Formula fields
Calculate a value from number fields as the technician fills the form in.
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Overview
A Formula works a value out from other number fields - an area from a length and width, a total from several readings. It recalculates on the phone as the numbers are typed, and nobody has to enter it.
Step by step: add a formula
- Add the Numeric Input fields it will read.
- Click Formula under + Add Fields, and give it a Heading, such as “Volume”.
- Under Calculate from, pick the first number field.
- Click + Add value for each further field, and choose how it combines: plus, minus, times or divide.
- Set Result units, such as “m3” or ”$”, and the Decimal places.
The line under the formula spells out what it will work out, so you can check it reads the way you meant.
Its own settings
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Calculate from | The number fields it uses, and how each one combines |
| Result units (e.g. m3, L, $) | Printed after the result |
| Decimal places | How the result is rounded |
| Treat blank values as zero | Calculate even when a number has not been entered yet. Otherwise the result waits for every value |
It also has the settings most fields share.
On the phone and the report
The phone shows the result as a read-only value that updates as the numbers change. The report prints the result like any other answer.
Tips
- Hide the inputs if they only exist for the sum. A number field with Hide field on form ticked still feeds the formula - useful for a fixed rate held as a Constant value.
- Check it in Mobile Preview, typing sample numbers, before you publish.
See also
- Number fields - the fields a formula reads.
- Data tables - a set of numbers repeated per row.