A
total is a mathematical calculation that you can add to a view. The
result of the calculation shows up at the top of the view, just under
the header for the column being calculated. If you want to see some
calculations of the values in a column, you can specify this under the
Totals section of the view creation page.
Different column types can
have different kinds of calculations. For example, a date column can
show the count of unique date values in that column, and then average
of the date values, and then the largest date or smallest one. A text
column can show only the count of unique values because it is not
possible to do mathematical calculations on pieces of text. A number
column can have more functions, such as sum (the sum of all the values
in that column), standard deviation, and variance.
For example, if you have a
number column called Number of Leave Days that is used to track how
many leave days have been requested by a contact, you can create a view
that displays the average leave requested by everyone in the list. The
average shows up at the top of the view, just under the header for the
column (see Figure 1).
Totals are also supported in the datasheet view type, and the totals appear as a row in the bottom of the view (see Figure 2).
To specify a total for one
or more columns, scroll down to the Totals section in the view creation
page and expand it by using the plus sign next to the section title.
You then see a list of all the columns selected under the Columns
section (see Figure 3). For each one, you can open the drop-down and choose the calculation that will be done for it.
You
can specify only one calculation per column. If you want to do
different calculations, you must create a separate view for each
calculation.
Tip
You can add a total to a
column only if it appears in the view. If the column to which you want
to add a total does not show up under the Totals section, you need to
make sure it is selected under the Columns section.
