here's the basic setup of each column of the report (strike through means it's suppressed):

Group Header - Day
Detail - table.covers
Group Footer - #table.covers <-- Running Total which sums with the below evaluate formula
Report Footer - #table.covers <-- Running Total which sums with same conditions but never resets

Because of the way the application tracks totals throughout the day by 'periods' (breakfast, lunch, dinner) the table.covers ends up ends up repeating in the details band. To alleviate that from interfering with the summary, the running total uses a simple evaluate formula:
{table.covers}<>Previous{table.covers} and has 'Default values for NULL'.
The group one resets on change of day and the report footer one never resets. That works great:

(unsurpressed view)
Date              Covers
                         180
                         180
                         180
01/01/2012     180

Except...(you knew it was coming) on the rare occasion where the exact same number of covers happened the day before.

Date              Covers
                         180
                         180
                         180
01/01/2012     180
                         147
                         147
                         147
01/02/2012     147
                         147
                         147
                         147
01/03/2012     0      <----

Now in my mind, I would think that reset on group (day) would start the entire evaluation over but apparently the {table.covers}<>Previous{table.covers} evaluation criteria in the #running total does not respect the change of group. It may be that Previous() and Next() in and of themselves don't take group into consideration.

So my question is, now can I make Previous() group aware if at all? Or alternatively how can I evaluate the running total on only distinct values?
 I can't rap my skull around how the classic 3 formula (reset,calc,display) would work in this situation either, I tried it and maybe my formulas were wrong but it didn't work either.

Any Ideas?

well there's not *always* only 3 there could be as many as 5, but yes you are correct, hide the details, daily total in the GF and a Grand Total.

I thought of this, but got stumped on the grand total. Max works fine for Group totals, but my Grand Total was still off using sum, evaluate {table.covers}<>Previous{table.covers} (I have to have that evaluation in there otherwise each multiple field is totaled), reset never. Like I say though the sum was off. Which is likely another issue all together...wait...lemme look at that...

Well, hell...that explains alot. The above would work except some of the details are staggered. i.e.

Date              Covers
                         180
                         0        <-- makes the Previous() evaluation false
                         180
                         0    
01/01/2012     360    <--- that's why my grand is bad
                         147
                         147
                         147
01/02/2012     147
                         147
                         147
                         147
01/03/2012     0        <-- the original issue


So really, it's not a different issue but the inherently the same in the end. I need a way to rtotal/summarize ONLY unique {table.covers}.
First thought on the above would be to just sort by {table.covers} so Previous() would pick it up but I'm already sorting by another field due to the same issue and it blows up the rest of the working report. 

Any more ideas on being able to summarize only unique values? My google prospects are beginning to run thin... Hamaday offered an interesting solution which I may have not applied correctly, I'm going to revisit that (and will post if successful). In the meantime any pointers or solutions would be greatly appreciated.

for your report total do a descending sort on the 'covers' field

[insert Legend of Zelda found secret sound]

Edited by junkbox - 05 Dec 2012 at 11:38am