Calculation tips and other things

[Brendan]

Hey there,

A Tap Forms user from Greece wanted me to pass these on to the forum. I thought they were very useful tidbits on various aspects of Tap Forms, so here you go…

1. Field names containing values that can be calculated should NEVER include parenthesis symbols: This: ( or this: ). p.e Field name “Height (cm)” should not exist. Instead use “Height [cm]”.
Explanation
These parenthesis symbols may need to be used in Calculation Fields. Occasionally a parenthesis is needed in a calculation, p.e subtracting dates to find age: should be like Current date- birthdate. The result of this subtraction in Tapforms measures seconds and should be divided by /60/60/24/365 to give the result in years. To do this calculation you should use parenthesis: (Current Date – Birth Date) /60/60/24/365. When you attempt to dictate the symbol of parenthesis in the calculation Formula builder box, automatically the program seeks and identifies Field titles that include the specific symbol, p.e Field Title: “Body weight (kgr)”. The program thinks that you want to use the specific field in your calculation and incorporates it in the formula. The application after that may: 1.Give wrong result, 2. Shut down when you attempt a correction, 3. Confuse the synchronization (no sync of field titles, no sync of new fields, no sync of calculation fields, no sync of data) with other devices. Things don’t improve if you use in the formula builder alternative parenthesis symbols like { }, [ ]. The only way out is NEVER use symbols like +, -, /, (, ), that may be needed in a calculation, as part of the name of a Field that contain data that can be used in calculations. For example Never use as Field name “Weight (Kgr)” Use instead “Weight [kgr]” . Never use “Check-up date ” you may use “Check up date”.

2. If you encounter synchronization problems like those mentioned above, (no sync of field titles, no sync of new fields, no sync of calculation fields, no sync of data), don’t panic. Take out of sync with the icloud all of your devices. Work on the device (p.e. MacBook) with the best content as much as you need to, to achieve a flawless data bank. Now if you attempt to open the devices, as is, and do re-sync with icloud, chances are that you end up with a mess again. So best thing to do:
a. On the device with the flawless databank do a backup (irrelevant with icould).
b.Keep other devices out of sync, but start to work on them. Erase individual records is meaningless since your problem is the design not the data. Simpler radical measure: erase TapForms with all its contents and reinstall it. You will have an empty Tap Forms.
c. Go to icloud now and erase TapForms. You will get the warning that your “data will be erased from the cloud, and all your devices and this cannot be undone”. Not true. Because your devices are out of communication with icloud ( i think ap forms when you erase their icloud content, automatically shut down the communication with icloud and preserve their data, put i am not sure about that). For psychological reason you have done the back-up of your flawless Tap forms anyway. So erase Tap forms from icloud, with no hesitation.
d. Now come to the device with the flawless databank. Data will be there shining!!!. (if not your backup will restore the base in seconds). Now go to open the sync with icloud. As this is done all from scratch will take a few seconds.
e. Now that this initial sync is finished, open the 2nd device (p.e. ipad) that contains an empty tap forms. Go on and open sync with cloud. Within seconds a the flawless data bank is eventually in this device also. Now open your 3rd device (p.e iphone) and follow the same steps. All you data are now synced and are flawless!!!

3.With the current icloud sync status, never do simultaneous changes in different devices (iphone, ipad) and go for sync. Confusion will appear. Instead make changes to one device sync to icloud, allow time to see the changes in the other devices, then do change to other device.

4. Section Headings: ARE Field titles, designating fields with no data content, that serve as separators among clusters of relevant fields with other less relevant fields, all of which belong to the same Form. By definition every Section Heading should be followed by at least one data field thus separating it from others. On MacBook you are allowed to bypass this rule. You can add one Section Headings after another with no Data Fields between them. NEVER do it, even as a temporary draft as you build your form. If you do it and you sync with ipad or iphone they both get very upset and confuse section heading and data fields giving a very frustrating outcome.

5. Calculating a time duration of a sort timed activity. You use a Calculation filed and build a formula Like: “date and time of end – date and time of start” . This give the result in seconds, so is you want minutes divide by 60: Formula should look like: “(date and time of end – date and time at start) / 60”. If you want to calculate in hours you divide by 60/60. Formula like : “(date and time of end – date and time of start) / 60 / 60”. The format of this result is available in the “number format” option of the formula builder as “HH:MM”, or as “hrs, min” . Well in my hand it didn’t work this last part. Result was always 0. Instead it worked perfectly the first formula “(date and time of end – date and time at start) / 60”, which gives the results in an integer number representing minutes. If they exceed 60 you calculate on your mind 1hour.

Thats all folks for the moment. It took me some time, frustration and some assistance from Tap Foms guys, to figure this out, and i though it was worth it to share it with you, so someone in need will find his way easier.

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