Calc Total Time

[Dan Blank]

I have a browse where you enter start time (character fields) and you enter end time. Then in another field total time worked is calculated using toseconds(). And naturally you can work more than one day on the project.

I want to put a calculated field at the bottom of the browse that will "total" the total time worked for the project. Since the total time worked is a character field I can't get a total. So what do I need to do??

Thank you
Dan

[Robert Picard]

RE: Calc Total Time

Hi Dan

Check the thread "TOTALLING TIME" up above. There are several responses which should help you figure out a solution.

Robert

[Dan Blank]

RE: Calc Total Time

None of that applies to what I am asking.

I want a calculated field on the form that total (sums) the calculations of many times that are calculated from various start and stop times. I have the formulas for the browse start and stop times worked out. No problem there. What I want is the Sum of all of those calculated times, in a calc field.

Dan

[Dan Blank]

RE: Calc Total Time

None of that applies to what I am asking.

I want a calculated field on the form that total (sums) the calculations of many times that are calculated from various start and stop times. I have the formulas for the browse start and stop times worked out. No problem there. What I want is the Sum of all of those calculated times, in a calc field.

Dan

[forskare]

RE: Calc Total Time

Dan,

This may seem like an elementary question, but when you create the expresion using the calc field from the drop down list, did you try using the calculated field, which holds the total time, as the field to base the grand total on?

kenn

[forskare]

RE: Calc Total Time

Dan,

Here's what I did. I created a calc field to subtract the begin time from the end time to get the total time spent. The I created another calc field, in the expression box, I used the same expression as the other calc field, selected total and made sure advanced settings were set to Grand, which is the default setting.

Works like a charm. tested it on tow separate calc fields.

Here's the expression I used: (toseconds(endtime)-toseconds(begintime))/3600

kenn

[Michael Humby]

RE: Calc Total Time

Dan,

If you are happy to have the time field a lookup list selection. My route for this problem is as follows.

1. Create a timefield character.
2. Create a timefill field numeric.
3. Via field rules make timefield simple lookup list then choose add another column.
4. Make the other column timefill field and add the numeric equivalents to character timefield.

This way you can use timefield for data input and timefill field for the calculation.

Michael

[forskare]

RE: Calc Total Time

Michael,

I re-read Dan's 1st post and missed the part about totaling by project. I see now where my answer is only part of the solution and that it would be necessary to incorporate a lookup. I studied your suggestion and I think he needs to use the lookup for the project so when he has a record with the project name showing, he has a field which displays the total hours for the project. I'm basing this on how I intrepret what he wants to do as I think he wants:

1. A calc field will hold the total time for the day.
2. He has another field which contains the project name.
3. He wants another field to view the total time for project so, at a glance, he knows how much time has been expended.

When he scoots through the browse he knows how much time has been expended on each project.

Dan, is this what you have in mind? If not please elaborate a bit more.

kenn

[Dan Blank]

RE: Calc Total Time

Hi Ken,

Thats sort of it. People will bring up their Project form based on the project they are working on. Enter their name, start time and end time. The time worked gets calculated -- all on the browse. Then on the bottom of the form I want to sum up the total time worked on that project.

Getting a calc field to sum a character field is where I'm stuck.

Dan

[forskare]

RE: Calc Total Time

Dan,

I have a database with a child table that contains programs. There are only 8 programs so it's a bit easier. I have calc fields for each program that contain the amount for each program, each month. This is in a browse. I also have, on the form, calc fields for each program which keep a running total for each program. Basically, I think this is what you're after with the exception of the project names since there will be many more than 8, things will have to be done a bit differently.

How about this?

Your form can contain the fields such as the name of the person, date, Begin and End times for data entry. The Project Browse can contain the project name and a calc field for the total time. That way, you can see all projects at one time and you could even have another browse (Detail Browse) on the form which contains the date, begin & end times and total for the day. The browses should be read only. As you scroll through the project browse and click on a project, the detail hours for the project will show in the form and the Detail browse.

This is my expression for the program total (project total for you). It will have to be modified slightly for your situation.

total(iif(Issued->Pgrm="mfip",Issued->Amount_Ovr,0),GRP->MAIN_DATA)
I'm not sure how it would be re-written, perhaps like:

total(iif(Project="",Calc field,0),GRP->MAIN_DATA) (Actually, I think a script will need to be written, I don't know enough about this part of A5) Someone who is more adept at expression than I could lend a hand.

Form for data entry Project Total Browse
Project Total Project Hours
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb
Detail Browse Name date BeginTime EndTime Total for the date
ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb
dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb
ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

Hope this helps.

kenn

[Michael Humby]

RE: Calc Total Time

Dan,

How is the time data entered?
Is it from a spin box choice such as 05:15, 05:30, 05:45?
Do the users type their own ie 1400, 1500?
Are the times dependent on minutes or are they rounded to 15 minutes, 30 minutes etc?

Michael

[Dan Blank]

RE: Calc Total Time

Hi Michael:

Time is entered as 2:22p. There is no lookup or spin box, and no rounding. Time is entered as they record it based on 60 minutes to the hour. They enter the time ending with an "a" for AM and "p" for PM. The time work field displays the calculated time as 0:58 or 2:44, whatever is appropriate.

Thanks:
Dan

[Michael Humby]

RE: Calc Total Time

Dan,

This is how I would approach your problem at first try and it should only accept accurate data from your users whereas at present your users could easily enter a p instead of an a etc..

1. I would create four fields HOURS Character, HOURSFILL numeric, and MINS Character, MINSFILL numeric
2. Via field rules, I would make HOURS a simple list lookup with values 0 to 24 incrementing 1 then in the same field rule window I would add another column and I choose HOURSFILL as the field. The hours fill would would be the same as the HOURS list. Now whenever your user enters hours from the spinbox list the HOURSFILL will contain a numeric equivalent that is a virtual numeric field and can be used for calculation and there is no fear of your user entering obscure data.

3. I would do the same for MINS and MINSFILL but build the lookup list from 0 to 60 or if you could reduce the size if an increment of 5 or ten minutes woul be acceptable. You will then have a virtual numeric MINSFILL field for your calculations.

4. It would be easier if the time was acceptable in say 15 minute increments then you could base this method on only two fields HOURS Character and HOURSFILL numeric. You would then have a lookup of 09:15, 09:30, 09:45, 10:00. Your HOURSFILL fields will benumeric 9.25, 9.5, 9.75, 10.00. Your user will always enter accurate data this way and the numeric fields would be completely out of sight.

There are obviously other ways but I use this method often to work out hours worked etc.

Hope this helps

Michael

[Gary Smith]

RE: Calc Total Time

Look at the attached sample.
The field rule for total_time is:
RIGHT("0"+TOTIME(TOTAL_SEC,1,0),5)
The expression for the form's summary field is:
TOTIME(TOTAL(TOSECONDS(Projtime->Total_Time)),1,0)

[Gary Smith]

RE: Calc Total Time

This sample app handles times that cross the midnight hour.