Understanding Your Data Model › Using Fields › Using Function Fields › Count (CNT)

Count (CNT)

The CNT usage type is given to those function fields that contain a count of the number of records containing the field (to be counted) over a series of records.

A function field of usage type CNT has two parameters:

• Result parameter, which is the derived field itself. This must be placed on a total format of any function that calls the CNT function.
• Input parameter attribute to be counted. This must be present on the detail format of the calling function.

The series of records are defined by the standard function within which the field is defined. For instance, in a Print File function, the CNT field could calculate the number of times a field occurs in the detail lines of the report, to be displayed in the next total format.

Fields of type CNT must be numeric. If the function field is defined as a REF field, based on another field,CA 2E assumes that the CNT field is a count of the number of records containing the based-on field. This method of definition cannot be used if the field to be counted is not itself a numeric field.

Examples of CNT fields include:

• Number of employees on employee file
• Number of customers in company file for a company
• Number of items within warehouse