Field Name - Data Type - Percentage

[Help Visio!]

How do I set up a field as datatype percentage? I.e. to enter percentage
increases. I have tried to set it up as "Number" format "percentage" with 1
decimal place, but the number 5 (%) comes out as 500.0%???...

 

[Fred]

"Percentage" needs clarification, but in every case it is the result of a
calculation upon two numbers. For example, with number "A" stored in
field1, and Number "B" in field2. Percentage could be clarified as "what
percent is "b" of "a" in which case you would perform the calculation
(B/A)*100 in a query, report or form.

 

[Help Visio!]

Actually, what I am looking for is just an input as a value, not as a
calculation - but expressed as a percentage in the data table

 

[KARL DEWEY]

As Fred said, percentage is an expression of two numbers - the part of one
compared to the whole of the other and therefore is a decimal fraction.

If you want to express 5% then numerically it is 5 one hundredths of one or
..05 but displayed as 5%.

 

[Fred]

If you will excuse me for being very direct in the hopes of being helpful:

A percentage is what it is, the result of of a mathematical calculation that
is performed on two numbers. And so what you are asking for is
fundamentally flawed and thus impossible.

 

[Help Visio!]

Ok. Then how do I build an expression in a field to calculate the percentage
difference between 2 fields directly in the table, i.e. a salary percentage
increase or do I have to do it as a query?

 

[Help Visio!]

Actually I did try this, but it came out as 0.00%.. have since changed the
field size, format, precision, scale and decimal places and it shows
correctly..

Thanks.

 

[Fred]

You'll need to use a query, form or report.

You could use an update query to actually load the result into a third
field, although for 99% of uses your should just calculated and view it at
the time you need it so that it is always updated.

Again "percentage" can mean a few differetn things, and is defined by the
additional words that go with it. In your last post you provided us with
thos words which is percentage increase.
If you are looking for the percentage increase of field/number "B" or
field/number "A" the expression / equation would be = (B/A-1) * 100

Sincerely,

Fred

 

[AR]

Ok. Thanks. You have been very helpful!

You'll need to use a query, form or report.

You could use an update query to actually load the result into a third
field, although for 99% of uses your should just calculated and view it at
the time you need it so that it is always updated.

Again "percentage" can mean a few differetn things, and is defined by the
additional words that go with it. In your last post you provided us with
thos words which is percentage increase.
If you are looking for the percentage increase of field/number "B" or
field/number "A" the expression / equation would be = (B/A-1) * 100

Sincerely,

Fred

 

[bgriller]

What were your settings to get the field to show correctly? for a grade book
I want to enter in 99% (data entered as 0.99 into the field) as the grade and
created a percent field, yet like you said below it comes out as 0.00% for
any grade I enter.

 

[John W. Vinson]

What were your settings to get the field to show correctly? for a grade book
I want to enter in 99% (data entered as 0.99 into the field) as the grade and
created a percent field, yet like you said below it comes out as 0.00% for
any grade I enter.

This will happen if you use the default Long Integer number datatype for the
field. A Long Integer is by definition a whole number - 0 is legal, 1 is
legal, but 0.99 isn't and will truncate to 0.

Use a Single instead.