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Summary Fields

A summary field is a field that identifies a record in a way that lets a user recognize it, and distinguish it from other records. To achieve that result, the value in that field is a compound of fields you select, and any surrounding text you need to clarify the data for the user.

 

For example, suppose a record has fields like account number, city, and company name. And suppose that one of the records in the system is for account number 1234, in the city of San Francisco, for Acme Corp. You can set up a summary field so that, when it chosen for use in a report, it displays any of the following:

As you can see, you can specify any combination of text and record fields you need to identify that record to a user. Shorter combinations take less space, of course, while longer ones can be made more readable and can provide more information, but as a designer, the choice is yours.

Then, when that value is displayed in a report's data table, a user can click on it to go from the report directly to the record.

 

The Main Summary field is initialized by default, using the first field defined in the stream's initial data component. It is displayed as the title of the record, when the record is viewed, and it is displayed to identify the record in a record list. Modify it as needed.  Click the magnifier icon to insert template variables that supply data stored in the stream record. 

 

Use the Supporting Summary field to provide more detailed information. For example, it might include the name of the person making the claim, or the field that contains a short description of the incident. As with the main summary field, click the magnifier icon to any template variables you need.

 

Important
Summary fields specify a pattern that is used to store information in the record--primarily
for efficiency. A record is created once and modified once in a while. But it is displayed in
listings and reports countless times. When you change summary for a stream, then, the values
stored in existing records do not change. If you need existing records to be modified, contact
support. They can do it for you.

To modify the Stream's summary fields:

  1. In the Gear Menu, click Streams Management.
  2. Select your stream.
  3. Click the Stream Definition tab.
  4. Click Settings.
  5. Click the Summary Fields tab.
  6. Add any text you need to the fields.
  7. Click the magnifying glass to select and insert field names defined in stream data components.

Note

(You may note that the record number ​was added in a different location in two different
versions of the stream--further highlighting the principle that each stream record is a
self-contained instance of the data components, forms, and processes defined in that version
of the stream.)