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Steinman Spreadsheet
If you are interested in
spreadsheets, you may want to make a
printout of this now--you'll need it
later.
The inclusion of a version of the
Steinman Spreadsheet on this issue
begins a new chapter in the history
of Loadstar. Each issue will feature
a program that's the equivalent of
software you'd have to pay $30 or
more for on the retail market.
Future issues will include a word
processor, a data base, a file copy
utility, and a dungeon game.
Spreadsheets, beginning with
Visicalc, enable the user to play the
simulation "What if". The process
used in the simulation is called
"modeling". A spreadsheet model can
analyze any problem that can be
reduced to numbers. It can analyze
future events, keep track of the
present situation, or give new
insights into the past.
There is one salient point to
remember about spreadsheet models:
their validity depends on the
accuracy of the data, the appropriate
use of formulas, and the quality of
the assumptions that are used in
building the model.
The old saying that 'Figures don't
lie, but liars figure' never had a
more appropriate setting than when
looking at the results of a model.
With that caveat in mind, let's talk
about Steinman.
The Display
-----------
The Steinman Spreadsheet consists of
four modules--the spreadsheet, a
dimension module, a report generator,
and a series of disk utilities.
Because space on LOADSTAR is limited,
we present here a reduced version of
the spreadsheet module.
The reduction is significant.
In this version, you have 140 cells
in your spreadsheet, in the full-
blown version, you can have as many
as 2000 cells. In addition, the
complete package has the extra
ability to change the size of your
spreadsheet.
But the major difference is that
the complete package contains the
report generator module, the first of
its kind for a spreadsheet. With it
you have total flexibility in
building reports based on your
spreadsheet models.
You can still print out reports
from the version of Steinman on
Loadstar with the basic print routine
that is included within the
spreadsheet module. You'll find this
routine adequate for the models you
can build.
If you find this diluted version of
Steinman to your liking, you can save
$10 on the purchase of the complete
package by using the coupon included
with this issue.
Even if you don't buy the complete
Steinman, you'll find this version
adequate to model several small
household tasks.
With all that explanation out of
the way, let's get on to the task of
telling you how to use Steinman.
The display is in two sections: the
main spreadsheet and a status
section. The status section contains
the status bar, the cell locator, the
data entry line, and room for any
messages that may be appropriate.
The Status Bar
There are two lines to the status
bar, which is printed in inverse at
the top of Steinman. On the first
line is the mode indicator, room for
function titles, and the name of your
file.
Mode Indicator
The mode indicator will usually
show "INPUT", meaning that you're
ready to enter data into the
spreadsheet. The alternative mode is
"CONTROL", which indicates that
you're using some other function of
the program. Usually when you are in
control mode, the name of the
function is displayed in the center
of the top line of the status bar.
Recalculate Indicator
The second line of the status bar
displays the current state of the
model. If you've been entering data,
an asterisk * will appear at the left
to indicate that you need to
recalculate the spreadsheet.
Paging Indicator
Next to that, a "P" or "PP" would
indicate that paging has been
activated.
Precision Indicator
To the right of the paging
indicator is the precision indicator.
Precision sets the depth to which
your formulas are calculated and is
shown by the at sign, such as @3 for
calculate three decimal places. Legal
values are 0-6.
Fixed Decimal Indicator
Next to precision is the fixed
decimal indicator. This sets the
number of decimal places that will be
shown on your display and is shown by
the letter "F" followed by a number
or X. Legal entries are 0-6. X
means to use the number of decimals
in each cell that you entered.
Negative Number Indicator
After fixed decimal comes the
indication of how negative numbers
will be displayed. They can be
prefixed by a minus sign "-", or
surrounded by parentheses ().
Comma Indicator
Following the negative number
indicator is the comma indicator.
You can choose to have commas in your
large numbers for easier reading.
Order of Calculation Indicator
The next indicator is for order of
calculation. You can choose to have
your model calculated either line by
line (horizontally) or column by
column (vertically).
Size Indicator
The final entry on the second line
of the status bar shows the size of
the spreadsheet, in this case 35x4.
Other Status Items
Near the top left of the screen is
the legend "CELL #". What follows it
is the exact address where you are in
the spreadsheet.
Under CELL # are the data entry
line and the data entry cursor.
Cells and Addresses
-------------------
The basic unit of a spreadsheet is
a cell. Each cell has a unique
address that represents the
intersection of the line and column
at the point of the cell.
The cell at the point where line 6
intersects column 3 has the address
L6C3. No other cell has that
address.
Cursors and Data Entry
----------------------
Steinman has two cursors, one above
the spreadsheet on the data entry
line and one in the spreadsheet. The
data entry cursor indicates your
position relative to the data that
has been (is being) entered in the
cell. It's activated during data
entry or editing.
The cell cursor indicates your
position in the spreadsheet.
Whatever you enter on the data entry
line will appear in the cell on which
your cell cursor is placed. You
accept the data you have entered by
pressing RETURN or by pressing a
cursor control key to move on to the
next cell into which you want to
enter data.
Data Types
A spreadsheet recognizes three
kinds of information: values, labels,
and formulas.
Values are numbers. They are
entered directly into cells or are
the results of the evaluation of a
formula.
Labels are descriptors. They
usually sit at the top of columns and
on the left of lines to indicate what
the numbers mean.
Formulas cause manipulations to
values. They contain references to
cell addresses and values. All
formulas start with the plus sign +.
--------------------------------------
Commands from the Spreadsheet
F1 Calculate the value of a cell
F2 Calculate the entire model
F3 Activate paging.
"P" paging causes the display
to move a section at a time
when a boundary is reached.
"PP" paging causes the display
to move a section at a time
without reaching the screen
boundary. Paging is controlled
by the right and down cursor
control keys.
F5 Edit (on the data entry line)
F7 Enter the control mode
F8 Erase a cell
\ Go directly to a cell
+ Start of a formula
.. Range (see formulas)
LxCy Cell address
The cursor keys move as indicated and
the CLR/HOME key always returns you
to L1C1.
Commands accessed by pressing F7:
Commodore A Start new file
B Bytes (memory) remaining
C Copy a block of cells
D Delete (line or column)
E Erase a range of cells
F Change fixed decimals
G Go to a specific cell
I Insert (line or column)
L Set line spacing
M Move a block of cells
O Change order of calculation
P Print
Commodore Q Quit
R Replicate cell
Shift R Replicate cell with
choice of referencing
S Save
T Fix Titles (set labels to stay
on the screen while you scroll
the spreadshee