Re: more newbie questions

["Vladimir Vuksan" <vuksan cs unm edu>]

----- Original Message -----
> 1) can someone explain the distinction between absolute and relative
>   cell references?  i've built a couple handy spreadsheets using
>   references like A3, B12 and so on, which work just the way i would
>   expect.  so what means $A2, A$2, $A$2??  where would one use these?

Let's illustrate.

You have a formula

C1 = B1 + A1

that you would like to replicate across all C* cells ie.

C2 = B2 + A2
C3 = B3 + A3
...

Instead of going to cell C2 and typing B2 + A2 and then typing B3 + A3 in C3
you can simply copy/paste cell C1 into C2, C3, etc. Gnumeric will change the
references appropriately so you don't have to.

Absolute references are used when you don't want Gnumeric to "adjust" the
cell reference ie. cell D1 has the interest rate that should be the same for
all calculations ie.

C1 = B1 * A1 * $D$1

When you copy such formula you will get

C2  = B2 * A2 * $D$1
C3 = B3 * A3 * $D$1

....

$D1 and D$1 are used when you want just the horizontal reference ie. if you
say $D1, D will not change but if you copy it vertically references will
change ie. $D2, $D3 , etc.

> 2) one spreadsheet i designed is for calculating invoices when i come
>   back from a contract -- income, expenses, etc.  the usual stuff.
>   right now, i have each invoice in a separate gnumeric XML file.
>   is there a way to have a "book" of these invoices?  rather than
>   keeping each one in a separate file?  each "page" (if you can call
>   it that) would have to start again at A1 and so on.  is this
>   possible?

Spreadsheet has "sheets". If you right click on the bottom of the screen ie.
"Sheet 1" you will get a menu that says "Add a sheet", "Delete a sheet",
etc. You can add a sheet and have them all in the same book. You can also
reference cells from other sheets ie.  = C2 * 'Sheet1!A2'. This will take
value of C2 in the current sheet and multiply it with value of A2 in a sheet
called "Sheet1".

I hope this helps.

Vladimir