fly? (First Post)

Exactly.

Instead of using a derived calc expression, which depends on other calc fields, just express the calculation using the actual input fields.

In my little example, where totalcost = quantity * price, instead of

costsquared = totalcost * totalcost

it would be

costsquared = (quantity * price) * (quantity * price)