# Cumulative Sum String field
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cumulative-sum-string-field/340216
**Category:** Kibana
**Created:** [August 7, 2023, 2:51am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cumulative-sum-string-field/340216 "2023-08-07T02:51:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@dro](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dro)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2023, 2:51am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cumulative-sum-string-field/340216/1 "2023-08-07T02:51:38Z")
I've tried searching on the forum, but haven't really found something similar.
Is there a method to show a cumulative sum of a field of type `string` using Lens or TVSB? For example a field of data with string types `YES` and `NO` , I would like to show a cumulative some of the field over time.
Currently the only way I can think of doing this is creating a run time field which converts the `string` into `int` so as to enable the functionality; I.E. `YES = 1` and `NO = 2` etc.
Realistically I can also convert the data to integers pre-ingestion using a lookup table style implementation, but I was really trying to avoid doing so and wondering if there is away to just do it based directly on the field itself.
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### Author:  [@stephenb](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/stephenb)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2023, 3:06am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cumulative-sum-string-field/340216/2 "2023-08-07T03:06:25Z")
Hi @dro
Did you try Lens with custom formula
To be clear it needs to be a `keyword` type not `text`
Lens Formula, this should work
`cumulative_sum(count(kql = 'your_field : "YES"' ))`
Formula Help is right there
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### Author:  [@dro](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dro)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2023, 3:13am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cumulative-sum-string-field/340216/3 "2023-08-07T03:13:25Z")
I just realized the foolish mistake I was making after reading your post.
You are able to count the string field using the TSVB, but the `interval` range was set to auto so the `count` was per interval. By setting the interval range manually, you are able to show the count of the field over the entire span.
It's essentially showing a cumulative sum which is what I was looking for, but I gave myself tunnel vision by trying to do it directly with the `cumulative sum` calculation.
I will definitely be trying it your way however, because I like using the lens feature more.
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### Author:  [@stephenb](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/stephenb)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2023, 3:15am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cumulative-sum-string-field/340216/4 "2023-08-07T03:15:01Z")
Yup Typically more than one way .. depends if you just want a number or graph, if just a total number then yes over entire range will do it!
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### Author:  [@stephenb](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/stephenb)
#### Post date: [August 7, 2023, 3:19am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cumulative-sum-string-field/340216/5 "2023-08-07T03:19:18Z")
You can just do a metric in Lens as well and you don't need the `cumaltive_sum` part
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### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2023, 3:19am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/cumulative-sum-string-field/340216/6 "2023-09-04T03:19:19Z")
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