Rollup fields are powerful aggregation tools that calculate values across connected records. They enable you to sum totals, count records, calculate averages, find minimums and maximums, and perform other aggregate calculations automatically. Rollup fields are essential for creating dashboards, reporting, and displaying summary information.

In this section, you'll learn what rollup fields are, how they work, the different aggregation functions available, and how to implement them effectively in your applications.

A rollup field aggregates data from connected records into a single calculated value.

Key Characteristics

• Aggregate Function: Perform calculations across multiple records
• Connection-Based: Work with related records through connection fields
• Automatic Updates: Recalculate when related records change
• Read-Only: Cannot be manually edited
• Real-Time: Always reflect current data

Rollup vs Equation

Rollup Field	Equation Field
Calculates across multiple related records	Calculates within single record
Requires connection field	Uses fields in same table
Aggregation functions (SUM, COUNT, AVG)	Math and text functions
Example: Total of all order line items	Example: Quantity × Price

Tadabase offers several aggregation functions:

1. SUM

Adds up values from all connected records.

When to Use

• Total revenue from all orders
• Sum of all invoice amounts
• Total hours worked
• Combined inventory value

Example

Customer table: "Total Order Value"

• Rollup: SUM
• Connection: Orders
• Field to Sum: Order Total
• Result: Sum of all order totals for that customer

2. COUNT

Counts number of connected records.

When to Use

• Number of orders per customer
• Total tasks in project
• Count of employees in department
• Number of products in category

Example

Customer table: "Total Orders"

• Rollup: COUNT
• Connection: Orders
• Result: Number of orders for that customer

3. AVERAGE (AVG)

Calculates average value across connected records.

When to Use

• Average order value
• Mean test score
• Average project duration
• Mean product rating

Example

Customer table: "Average Order Value"

• Rollup: AVG
• Connection: Orders
• Field to Average: Order Total
• Result: Average of all order totals

4. MINIMUM (MIN)

Finds lowest value among connected records.

When to Use

• Earliest date
• Lowest price
• Minimum score
• First order date

Example

Customer table: "First Order Date"

• Rollup: MIN
• Connection: Orders
• Field: Order Date
• Result: Date of first order

5. MAXIMUM (MAX)

Finds highest value among connected records.

When to Use

• Most recent date
• Highest price
• Maximum score
• Last order date

Example

Customer table: "Last Order Date"

• Rollup: MAX
• Connection: Orders
• Field: Order Date
• Result: Date of most recent order

Step-by-step process for creating rollup fields:

Step 1: Ensure Connection Exists

Rollup fields require a connection between tables:

• Verify connection field exists
• Confirm connection direction (parent to child)
• Ensure records are properly connected

Step 2: Add Rollup Field

1. Open Data Builder
2. Select parent table (where rollup will display)
3. Click "Add Field"
4. Select "Rollup" field type
5. Name the field descriptively

Step 3: Configure Rollup Settings

1. Select Connection
   • Choose which connected table to aggregate from
2. Choose Aggregation Function
   • SUM, COUNT, AVG, MIN, or MAX
3. Select Field to Aggregate (if not COUNT)
   • Which field to sum, average, etc.
4. Optional: Add Filter
   • Count/sum only specific records
   • Example: Sum only "Paid" invoices
5. Set Display Format
   • Number formatting, decimals
   • Currency symbol if applicable

Step 4: Test Rollup

• View records with rollup field
• Verify calculations are correct
• Test with different record scenarios
• Confirm updates work when child records change

Example 1: Customer Order Statistics

Customer Table Rollups:

• "Total Orders"
  • COUNT of Orders connection
  • Shows how many orders customer has placed
• "Total Revenue"
  • SUM of Orders → Order Total
  • Total money customer has spent
• "Average Order Value"
  • AVG of Orders → Order Total
  • Typical order size
• "First Order"
  • MIN of Orders → Order Date
  • Customer since date
• "Last Order"
  • MAX of Orders → Order Date
  • Most recent purchase

Example 2: Project Task Summary

Project Table Rollups:

• "Total Tasks"
  • COUNT of Tasks connection
• "Completed Tasks"
  • COUNT of Tasks where Status = "Completed"
• "Total Hours"
  • SUM of Tasks → Hours Logged
• "Average Task Duration"
  • AVG of Tasks → Duration

Example 3: Product Inventory

Product Table Rollups:

• "Total Units Sold"
  • SUM of Order Line Items → Quantity
• "Total Revenue"
  • SUM of Order Line Items → Line Total
• "Times Ordered"
  • COUNT of Order Line Items
• "Average Order Quantity"
  • AVG of Order Line Items → Quantity

Example 4: Department Employee Stats

Department Table Rollups:

• "Total Employees"
  • COUNT of Employees
• "Total Salary Cost"
  • SUM of Employees → Salary
• "Average Salary"
  • AVG of Employees → Salary
• "Newest Hire Date"
  • MAX of Employees → Hire Date

Add filters to rollup fields to aggregate only specific records:

Use Cases

• Count only "Active" records
• Sum only "Paid" invoices
• Average only "Completed" tasks
• Count orders from "This Year"

Configuration

1. Create rollup field as normal
2. Click "Add Filter"
3. Select field to filter on
4. Choose operator (equals, greater than, etc.)
5. Set filter value
6. Multiple filters can be combined

Examples

Use rollup fields in equation fields for advanced calculations:

Completion Percentage

IF({Total Tasks} > 0, ROUND(({Completed Tasks} / {Total Tasks}) * 100, 0), 0)

Days Since Last Order

TODAY() - {Last Order Date}

Customer Lifetime Value

{Total Revenue} + ({Average Order Value} * {Expected Future Orders})

Inventory Turnover

{Total Units Sold} / {Current Stock}

Employee Utilization

IF({Total Hours Available} > 0, ROUND(({Total Hours Logged} / {Total Hours Available}) * 100, 0), 0)

Rollup fields can aggregate across multiple levels of connections:

Example: Customer → Orders → Line Items

Scenario: Calculate total quantity of all items ever ordered by customer

Method 1: Two-Step Rollup

1. Order Table: "Line Item Total Qty"
   • SUM of Line Items → Quantity
2. Customer Table: "All Items Quantity"
   • SUM of Orders → Line Item Total Qty

Method 2: Direct Multi-Level

Some scenarios allow direct multi-level aggregation through formula combinations.

Follow these guidelines for effective rollup fields:

Performance

• Rollups can be slow with thousands of records
• Use filters to limit records being aggregated
• Consider scheduled updates for very large datasets
• Index fields used in rollup filters

Naming

• Use clear, descriptive names
• "Total Orders" not "Orders"
• "Average Score" not "Score"
• Indicate the aggregation type in the name

Display

• Format numbers appropriately
• Use currency symbols for money
• Set appropriate decimal places
• Consider using badges or indicators for key metrics

Validation

• Test rollups with sample data
• Verify calculations manually
• Check edge cases (zero records, null values)
• Confirm updates happen in real-time

Documentation

• Document what each rollup calculates
• Note any filters applied
• Explain calculation logic to team
• Maintain rollup field inventory

These patterns solve common business needs:

Pattern 1: Order Total from Line Items

• Order table rollup
• SUM of Line Items → Line Total
• Automatically calculates order total

Pattern 2: Customer Lifetime Value

• Customer table rollup
• SUM of Orders → Order Total
• Shows total customer spend

Pattern 3: Project Progress

• Project table rollups
• COUNT of Tasks (total)
• COUNT of Tasks where Status = "Completed"
• Use in equation for percentage

Pattern 4: Inventory Available

• Product table rollups
• COUNT of Warehouse Locations
• SUM of Stock Quantities
• Track inventory across locations

Pattern 5: Employee Workload

• Employee table rollups
• COUNT of Assigned Tasks
• COUNT where Status = "In Progress"
• SUM of Estimated Hours

Pattern 6: Revenue Analytics

• Multiple filtered rollups
• This Month revenue
• Last Month revenue
• Year to date revenue
• Compare periods

Sales CRM

• Customer lifetime value
• Total opportunities value
• Win rate calculations
• Average deal size
• Pipeline value by stage

Project Management

• Total project hours
• Completion percentage
• Budget vs actual
• Resource utilization
• Milestone tracking

E-commerce

• Customer order history
• Product sales totals
• Category revenue
• Average cart value
• Repeat purchase rate

Inventory Management

• Stock on hand
• Items sold
• Reorder quantities
• Turnover rates
• Location totals

Education

• Student grade averages
• Course completion rates
• Assignment counts
• Attendance statistics
• Test score analytics

Common Issues:

Rollup Shows Zero or Blank

• Verify connection exists between records
• Check filter settings—may be excluding all records
• Ensure aggregated field has values
• Confirm field types match

Rollup Doesn't Update

• Refresh the page
• Check if child records actually changed
• Verify rollup configuration is correct
• Contact support if persists

Unexpected Values

• Manually verify calculation
• Check for hidden filters
• Review connection field setup
• Confirm aggregation function is correct

Slow Performance

• Too many records being aggregated
• Add filters to reduce scope
• Consider alternative approaches
• Optimize database indexes

In this section, you've mastered rollup fields and aggregations:

• Rollup functions aggregate data across connected records
• SUM, COUNT, AVG, MIN, MAX provide different aggregation types
• Filtered rollups aggregate only specific records
• Combined with equations for advanced calculations
• Multi-level rollups aggregate across connection chains
• Best practices ensure performance and accuracy

Rollup fields are essential for creating dashboards, reports, and summary views. They automate calculations that would otherwise require manual updates or complex queries.

Hands-On Exercise (To Be Added)

Exercise placeholders will include practical activities such as:

• Create customer total revenue rollup
• Build project completion percentage using rollups and equations
• Set up filtered rollups for time period analysis
• Create multi-level rollups across connection chains
• Build a dashboard using multiple rollup fields

Knowledge Check (To Be Added)

Quiz questions will test understanding of:

• Difference between rollup and equation fields
• When to use each aggregation function
• How to configure filtered rollups
• Combining rollups with equations
• Best practices for rollup performance