Free web servers - CHAPTER 24 IN DEPTH: CALC Note The
CHAPTER 24 IN DEPTH: CALC Note The Function Wizard is actually a continuation of the wizard system you ve seen in other OpenOffice.org programs, and some of the functions are also available elsewhere in the suite. You can reuse formulas simply by cutting and pasting them. Calc is intelligent enough to work out which cells the transplanted formula should refer to, but it s always a good idea to check to make sure the correct cells are referenced. Using the Function Wizard To use the Function Wizard to add a function, click the relevant button on the Formula bar, select the desired type of formula from the Category drop-down list, and then double-click an entry in the Function list to select it. Following this, you ll be prompted to input the relevant figures or define the appropriate data sources. Next to each text-entry box is a shrink button, which temporarily hides the wizard window, so you can select cells to be used within the formula. Let s look at a quick example of using the wizard to work out an average value of a number of cells. 1. Select the cell in which you want the result of the formula to appear. 2. Start the Function Wizard by clicking the button on the Formula bar. In the left-hand list of functions, double-click AVERAGE. The wizard will then present a list of fields on the right side of the dialog box, where you can enter the values to be averaged. You could type numeric values directly into these fields, but it s more likely that you ll want to reference individual cells from the spreadsheet. 3. Click and drag the top of the dialog box to move it so that the spreadsheet underneath is at least partially visible. 4. Click the cursor in the first field of the dialog box, and then click the first cell you want to include in the calculation. This will automatically enter that cell reference into the field. 5. Click the next field in the dialog box, and then click the next cell you wish to include. 6. Repeat step 5 until all the fields you wish to include have been added to the fields in the dialog box (up to 30 can be selected; use the scroll bar on the right side of the wizard dialog box to reveal more fields). 7. Once you ve finished, click the OK button. Calc will insert the formula into the cell you selected at the start, showing the result of the formula. After you ve added a formula with the wizard, you can edit it manually by clicking it and overtyping its contents in the Formula bar editing area. Alternatively, you can use the Function Wizard once again, by clicking the button on the Formula bar.