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LDW POWER
SPREADSHEET
For the Atari ST and MEGA
User's Manual
Logical Design Works, Inc.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction to LDW POWER
What is the LDW POWER Spreadsheet? ................................ 5
About This Manual ................................................. 5
Setting Things Up ................................................. 6
Tour of the LDW POWER Screen ...................................... 6
The Control Panel ................................................. 8
The Menu Bar .................................................... 8
Selecting Menu Items ............................................ 9
Buttons and Indicators .......................................... 9
Status Line ..................................................... 13
Input Line ...................................................... 13
Moving Around the Worksheet ....................................... 14
Scroll Bars ..................................................... 14
SCRL Button [Undo key equivalent] ............................... 14
END Button [Shift + Home] ....................................... 14
HOME Icon [Home key equivalent] ................................. 15
END + HOME Sequence ............................................. 15
Moving with the Mouse ........................................... 15
The Keyboard .................................................... 15
Range Basics ...................................................... 16
Selecting a Range ............................................... 16
Entering and Editing Cell Contents ................................ 18
Making Cell Entries ............................................. 19
Editing Cell Entries ............................................ 25
Cell Formats ...................................................... 26
Fixed Format .................................................... 26
Scientific Format ............................................... 26
Currency Format ................................................. 26
Comma (,) Format ................................................ 27
General Format .................................................. 27
+/- Format ...................................................... 27
Percent Format .................................................. 27
Date Format ..................................................... 27
Text Format ..................................................... 28
Hidden Format ................................................... 28
Commands
Worksheet Menu .................................................... 29
Worksheet Global ................................................ 29
Worksheet Insert ................................................ 37
Worksheet Delete ................................................ 38
Worksheet Column ................................................ 38
Worksheet Erase ................................................. 39
Worksheet Titles ................................................ 39
Worksheet Window ................................................ 40
Worksheet Status ................................................ 40
Worksheet Page .................................................. 41
Range Menu ........................................................ 41
Range Format .................................................... 41
Range Style ..................................................... 42
Range Layout .................................................... 42
Range Erase ..................................................... 42
Range Name ...................................................... 42
Range Justify ................................................... 44
Range Protect ................................................... 44
Range Unprotect ................................................. 44
Range Input ..................................................... 45
Range Value ..................................................... 45
Range Transpose ................................................. 45
Copying and Moving Entries ........................................ 46
Copy ............................................................ 46
Move ............................................................ 47
File Management ................................................... 48
File Selector Box ............................................... 48
File Retrieve ................................................... 49
Automatic-Load Worksheet ........................................ 49
File Save ....................................................... 49
File Password ................................................... 51
File Combine .................................................... 51
File eXtract .................................................... 53
File Erase ...................................................... 54
File List ....................................................... 54
File Import ..................................................... 55
File Directory .................................................. 56
Print Menu ........................................................ 56
Print Range ..................................................... 56
Print Line ...................................................... 57
Print Page ...................................................... 57
Print Options ................................................... 57
Print Clear ..................................................... 61
Print Align ..................................................... 61
Print Go ........................................................ 62
Print Quit ...................................................... 62
Print File ...................................................... 62
Graphs ............................................................ 62
Graph Type ...................................................... 63
Ranges .......................................................... 64
Graph Reset ..................................................... 65
Graph View ...................................................... 65
Graph Save ...................................................... 65
Graph Options ................................................... 66
Graph Name ...................................................... 69
Database Management ............................................... 70
The Basics ...................................................... 70
Data Query ...................................................... 71
Data Fill ....................................................... 76
Data Table ...................................................... 76
Data Sort ....................................................... 78
Data Distribution ............................................... 79
Data Parse ...................................................... 80
Database Statistical Functions .................................. 82
Summary Notes ................................................... 83
Macros ............................................................ 84
Creating a Macro ................................................ 84
Naming Macros ................................................... 86
Running Macros .................................................. 86
Stopping Macros ................................................. 86
The Step Mode ................................................... 87
Errors in Macros ................................................ 87
Interactive Macros .............................................. 87
/X Commands ..................................................... 88
Saving and Retrieving Macros .................................... 91
Additional Notes on Macros ...................................... 92
Exiting LDW POWER ................................................. 92
Functions
The Form of Functions ............................................. 93
Summary of Functions .............................................. 93
Mathematical Functions .......................................... 94
String Functions ................................................ 94
Logical Functions ............................................... 95
Special Functions ............................................... 95
Financial Functions ............................................. 95
Date and Time Functions ......................................... 96
Statistical Functions ........................................... 96
Alphabetical Function Reference ................................... 96
Appendixes
Exchanging Files Between LDW POWER and 1-2-3 ...................... 109
Sideways Printing ................................................. 110
Error Messages .................................................... 111
LDW POWER Special Keys ............................................ 116
Glossary .......................................................... 118
INTRODUCTION TO LDW POWER
WHAT IS THE LDW POWER SPREADSHEET?
By purchasing the LDW POWER Spreadsheet, you have chosen one of the most
powerful and versatile spreadsheet packages available for the Atari ST line
of computers. Integrating the power of a full featured spreadsheet,
sophisticated graphing capabilities, and a convenient data management
system, LDW POWER will certainly prove to be a outstanding formidable tool
in your software collection. Some of its outstanding features include:
. a worksheet size of 256 columns by 8192 rows
. close to 300 commands
. over 80 functions
. 18 different display formats
. simultaneous operation of up to four worksheet windows
. graphing capabilities which allow you to create different styles of
graphs directly from the data in your worksheet
. a user-friendly GEM oriented environment with mouse interface and
convenient pull-down menus
. a unique Macro Recorder tool which allows you to record actual
keystrokes in creating macros
. a unique NOTE feature which allows you to write a brief memo for each
cell in the worksheet
. a convenient data management system for organizing worksheet data
. impressive speed in the recalculation and display of data
. a unique user interface which allows you to use both cursor keys and
the mouse in selecting commands
. a Lotus 1-2-3 compatible environment which allows you to transfer files
back and forth between 1-2-3 and LDW POWER
. ability to work with GDOS, Metafiles, and laser printers
Whether you are an experienced user of electronic spreadsheets or a novice,
you will find the LDW POWER Spreadsheet an efficient application for
working with all kinds of data. If you are an experienced user, you will
appreciate its close compatibility with Lotus 1-2-3, its many and varied
commands, functions, and options, and its impressive speed. If you are a
novice to electronic spreadsheets, you will appreciate the user-friendly
GEM environment, the easy to read drop-down menus, and the convenient help
feature.
ABOUT THIS MANUAL
This manual manual is divided into four main parts. The first part explains
the basics of the LDW POWER Spreadsheet, describing the LDW POWER screen
and the basics of the worksheet itself. The second part deals with the
worksheet in more detail, explaining how to move around in the worksheet
and how to make and format entries. The Third part defines and gives
examples of each and every command and function which can be used in the
LDW POWER Spreadsheet. The fourth part is composed of appendices which list
helpful information for easy reference.
If you are an experienced user of electronic spreadsheets, you might want
to skip parts one and two and use parts three and four as reference guides.
The descriptions of the spreadsheet commands are arranged in the order that
they appear in the worksheet menu bar.
If you are a novice user of electronic spreadsheets or a novice to the
Atari ST GEM environment, you should read parts one and two especially
carefully along with parts three and four.
SETTING THINGS UP
The first thing you'll want to do in getting started with your LDW POWER
Spreadsheet is to make back up copies of both program diskettes in order to
safeguard against any mishaps which may occur with the originals. We
strongly recommend that you use your back up copies as the working
diskettes and place the originals in a safe place. Since the LDW POWER
Spreadsheet diskettes are not copy protected, you will have no problem in
making back up copies.
If you have only one disk drive, you should first copy the LDW.HLP file
onto your work disk (with your worksheet files) and then load the LDW
spreadsheet from the program disk. While you are using the spreadsheet, you
can use the work disk to save worksheets and to access the help feature.
To copy the LDW POWER Spreadsheet program onto your hard disk, you simply
need to copy the files LDWPOWER.PRG and LDW.HLP over to your hard disk.
Both files should be copied to the same directory. There is no need to
install the LDW POWER Spreadsheet. Consult your user's manual for your hard
disk for instructions on how to copy.
The LDW POWER Spreadsheet program will run on the Atari 520 and 1040 ST and
MEGA ST on both monochrome and color monitors. LDW POWER can support all
printers that work with the Atari 520/1040 ST and MEGA ST. It may be
necessary to use certain control codes with your printer in order to create
special printing effects. Consult the user's manual for your printer for
details.
To load the LDW POWER Spreadsheet program, place the LDW POWER diskette in
your disk drive and turn on your computer system. When the file window
appears, double click on LDWPOWER.PRG. Your computer will load the LDW
POWER Spreadsheet program.
TOUR OF THE LDW POWER SCREEN
When you first load the LDW POWER Spreadsheet, the main screen will appear.
This screen is the principle medium by which you will manipulate data in
your worksheet and consists of two main parts: the control panel and the
worksheet window.
The control panel occupies the upper portion of the screen directly above
the worksheet window. The control panel is made up of four parts: the menu
bar, the row of buttons rand indicators, the status line, and the input
line.
The menu bar at the top of your screen is composed of nine drop-down menus
which contain the commands which help make your spreadsheet such a powerful
tool. These menus include: Worksheet, Range, Copy-Move, File, Print, Graph,
Data, Macro, Quit. Each of these menus will be explained in detail in the
Commands section of this manual.
The row of buttons and indicators is located directly under the menu bar.
They are used to select certain worksheet features or to indicate certain
conditions. The eight buttons on the left side of the screen can be
selected with the mouse. These buttons include: CMD, MODE, OK, CALC, SCRL,
END, NOTE, and HELP. The five indicators on the right of the screen are
initially hidden from view and appear only when a certain condition is
invoked. As their name implies, they are indicators only and cannot be
selected. These indicators include: STEP, OVR, MREC/PLAY, PROT, and CIRC.
These buttons and indicators will be explained in detail in the Control
Panel chapter.
Directly under the row of buttons and indicators is the status line. The
status line displays information pertaining to cells in the worksheet (see
explanation of cell in description of the worksheet window). This
information includes the cell location coordinates and a listing of the
contents of the selected cell. It will also list any format or style
changes made to the cell, the width of the cell, if it has been changed
from the global width, and the actual cell contents (label, number, or
formula) that has been entered into the cell.
The input line is identified by the (>) symbol and is used for entering and
editing cell entries and entering cell locations. A small tick mark on the
input line indicates the width of the selected cell. this mark appears only
when you are entering or editing cell contents.
The remaining portion of the screen consists of the worksheet window (a
standard GEM window). The top line of the worksheet window is the title
bar, which will display the name of the current worksheet. Near the upper
left corner of the window is the home box. When the home box is selected,
the cell pointer will automatically be returned to the cell addressed A1
(the first cell in the worksheet). For more information as to how to
manipulate the worksheet window, (such as scrolling or resizing the window)
refer to your Atari ST owner's manual.
The worksheet you will use in the LDW POWER Spreadsheet program is much
like the columnar pad used by accountants. The accountant's worksheet is a
large table, with grids, on which you can enter information, store data,
perform calculations, and much more. The worksheet in LDW POWER is an
electronic worksheet which stores the information in the computer's memory
and is equipped with commands and information in the worksheet.
The worksheet in LDW POWER is 256 columns wide and 8192 rows deep. The
portion of the worksheet shown on the screen at any time is, therefore, a
very small part of the full worksheet. Each row is represented, in
ascending order, by a number (from 1 up to 8192), and each column is
represented, in alphabetical order, by a letter or pair of letters (from A
up to IV). The rectangle formed by the intersection of a row and a column
is called a cell, and is identified by the letter of the intersecting
column paired with the number of the intersecting row. For example, the
cell formed from the intersection of column E and row 9 has the cell
address: E9.
The cell is the most fundamental part of the worksheet, for it is where you
enter your information. Each cell can hold a single piece of information
(an entry) which can be a value, label, or formula. A value is a numeric or
quantitative entry. A label is usually a text entry used as a description
of other cells. A formula is usually an entry which refers to other cells
to arrive at an end result.
Cell entries can be formatted in several different styles. This formatting
is done by formatting the actual cell in which the entry is made. The
formatting commands are located within the menu bar. The following are a
few examples of cell formats. They are by no means the only formats
available in LDW POWER. For a complete listing of available formats, see
the chapter on Cell Formats.
An entry can be aligned to the left or right of the cell, or it can be
centered.
A value can be displayed in fixed point format, in scientific notation, in
monetary format, or in a percent format.
An entry can be displayed in plain style, in bold style, in underline
style, or in bold and underline style.
The cell which you are working with at any specific time will be
highlighted (shaded black) to indicate that it is the current or active
cell. This highlighting is referred to as the cell pointer, because it
indicates which cell is active. When a cell is active, it is "open" for you
to enter data into it or to edit the data already in the cell.
THE CONTROL PANEL
The control panel consists of the portion of the screen above the worksheet
window. As the name implies, this area is used to control various aspects
of the actual worksheet. From the control panel, you may select commands,
enter and edit data, and receive information regarding various aspects of
your worksheet. The control panel is made up of four different parts: the
menu bar, the row of buttons and indicators, the status line, and the input
line.
The Menu Bar
The menu bar is located at the top of the screen and contains nine
drop-down menus which hold the commands you can use in your spreadsheet.
These menus include: Worksheet, Range, Copy-Move, File, Print, Graph, Data,
Macro, and Quit.
The Worksheet menu contains commands which are used to manipulate the
worksheet as a whole. For example, these commands may be used to insert
rows or columns, format the entire worksheet, erase the entire worksheet,
or open another worksheet window.
The Range menu offers commands which manipulate only specific rectangular
blocks (cell ranges) within the worksheet. Once you have specified a range
of cells (see Worksheet Window chapter), you can use these commands to
format, erase, or assign a name to that range.
The Copy-Move menu contains commands which are used to either copy or move
specific cell ranges to different areas of the worksheet.
The File menu holds commands which work with worksheet files. From these
commands, you can choose to retrieve or save files, manipulate and exchange
parts of different worksheets among different files, or erase saved files.
The Print menu contains commands that prepare your worksheet for printing.
These commands allow you to ready a worksheet or part of a worksheet for
printing to the printer or to the file.
The Graph menu offers a list of commands which allow you to create graphs
from the data entered in your worksheet. From these commands, you can
choose what type of graph to create, what data to use from the worksheet,
and what customized features to add to the graph.
The Data menu contains commands used in creating a data management system
for the data in the worksheet. These commands allow you to create data
tables for complex data analysis, search through your worksheet for data
meeting specific requirements, or sort your data in a more organized
manner.
The Macro menu offers commands which allow you to create macros within your
worksheet. Macros can be thought of as miniature computer programs which
allow you to perform several operations automatically within the worksheet.
You can use the macro commands to "record" actual keystrokes and execute
those operations automatically.
The Quit menu allows you to quit the LDW POWER Spreadsheet program and
return to the operating system of the computer.
Selecting Menu Items
Commands can be accessed by use of the mouse or the keyboard. When you move
the mouse to the desired menu, the menu will automatically drop down
revealing a list of submenus. These submenus can then be opened by
selecting the submenu and clicking the left mouse button once. Menus can
also be selected by pressing the slash (/) key or clicking on its
equivalent, the CMD button. When the slash (/) key is pressed or the CMD
button is selected with the mouse, the control panel will change and will
display the "Lotus style" command menu on one line and descriptions of the
selected menu items on the line below it. You may select a menu item by
typing the first capitalized letter of the desired item or by moving the
menu pointer to the appropriate item with the cursor keys and pressing
Return. Since submenus can vary in size, this "nested" arrangement of
commands can be quite extensive. You can cancel a selected command or
return to the previous menu level by pressing the Esc key or by selecting
the ESC button at the left side of the menu. Once a command has been
executed, or you leave the menu bar, the control panel will return to its
original state.
A unique feature of the LDW POWER user interface is the fact that the
keyboard and the mouse can be used interchangeably to select menus. Whether
you use the mouse, slash (/) key, or CMD button to access the menu bar, you
can select submenus and commands using the mouse or keyboard or both. For
example, if you access the Worksheet menu with the mouse and select on the
Global submenu, the submenu for Global will be displayed on the control
panel. You can select choices from this submenu by using the mouse or by
using the keyboard cursor keys or by typing in the first capitalized letter
of the desired submenu choice.
Buttons and Indicators
The buttons and indicators are located directly below the menu bar. The
buttons allow you to manipulate certain features of your worksheet, while
the indicators inform you of certain conditions in the worksheet. The eight
buttons on the left side of the screen can be selected with the mouse. The
five indicators on the right side of the screen are hidden and only appear
when certain conditions exist. The indicators cannot be selected.
BUTTONS
The eight buttons include: CMD, mode, OK, CALC, SCRL, END, NOTE, and HELP.
CMD [slash (/) key equivalent]: As mentioned previously in the menu bar
description, the CMD button is used to access the menu bar.
Mode: The mode button is used to indicate the present mode of operation in
the worksheet. At any given time, the worksheet may switch between
different modes of operation: the READY mode, the EDIT mode, and the POINT
mode. It is set to default for the READY mode. When the button shows READY,
data can be entered into cells in the worksheet. In essence, the worksheet
is ready to accept data or commands.
When the button shows EDIT, the worksheet is in EDIT mode, which allows you
to edit the contents of the selected cell. In EDIT mode, the contents of
the selected cell will appear on the input line, and a prompt will be
positioned at the end of the entry. You may make any changes t the entry,
simply by positioning the prompt within the entry and typing the desired
characters. After you have made the desired changes, press the Return key
or click on the OK button on the control panel.
Whenever you select a cell or cell range (using the mouse), in response to
a command prompt, the POINT mode will be enabled. When the button displays
POINT, LDW POWER is indicating that you are pointing out a cell or cell
range. Perhaps the most valuable advantage that the POINT mode offers is
the convenience it provides in entering ranges for formulas and functions.
Instead of having to type in range coordinates for the given operation, you
can simply use the mouse to point out the range. Once you have selected the
cell or cell range and press Return or select the OK button, the mode
button will show READY again.
As well as serving as a mode indicator for the entire worksheet, the mode
button is also used to identify the mode of an active cell. When you first
begin to enter data into a cell, the mode button will display either VALUE
or LABEL depending on the type of entry that is being made. In EDIT mode,
you can determine what type of data you're editing by clicking on the EDIT
button. The button will change to LABEL or VALUE depending on the nature of
the entry being edited. Once the cell entry is confirmed, the button will
return to the READY position.
OK [Return key equivalent]: The OK button is used to confirm a cell entry
or a cell range (in the exact same way the Return key is used). When you
make a cell entry, and are satisfied with the contents, you can confirm
that entry by clicking on the right mouse button, pressing the Return or
arrow key, or clicking on the OK button. You may also confirm a cell range
with the OK button by clicking on it after selecting your range. When you
are using a command, and a cell range is required, the OK button will be
highlighted, indicating that the selected range needs to be confirmed.
CALC [F9 key equivalent]: The usefulness of the CALC button can only be
appreciated after you understand the workings of formulas and functions.
Formulas and functions operate in the worksheet by using the contents of
other cells as their arguments. In other words, they refer to other cells
to obtain the values or strings needed to return a result. Therefore, when
any of those cells are altered or when any new entries are made, the
formulas and functions may be affected. In the automatic recalculation mode
(the default mode), all relevant formulas or functions are recalculated.
The CALC button is used mainly when the worksheet is in manual
recalculation mode. When selected, it recalculates all formulas and
functions in the worksheet that may be affected by any cell changes.
Selecting the CALC button will ensure that the results from all your
formulas will reflect the most recent values on the worksheet.
The CALC button can also come in handy for solving "quick" formulas or
functions on the input line (sort of like a mini calculator). When you just
want to figure out some equation without disturbing the worksheet, simply
type in the equation or function and click on the CALC button (DO NOT press
the Return key). The result will appear on the input line only and will not
show up in the worksheet. To erase the result from the input line, press
the Esc key. The worksheet will be placed back into the READY mode and will
be ready for normal operations.
Here's an example:Suppose you want to add the values contained in cells E1,
E2, and E3. First, enter some values in each of the three cells. When the
worksheet is in READY mode, type in a plus sign (+) followed by the address
E1. Then, type in another plus sign. Now, use the mouse to move the cell
pointer to cell E2 and click once on the left mouse button. You'll notice
that the address E2 appears on the input line (as if you had typed it in
directly). Type in another plus sign and then the address E3. Don't press
the Return key, or the formula will be entered into the worksheet at the
location of the cell pointer. Instead, click on the CALC button or press
the F9 key. The answer to the equation will appear on the input line in
place of the formula. Press the Esc key to return to the READY mode.
SCRL [Undo key equivalent]: The SCRL button is used to place the worksheet
into the scroll mode in which the worksheet window may be scrolled one row
or column at a time. When it is selected, the SCRL button will be
highlighted, and the cursor keys can be used to scroll over one column at a
time (left and right arrow keys). When the scroll mode is not enabled, the
cell pointer must be located at the edge of the worksheet window in order
to scroll the worksheet over one column or row. The scroll mode allows you
to scroll regardless of the position of the cell pointer on the worksheet.
END [Shift/Home combination equivalent]: The END button is used in
conjunction with the arrow keys to facilitate movement of the cell pointer
around the worksheet. When the END button is selected, the cell pointer
will move in the direction of the arrow key to the next boundary between a
blank cell and a cell that contains an entry. The left and right arrow keys
will move the cell pointer among boundaries within the same row, while the
up and down arrow keys will move the cell pointer among boundaries within
the same column. If the cell pointer is positioned at the last cell in
either a row or column that contains data, use of the END button/arrow key
combination will send the cell pointer to the last cell in the worksheet
for that row or column. After each move is performed, the END button will
automatically switch itself off. For each move then, you must select the
END button and an appropriate arrow key.
NOTE [F6 key equivalent]: The NOTE button allows you to write a note
regarding the selected cell. Such a note can be useful for describing or
commenting on the particular cell or cell contents. When the NOTE button is
selected, the NOTE window will appear and cover part of the control panel.
There are two lines available on which you may write your note. After
you're finished, you can elect to keep the note, delete the note, or quit
without writing a note, by selecting the KEEP, DELETE, or QUIT buttons
respectively. Whenever you position the cell pointer over that particular
cell and select the NOTE button, your note for that cell will appear.
HELP [F1 key and Help key equivalent]: The HELP button allows you to draw
upon the LDW POWER help feature. If during the operation of LDW POWER, you
are unsure of some aspect of the worksheet or command menu, you can select
the HELP button to receive on-screen assistance. When the HELP button is
selected, the HELP dialog window will appear on screen. You can then choose
the appropriate category in which you would like to receive help.
INDICATORS
The five indicators include: STEP, OVR, MREC/PLAY, PROT, and CIRC.
STEP: The STEP indicator is invoked when the worksheet is in single step
mode or macro execution. A macro, which is a recorded series of keystrokes,
is normally executed automatically with the keystrokes quickly executed one
after another. When the worksheet is in single step mode however, the macro
will only execute one keystroke at a time to allow you to view each step as
it happens. During this single-step operation, the STEP indicator will
appear to inform you that the macro being executed is indeed in single step
mode. Refer to the description of Macros for more details.
OVR: The OVR indicator appears only in the Edit mode and indicates that any
characters entered during editing will overwrite any existing characters
beneath or to the right of the edit cursor. When the OVR indicator is not
enabled during the Edit mode, any characters entered during editing are
inserted at the position of the edit cursor. To invoke the OVR indicator
while in Edit mode, press the Insert key. To disable the OVR indicator,
press the Insert key a second time.
MREC/PLAY: The MREC and PLAY indicators are macro indicators. The MREC
indicator signals that a macro is being executed. When you select Macro
from the menu bar and begin a macro recording, the MREC indicator will be
enabled. It will only be disabled when you end or abort the macro
recording. When you have defined a macro and select the Macro Play command
to execute the macro, the PLAY indicator will appear on screen during the
execution of the macro. As soon as the macro is finished, the PLAY
indicator will disappear from the screen.
PROT: The PROT indicator shows that the Global protection for the worksheet
is enabled. When the Worksheet Global Protection command is invoked, every
cell in the worksheet is restricted from accepting an entry. When you try
to make a cell entry under Global protection, an error message will appear
to inform you that the selected cell is protected.
CIRC: The CIRC indicator signals that a circular reference has been found
in the worksheet. A circular reference occurs when a cell contains formula
that either directly or indirectly refers to the cell itself. When LDW
POWER is in automatic recalculation mode, the CIRC indicator will be
highlighted immediately after a circular reference is made in a formula. In
manual recalculation mode, the CIRC indicator will not be highlighted until
you recalculate the worksheet using either the CALC button or F9 key.
The majority of circular references are the result of an input error.
Therefore, LDW POWER provides you with an easy way to find circular
references. The Worksheet Status command will display a window which tells
you the location of an existing circular reference. By using this feature,
you can easily pinpoint the source of the error and thereby correct it.
Status Line
Directly under the buttons and indicators is the status line. It provides
useful information pertaining to the individual cells in the worksheet.
Included in this information is the cell address of the selected cell. The
cell address is always the first thing displayed on the status line and is
followed by a colon. Following the cell address there can be the cell
format, if the format is different from the global worksheet format. The
cell format is displayed in an abbreviated code which relates to the type
of formatting that has been selected. For example, if you format a cell to
have a currency format with three decimal places, the status line would
display the following format information for that cell: (C3), where the C
stands for currency and the 3 stands for three places after the decimal.
The code for numeric formatting is made up of the first letter of the
formatting command chosen for the cell (F for Fixed; C for Currency;
etc...) along with the number of decimal places chosen to follow the
decimal all enclosed in parentheses. The code for style formatting is made
up of the first letter of the style format enclosed in brackets. Following
the cell format is the contents of the cell itself. If the cell contains a
label, the label will be displayed preceded by either an apostrophe ('), a
quotation mark ("), or a caret symbol (^) to indicate that the label is
either left, right, or center justified. If the cell contains a value, the
value will be displayed without any trailing zeros after the decimal. Note
that the actual numeric value, as it was entered from the keyboard, and not
the formatted version from the cell will be displayed. If the cell contains
a formula, the actual formula itself and not the result of the formula
shown in the cell will be displayed.
Besides showing the status of the active cell, the status line can also be
used for directing the cell pointer to any cell on the worksheet. If you
click on the cell address on the status line, while in READY mode, a
message will appear on the input line: Enter cell to go to: (address). You
can type in any cell address, and the cell pointer will move to that cell
address. This feature is equivalent to the F5 key (see Moving Around the
Worksheet).
Input Line
Directly under the status line is the last part of the control panel, the
input line. The input line is marked by the (>) symbol and contains a
cursor which moves as characters are entered. There is also a small tick
mark on the bottom of the input line which indicates the width of the
selected cell. This tick mark is useful in showing you how much room you
have to enter data into the particular cell (the tick mark only appears
when the worksheet is in LABEL or VALUE mode). You may make a label entry
that is longer than the selected cell, however its appearance on the
worksheet may be affected. If there are empty cells which follow the
selected cell, then the label will overflow into those cells. If however,
the following cells are filled, the label will be truncated or cut off to
fill the nearest empty cell. If the entry is a numeric value, and is too
long for the cell, it will be displayed as a series of asterisks (*) in the
cell.
The input line is really a kind of all-purpose line. On it, you can enter
cell data, edit cell data, enter cell locations, or enter cell ranges. In
READY mode, the input line is used for making cell entries. In EDIT mode,
the same input line is used to edit cell entries. The contents of the
selected cell appear on the input line, and you can move the edit cursor to
make any necessary changes. In POINT mode, a message will appear on the
input line prompting you to enter a cell or cell range. You can type the
cell or cell range directly on the input line.
MOVING AROUND THE WORKSHEET
In order for a spreadsheet to be an effective tool, it must allow you to
perform fundamental actions on a worksheet in an easy and convenient
manner. One of these fundamental actions is to be able to move around the
worksheet with minimal effort. Since the worksheet contains 256 columns and
8192 rows, the ability to move around quickly and easily can obviously be
appreciated. LDW POWER offers several methods which allow you to move to
all different parts of the worksheet. These methods include use of the
scroll bars, the SCRL and END buttons, the HOME icon, the mouse, and the
keyboard.
Scroll Bars
On the right and bottom edge of the worksheet window are the scroll bars,
which can be used for quick and easy movement from the beginning to the end
of the worksheet. They are used in the same manner as scroll bars on most
windows in the Atari GEM environment. By dragging the white boxes, or
sliders, you can move the window to expose different parts of the
worksheet. Dragging the slider on the horizontal scroll bar will move the
worksheet window horizontally, exposing different columns. Dragging the
slider on the vertical scroll bar will move the worksheet window
vertically, exposing different rows. Clicking on the arrows at the ends of
the scroll bars allow for slower scrolling. If you hold down the Shift key
while clicking on the arrow, the window will scroll one page at a time.
When you use the scroll bars, the worksheet will move on the screen, but
the active cell will not change, even if it goes off the screen. Refer to
your Atari ST owner's manual for more information on the scroll bars.
SCRL Button [Undo key equivalent]
The SCRL button (described earlier in the description of the Buttons and
Indicators) located in the control panel places the worksheet in scroll
mode and can be used with the keyboard cursor keys to scroll the worksheet
one row or column at a time. When you select the SCRL button, it will be
highlighted, indicating that you can use the cursor keys (arrows) to scroll
one column or row at a time.
END Button [Shift + Home]
The END button (described earlier in Buttons and Indicators) located in the
control panel is used in conjunction with the keyboard cursor keys to move
the cell pointer to the next cell boundary between a blank cell and a cell
containing an entry. Use of the END button can save keystrokes, for the
cell pointer will automatically "jump" over cells that do not fit the cell
boundary criteria. For example, if you have a row of ten consecutive cells
(all containing data), the eleventh cell is empty, and the cell pointer is
positioned at the first of those cells, you can use the END button and the
right arrow key to move the cell pointer directly to the tenth cell in the
row. If you use the right arrow key alone, you would have to press it nine
times in order to move to the tenth cell. The advantage of using the END
button in moving around the worksheet becomes obvious when you are working
with large amounts of data.
HOME Icon [Home key equivalent]
The HOME icon located in the upper left corner of the worksheet can be used
to move the cell pointer to the first cell in the worksheet (cell A1) from
any cell in the worksheet. Selecting the HOME icon will bring the A1 cell
back into view in the worksheet window, if it was previously out of view,
and position the cell pointer on the A1 cell.
END + HOME Sequence
There are certain situations in which you may want to move to the farthest
cell of the worksheet located at the intersection of the farthest column to
the right with the farthest row down in which an entry can be found. LDW
POWER will move the cell pointer to this location in two simple steps. When
in READY or POINT move, select the END button on the control panel. It will
be highlighted. Click on the HOME icon, and the window will one to and
display the cell which contains the farthest entry in the worksheet. This
cell also becomes the active cell.
Moving with the Mouse
The mouse can be used to move the cell pointer around the worksheet window.
Move the mouse cursor to any cell in the worksheet window and click. The
cell you selected will be highlighted and will become the active cell. Note
that you can only move the cell pointer to cells that are currently
displayed in the worksheet window. If you wish to move the cell pointer to
a cell that is not currently displayed, you can use the scroll bars to move
the worksheet window to the desired area of the worksheet and then use the
mouse to select the desired cell.
The Keyboard
MOVING ONE CELL AT A TIME
The arrow keys on the keyboard can also be used to move around the
worksheet. When you press any arrow key, the cell pointer will move one row
or column in the direction of the arrow that is pressed. When the cell
pointer reaches the last visible cell of a row or column and the arrow key
is pressed in the direction of the cells that are not visible in the
window, the worksheet will automatically scroll one row or column at a
time.
THE F5 [GoTo] KEY
The F5 [GoTo] key on your keyboard is a special key for moving around the
worksheet. The F5 key allows you to move the cell pointer to any cell
location in the worksheet in a single step. When you press the F5 key, a
message will appear on the input line: Enter cell to go to: (address).
Enter the address of the cell you would like to go to and press Return. If
the cell you specified is located on a part of the worksheet that is not
displayed in the worksheet window, the worksheet window will move to that
part of the worksheet which contains the cell.
MOVING THE WINDOW BY PAGES
The worksheet in your LDW POWER Spreadsheet program is divided into
screenfuls of pages. The typical page is 14 rows high and 8 columns wide.
There are three important keystrokes which can be used for moving pages
around the worksheet: Tab, Shift+Tab, and Shift+(arrow).
The Tab key will move the window to the first column of the next page. Each
time you press the Tab key, the window will move horizontally to reveal the
next page. The columns will change, but the rows will remain the same. The
Shift+Tab combination will move the window back to the first column of the
previous page. Pressing the Shift key simultaneously with any of the arrow
keys will move the window to another page in the direction of the arrow.
The up and down arrows will move the window to the first row of the next or
previous page. The right arrow will move the window to the first column of
the next page, while the left arrow will move the window to the first
column of the previous page.
RANGE BASICS
In working with the worksheet and LDW POWER commands and function, you will
frequently be required to select a cell or range of cells. Whether you are
issuing a command to copy a certain range or to format a certain range, you
will need to know how to indicate the range that you want to use. Because
of the compatibility of the GEM and Lotus interface in LDW POWER, selecting
a range is a familiar task for both ST and IBM users.
A range of cells is a rectangular block consisting of one or more cells.
The range is defined by either pair of diagonally opposed corner cells. The
cells in either pair are referred to as the anchor cell and the free cell.
The anchor cell is the cell from which you begin the range definition,
while the free cell is the cell in which you end the definition. The names
refer to the fact that the free cell can be moved (to either expand or
contract the range), while the anchor cell is fixed.
Selecting a Range
LDW POWER allows you to select a range in many different ways, by doing the
following:
1. Type in the cell addresses of the anchor and free cells of the range.
2. Define the range using the mouse pointer or cursor keys.
3. Refer to the range using a range name.
USING THE KEYBOARD
You can indicate a range simply by typing in the cell coordinates of any
two diagonally opposed corner cells in the range. The coordinates must be
separated by at least one period and should not have any spaces between
them. When you are selecting a single cell (which is the smallest range
possible), you can just type in the coordinates of that cell. Press the
Return key or click on the OK button to confirm the range.
There are also some special keys that you can use when the worksheet is in
POINT mode to facilitate range definition. If you press the period (.) key
when the range is not anchored, the active cell will be anchored. You can
then use the cursor keys to move the cell pointer and define the range. If
you press the period key after a range is defined, the anchor will move (in
a clockwise direction) to the next corner cell. Accordingly, the free cell
will also move to the diagonally opposite corner of the new anchor. If you
are being prompted by a command for a range, and the cell is not yet
anchored, pressing the Esc key will return you to the previous level in the
command. If the cell has already been anchored, pressing the Esc key will
contract the range all the way back to the anchor cell and will remove the
anchor. Whether or not the cell is anchored, pressing the Backspace key
will erase the range and return the cell pointer to the current cell.
USING THE MOUSE
The GEM interface in LDW POWER allows you to use the mouse to select a
range as well. Defining a range with the mouse is similar to using the
keyboard in that you must use the mouse to point to the anchor cell and
then drag the mouse to the free cell. To select a single cell, you can just
point to the cell and click. The cell pointer will indicate the active
cell. To select a range, position the cell pointer on the anchor cell; hold
down the left mouse button and drag the cell pointer across all of the
cells you would like to include in your range. All of the selected cells
will become highlighted as the cursor is dragged across them. If you are
selecting a range, and the cell pointer reaches the edge of the screen, the
worksheet will automatically scroll in the direction you are selecting. If
you press the Shift key while scrolling, the worksheet will scroll a full
page. When you are satisfied with the range, release the mouse button. The
free cell will be marked by the cell pointer. To undo a selected range, you
can click the ESC button on the screen, or press the Esc key, or simply use
the mouse to define a new range.
When the range is highlighted and just sitting there in the worksheet, it
can still be altered very easily. Suppose that you've just defined a range,
but you want to expand it to include more cells. Simply move the mouse
pointer to the cell that you would like to designate as the new free cell
and click once. The range will automatically expand to include the
designated cell. You can also use the cursor keys in tandem with the mouse
to alter the range. Just press the appropriate arrow for the direction that
you want to expand or contract the range, and the range will change by one
row or column for each press of the arrow.
You'll notice that as you move the position of the free cell, the position
of the anchor cell will not change. Because the anchor cell is fixed in its
location, it will always be the "axis" around which the range will revolve.
This fact holds true whether you are using the mouse or the cursor keys.
One of the advantages of using the mouse in selecting ranges is that you
can pre-select ranges before issuing a command. That is, you can select a
range, then issue the command, and the command will automatically use the
selected range. This way, you don't have to wait for the prompt from the
command to enter a range.
USING RANGE NAMES
The third way to designate a range is through the use of range names. These
names are simply an alternative to referring to ranges by their
coordinates. For example, instead of calling a range A1..B10, you could
give it a more descriptive name like SALES. You could then use that name
whenever you wanted to refer to the range A1..B10. Range names are created
by the Range Name Create command. You should refer to the Range Name
commands for details.
ENTERING AND EDITING CELL CONTENTS
There are three types of information which can be entered into LDW POWER
worksheets: labels, numbers, and formulas. A label is a text entry. A
number is a numeric entry. A formula is an entry which refers to other
cells to reach a result. Together, numbers and formulas are regarded as
values within the worksheet. You may not combine numbers and labels in the
same cell. If you attempt to do so, you will get an error message.
To enter information into any cell, select the cell (make it active) and
type in the entry. You will notice that what you are typing will appear on
the input line. When you are done typing, press Return, click on the OK
button, click on the right mouse button, or press one of the arrow keys to
confirm the entry. When you press Return or click on the OK button or press
the right mouse button to enter the information, the cell you are working
in will remain the active cell. When you press an arrow key to enter the
data, the cell adjacent to the one you are working with, in the direction
of the arrow pressed, will become the active cell. In other words, if you
press the down arrow after typing in your entry, your entry will appear in
the selected cell, and the cell pointer will move to the cell directly
below it. Similarly, if you use the mouse cursor to click (with the left
mouse button) on a cell other than the selected cell, the entry will appear
in the selected cell, and the cell pointer will move to the cell indicated
by the mouse cursor.
Sometimes, when you find yourself making a whole series of entries in a
column or row, it can be more convenient to just press the Return key after
each entry instead of the vertical or horizontal arrow keys. LDW POWER
allows you to do this, because it remembers the direction of the last arrow
pressed and automatically moves the cell pointer in that direction when you
press Return. Note, that LDW POWER will only remember the last cell pointer
movement used to confirm the cell entry. For example, if you're making
entries in 10 consecutive cells of the same column, and you confirm the
first entry with the down arrow key, you can use the Return key to confirm
the nine remaining entries. After you have made the tenth entry, the cell
pointer automatically moves down to the cell immediately below that tenth
cell. You move the cell pointer to the right and make another entry. The
cell pointer will remain on the cell and will not automatically move over
one cell to the right. If you want it to automatically move to the right,
you'll have to make an entry and press the right arrow key and make an
entry in the next cell. Now, when you press Return, the cell pointer will
move over right one cell.
If you select a cell which already contains an entry, the new entry that
you type in will replace the one contained in the cell. Once the new entry
is entered, there is no way to retrieve the old entry. You must re-type the
old entry. You can look in the input line to see exactly what is being
entered into the cell. When you press Return or an arrow key, the input
line is cleared, and the entry is displayed in the worksheet cell.
If you are in the middle of making an entry, and decide to cancel the
entry, you can use the Esc key or the ESC button to remove the entry from
the input line and to return the worksheet to the READY mode.
There are four things that happen when you press Return or one of the arrow
keys to complete an entry:
1.LDW POWER checks the entry for errors. If everything in the entry is
correct (following the rules of the worksheet), it is stored in the cell.
If there is an error, the worksheet will beep and be placed in EDIT mode.
The cell entry will be displayed on the input line with the cursor
positioned at the point that the error occurred. You can correct the error
on the input line and try to enter the entry into the cell again.
2.If the automatic recalculation mode is enabled, all formulas in the
worksheet will be recalculated.
3.The screen is updated to include the new entry and the new cell pointer
(if an arrow key was pressed).
4.LDW POWER returns to the READY mode to indicate that the worksheet is
ready for another entry.
Making Cell Entries
This section will describe how to enter the three specific types of data:
labels, numbers, and formulas.
ENTERING LABELS
Any entry into the worksheet that does not start with one of the following
characters: 0-9, +, -, ., /, (,