Wiley The Unofficial Guide to Excel 2003 978-0-471-76321-5 User Manual
Product codes
978-0-471-76321-5
Chapter 4
109
G E T T H E S C O O P O N . . .
Simple calculations and quick answers
■
Cell references
■
Writing formulas
■
Moving and copying formulas
■
Linking workbooks with formulas
■
Cell names
■
Editing
formulas
■
Auditing formulas
■
Locating worksheet errors
Working Data Magic
with Calculations
O
nce data is entered in a workbook, you’re ready to
perform calculations on it (after all, calculations are
why Excel exists). To perform calculations in a work-
perform calculations on it (after all, calculations are
why Excel exists). To perform calculations in a work-
sheet, you write formulas; to perform complex calcula-
tions, you use functions in your formulas (functions are
built-in mathematical equations that save you time and
effort, and are covered in Chapter 5).
tions, you use functions in your formulas (functions are
built-in mathematical equations that save you time and
effort, and are covered in Chapter 5).
This chapter is full of basic calculation information: get-
ting fast answers without formulas, writing your own for-
mulas, using cell references and cell names for better
calculation control, and fixing errors. It could just as well
have been titled “Calculations 101.”
mulas, using cell references and cell names for better
calculation control, and fixing errors. It could just as well
have been titled “Calculations 101.”
Simple calculations, quick answers
To get really quick answers without writing a formula your-
self, you have two options: AutoCalculate, which calculates
cells in the worksheet temporarily but doesn’t write formu-
las; and AutoSum, which writes very simple formulas in the
worksheet very quickly.
self, you have two options: AutoCalculate, which calculates
cells in the worksheet temporarily but doesn’t write formu-
las; and AutoSum, which writes very simple formulas in the
worksheet very quickly.
AutoCalculate
AutoCalculate is a handy tool that I use often to calculate
cells on the fly while I work. The AutoCalculate box is near
the right end of the Excel Status bar, shown in Figure 4.1.
cells on the fly while I work. The AutoCalculate box is near
the right end of the Excel Status bar, shown in Figure 4.1.
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