# How to get a single value result from the calculator?
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-get-a-single-value-result-from-the-calculator/1083
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [December 24, 2018, 3:32pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-get-a-single-value-result-from-the-calculator/1083 "2018-12-24T15:32:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@hconel](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/hconel)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2018, 3:32pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-get-a-single-value-result-from-the-calculator/1083/1 "2018-12-24T15:32:51Z")
Hello,
If my expression in Calculator or Python Calculator filter returns a single value (i.e. averaging a variable over the entire domain), how can I see that single value (without plotting or exporting the data)?
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### Author:  [@Kenneth\_Moreland](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Kenneth_Moreland)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2018, 6:58pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-get-a-single-value-result-from-the-calculator/1083/2 "2018-12-24T18:58:33Z")
The `Calculator` filter does not have the ability to do reduction operations like average, so the point is moot there. The `Python Calculator` can do operations like `mean`, `sum`, and `min`/`max`, but the result is going to replicated on every point or cell in the domain.
The easiest way to see the result is to go to the `Information` tab behind the `Properties` panel and look at the information in the `Data Arrays`. It will give the range of the values calculated, which of course will be a single value.
For more detailed information about the data in a dataset, you can open the SpreadSheet view. Click the `Split Vertical` button over the view and then create a `SpreadSheet` view.
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### Author:  [@hconel](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/hconel)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2018, 7:54pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-get-a-single-value-result-from-the-calculator/1083/3 "2018-12-24T19:54:55Z")
Thanks for the reply Mr. Moreland. My ultimate goal is to plot (or export) the sum of a variable in the entire domain versus time. Can you suggest a practical way of doing this?
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### Author:  [@Kenneth\_Moreland](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Kenneth_Moreland)
#### Post date: [December 29, 2018, 12:04am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-get-a-single-value-result-from-the-calculator/1083/4 "2018-12-29T00:04:36Z")
This is not exactly what you asked for, but it is very easy to plot the average of a variable (along with the min, max, and quartiles) by applying the `Plot Data Over Time` filter. (You need the most recent ParaView 5.6 for this to be available.)
If you really need to plot the _sum_ over time, probably the easiest way to do that is to compute the sum with the `Python Calculator` as previously described, then selecting a single point (or cell) and then apply the `Plot Selection Over Time` filter.