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EXPRESSCALC
USER'S GUIDE
by
Bill Willis
and
Ralph Osness
EXPRESSWARE
P.O. Box 230
Redmond, WA 98073
Copyright 1986, 1987, 1988
-
Changes are periodically made to the information contained herein.
These changes will be incorporated into future editions of this
publication.
A User Response Form is provided at the back of this publication.
If this form has been removed, please address your comments to:
E X P R E S S W A R E
P.O. Box 230
Redmond, WA 98073
Proprietary Notice
ExpressCalc is a proprietary product written by Bill Willis and
Ralph Osness, and is published by Expressware, Redmond, Washington.
All rights reserved except those expressly granted to the user by
this document.
-
Contents
1 Introduction
3 System Requirements
4 Getting Started
6 A Brief Tutorial
11 General Information
16 Keyboard Conventions
23 ALPHABETIC REFERENCE
25 ABS Function
26 ARRANGE Command (/A)
31 ATN Function
32 AVERAGE Function
33 BLANK Command (/B)
35 CONFIGURE Command (/C)
42 COS Function
43 COUNT Function
44 CPI Function
46 DELETE Command (/D)
48 EDIT Command (/E)
50 EXP Function
51 FIX Function
52 FORMAT Command (/F)
60 GLOBAL Command (/G)
64 IF Function
69 INSERT Command (/I)
71 INT Function
72 KEYWORD Function
75 LOAD Command (/L)
79 LOG Function
80 LOOKUP Function
84 LPI Function
85 MAX Function
-
Contents
86 MIN Function
87 MOVE Command (/M)
89 NOLF Function
91 NOPRINT Function
94 NPV Function
96 PAGE Function
99 PAYMENT Function
101 PERIODS Function
103 PRINCIPAL Function
105 PRINT Command (/P)
111 QUIT Command (/Q)
112 RANDOM Function
114 RATE Function
116 REPLICATE Command (/R)
121 ROUND Function
122 SAVE Command (/S)
126 SGN Function
127 SIN Function
128 SQR Function
129 STDEV Function
130 SUM Function
131 TAN Function
132 TITLE Command (/T)
134 UTILITY Command (/U)
135 WINDOW Command (/W)
136 XTERNAL Command (/X)
142 ZAP Command (/Z)
143 Customizing CALC
158 CALC File Format
165 Version Numbers & Major Enhancements
168 The Files On The CALC Disks
169 Some Frequently Asked Questions
-
Contents
170 Distribution Notice
171 User Response Form
175 Order Form
177 Index
-
PREFACE
PREFACE TO USERS OF EARLIER VERSIONS
ExpressCalc Version 4 is faster than earlier versions, supports
subdirectories, and has several other new features, including /Move
and /Window commands. For a complete list of the latest
improvements, see the chapter titled "Version Numbers and Major
Enhancements" at the back of this manual.
ExpressCalc Version 4 consists of one program, called CALC.EXE.
Earlier versions had five separate programs, which loaded as each
command was used, causing a pause when using /Print, /Load, etc.
as the program was loaded into memory. The new version runs
commands much faster (almost instantly), and uses less space on
disk. However, it requires a PC with at least 512K RAM memory to
run.
ExpressCalc Version 4 automatically includes the extension .CAL on
spreadsheets unless you specify a different extension when entering
a file name. If you have spreadsheets with different extensions, or
with no extensions, you might consider changing them all to .CAL to
prevent confusion. Or you can override the default extension with
the DEFAULT EXTENSION profile option.
ExpressCalc Version 4 no longer supports 40-column displays, but
support has been added for EGA and VGA boards, allowing more
lines to be displayed on the screen.
No file conversion is required to use Version 4. Just load your
Version 3 spreadsheets and run. Spreadsheets created with Version
4 can even be used with the Version 3 programs.
After you have used Version 4 for awhile, let us know what you
think. There is a new User Response Form in the back of this
manual, and also one on the Calc disk. We look forward to hearing
from you.
-
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
ExpressCalc is an easy-to-use "Visible Spreadsheet" program.
If you work with numbers, at home, on the job or at school, CALC
is for you. Whether the task is simple or complex, CALC can help. By
using its powerful commands, reports can be produced in minutes that
would take hours to do manually, or days to write in BASIC.
Here are some examples of how people are using CALC:
* Computing interest and principal on loans, mortgages, savings
accounts.
* Preparing payroll journals, sales journals, accounts receivable
journals.
* Doing income tax computations, computing depreciation,
accumulating income and expenses.
* Preparing business forecasts, P&L's, ten-year projections,
etc. and then playing "what if..." to see the impact of
changing one or more numbers.
* Analyzing investments, balancing checkbooks, keeping budgets.
* Preparing homework assignments for classes in bookkeeping,
accounting, math, etc.
Spreadsheets created with CALC can be displayed and altered on
the screen, printed out, saved on disk and reloaded for further
changes or review. If you create a really wide spreadsheet that
won't fit on one page, no problem. CALC will print two pages
that can be attached to make one wide spreadsheet.
And spreadsheets are not limited to the size of your computer
screen. CALC will scroll up, down and sideways to give you a
spreadsheet up to 64 columns wide and 256 lines long. For large
1
-
INTRODUCTION
spreadsheets, columns or rows can be increased with the "Configure"
command. Numbers and words can be placed anywhere on the
spreadsheet. The width of each column of your spreadsheet can be any
size from 1 character to 75 characters wide, or it can be "zero"
characters wide, which means it exists and contains data, but is
hidden from view. A number can have from one to twelve decimals, or
no decimals at all.
Spreadsheets can link to other spreadsheets to extract data,
providing a "3-dimensional" capability. And if you are a File
Express or PC-File database user, CALC can reach into your
databases and extract data or add up numbers. And there is no
limit to the number of databases that can be accessed by a single
spreadsheet. These are just a few of the features that CALC
provides.
This manual describes all the features of CALC in detail. It is
recommended that the manual be read completely before using
CALC, but you will find that it is so easy to use, many of its
features can be mastered even without the documentation. For that
reason, this manual has been organized as a reference document
rather than a tutorial. There is a tutorial section at the
beginning, titled "A Brief Tutorial", but the rest of the manual is
designed for quickly finding information about specific commands
and functions.
2
-
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
CALC runs on the IBM PC or compatible systems with this
minimum configuration:
* 512K computer memory.
* An MSDOS or PCDOS operating system version 2.0 or later.
* A monochrome or color monitor with an 80 column display.
A color graphics board is not necessary, but if you have
one, CALC formats its screens in your choice of colors.
If your computer has less than 25 lines, CALC can be
configured for a shorter screen (8 lines minimum). With
an EGA adapter, CALC can display 43 lines instead of 25.
With a VGA adapter, several screen sizes may be chosen.
* Two double sided diskette drives. CALC is also compatible
with hard disks and electronic disks.
* A printer is optional. CALC runs on most printers.
3
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GETTING STARTED
GETTING STARTED
The following information is provided to get you up and running with
CALC as quickly as possible. We recognize that most people will try
running a program before they read the User's Guide. This section
will give you enough information to make a backup copy of CALC and
to get the program started. If you have any further questions, refer
to the manual.
1. Turn on your computer and load the DOS operating system. The
CALC diskette does not have DOS on it, so use a diskette that
does.
2. FORMAT two blank diskettes using the DOS FORMAT command.
(See your DOS manual if needed.)
3. Copy COMMAND.COM from your DOS diskette onto one of the blank
diskettes and label it "Program Disk". Copy all the program files
from the original CALC Program Disk onto this diskette.
4. Label the second formatted diskette "Supplemental Disk" and copy
all the files from the CALC Supplemental Disk onto it. This
diskette can also be used as a data disk for storing spreadsheet
files.
5. At this point, most users will simply type:
CALC
and press ENTER, which will load and run the program. However,
there are some special cases when CALC cannot automatically
configure itself, and an extra code must be entered, as follows:
Computers with a color board, but a monochrome monitor:
CALC BW
4
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GETTING STARTED
Non-IBM computers which do not have IBM-compatible video
memory mapping (such as the Tandy 2000):
CALC SL
6. There is a pause for a few seconds as the CALC program loads
into memory. Then the CALC banner screen is displayed. Press
any key.
7. Check the screen. If it doesn't look right, or if it doesn't
show A1 > in the lower left corner, read the Configure (/C)
section before proceeding. Otherwise, CALC is ready to use!
CALC may also be used on a hard disk. It is suggested that you
create a separate subdirectory, then copy the programs and data
from both diskettes to it.
5
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A BRIEF TUTORIAL
A BRIEF TUTORIAL
Now that you have CALC loaded in your computer, note that across
the top of the screen are letters: A, B, C, etc. These letters
identify the columns of the spreadsheet. Down the left side are
numbers. These numbers identify each row of the spreadsheet. Each
coordinate in this grid is called a "cell". For example, the cell
where the cursor is currently located is called "A1"; to its right
is "B1"; below it is "A2"; at the end of the spreadsheet (not
currently on the screen) is "BL256".
Press the arrow keys and you will find that you can move the large
cursor (called the "cell cursor") around on the screen. When moving
left and right, it moves one column at a time. Up and down it moves
one row at a time. In the lower left corner of the screen is an
indicator called the "cursor coordinate", which shows the cell
currently occupied. As the cursor is moved about the screen, this
cursor coordinate will rapidly change to the new cell address.
Press the right-arrow several times and you will see the screen
"scroll sideways". In other words, column A will disappear on the
left, and all the other columns will shift to the left, making room
for a new column on the right. If you keep pressing the right-arrow
key, eventually you will come to column Z. Then the columns will be
labelled AA, AB, AC, etc. When the cursor reaches column BL it will
no longer move. You have reached the edge of the spreadsheet. Using
the down arrow key you can make the screen "scroll up" until the
last row of the screen, row 256, is displayed.
When pressing the arrow keys to scroll, if you hold down the arrow
key, causing it to rapidly repeat, you will notice something a bit
different. The cursor coordinate in the lower left corner of the
screen starts advancing rapidly, but the screen is not redisplayed
until you let up on the arrow key. This allows you to scroll
quickly to any position in the spreadsheet without waiting for the
screen to be refreshed.
6
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A BRIEF TUTORIAL
Now let's try putting some data on the spreadsheet. Move the cursor
to coordinate B4, and type 12345 then press the ENTER key. As you
type the number, you will notice that it is displayed on the bottom
line of the screen. This line is called the "entry line". When you
press ENTER, the number on the entry line disappears, and is
redisplayed up in the spreadsheet at coordinate B4. But it is
slightly different. Instead of being simply the 12345 you typed, it
is 12,345.00 and it is shifted to the right of the column. The
number is displayed this way because of certain "defaults" in
CALC for displaying numbers. Unless otherwise specified, all
numbers will have two decimal places, will have commas between the
thousands, and will be "right-justified" in the column. Of course
it is possible to change these defaults, for specific cells or for
the whole screen, and this will be discussed later in the "Format
Command" section.
Now press the up-arrow and move the cell cursor to B2. Type the
following:
This is a test of CALC.
and press the ENTER key. As you are typing, if you make an error,
you can use the backspace key to move the cursor back, or the tab
key to move forward across the entry line, then make typing
corrections. After pressing ENTER, look at cell B2. It will now
contain the text you typed, and the text will overlap into cells
C2 and D2. Text is allowed to overlap cells in CALC,
provided the cells to the right have nothing in them.
Now move the cursor to B6 and type:
B4+B4
then press the ENTER key. Cell B6 should display the number
24,690.00 which is the sum of 12345 plus 12345. Let's examine what
happened. By moving the cursor to B6, you told CALC to put the
result of the formula into B6. The formula B4+B4 told CALC to
get the number at B4, add it to itself, and put the result in B6.
The formula could have been simpler or more complex and CALC
would have immediately gathered up all the numbers needed, computed
the new value, and displayed the result at B6.
7
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A BRIEF TUTORIAL
Looking at the screen, you have now entered all three types of data
that can go on a CALC spreadsheet:
At B2 you entered the "text" This is a test of CALC.
At B4 you entered the "value" 12345
At B6 you entered the "formula" B4+B4
Any cell on the spreadsheet can contain text, a value or a formula.
Now move the cell cursor to each of the three cells with data in
them. As the cell cursor moves into a cell, notice that the "cell
contents" are displayed at the bottom of the screen on the "message
line". The cell contents are the actual letters or numbers you typed
when entering data into the cell.
As a final exercise in this tutorial, type /Z Y to clear
the worksheet (a complete explanation of the Zap (/Z) command
appears later in the manual). Move the cursor to each cell listed
below, and enter the data exactly as shown. If you get an error
message on a line, press the ESC key to clear the entry line, then
type it again. All lines should go in as shown without errors.
At Coordinate: Enter this data:
B2 Compute Annual Interest
B4 Rate:
C4 5.5
B6 Year
C6 Balance
D6 Interest
B7 "1983
C7 5000
D7 C7*C4/100
B8 "1984
C8 C7+D7
D8 C8*C4/100
B9 "1985
C9 C8+D8
D9 C9*C4/100
B11 Totals
C11 C9+D9
D11 SUM(D7:D9)
8
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A BRIEF TUTORIAL
When the preceding data has been entered, your spreadsheet screen
should look like this:
A B C D
1
2 Compute Annual Interest
3
4 Rate: 5.50
5
6 Year Balance Interest
7 1983 5,000.00 275.00
8 1984 5,275.00 290.13
9 1985 5,565.13 306.08
10
11 Totals 5,871.21 871.21
This simple spreadsheet computes the interest on a savings account
at a specified annual interest rate. Since this is a sample
exercise, the spreadsheet has been kept small, but later you will
learn how to use the "Replicate" command to extend a spreadsheet
like this one to fifty years or more, in a matter of seconds. The
"SUM" function in cell D11 is simply adding up the numbers in D7
through D9, so you can see the accumulated interest for three years.
Now let's try some "what if" experiments. What if the interest rate
were seven percent instead of 5.5? To see the result, simply move
to cell C4, type 7 and press ENTER. All the figures on the screen
are immediately updated with the new interest computation. Or what
if the interest were 18%? Try it. What if there were only $850.25
instead of $5000? Move the cursor to C7 and enter 850.25 and the
spreadsheet will immediately be recalculated.
A printed report of the spreadsheet is often desirable. Ready your
printer, then type the command /P which invokes the Print routine.
You will then be prompted for several options. For this simple
spreadsheet, just press ENTER for each of the options. The
spreadsheet will print, and CALC will return to its original
state, waiting for another command.
9
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A BRIEF TUTORIAL
Finally, before exiting from CALC, let's save the spreadsheet on
disk. Type /S to invoke the Save routine. You will be asked to
enter the name of the spreadsheet; type TEST and press ENTER.
CALC will say Saving file. Stand by . . . and the file will be
written to your CALC disk. It can later be loaded using the /L
command. (Note: If you get a message saying File Exists. Overwrite
or Backup?, it only means that someone before you saved a file
called TEST. Reply O to the message, and your TEST file will
overwrite the one already on the disk.)
This concludes the brief tutorial. The remainder of this manual is
organized for reference. It is a good idea to read through it to
familiarize yourself with some of the more sophisticated commands.
But the best way to learn CALC is to use it.
10
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GENERAL INFORMATION
GENERAL INFORMATION
The maximum size of a CALC spreadsheet is 64 columns by
256 rows. The maximum content of a cell is 74 characters, and the
maximum column width is 75 characters. The amount of memory
available for your spreadsheet is displayed at all times in the
lower left corner of the screen. It is a number followed by the
letter "K". If it says 16K, for example, you still have 16K of
memory available for typing text and formulas. If it says 1K, be
careful. Your spreadsheet is getting too big and may fill memory,
causing the MEMORY FULL message.
Three types of data may be entered into a cell:
TEXT: Column headings, item descriptions and so forth, are
text data. Normally you can just type the text and
press ENTER, causing it to appear in a cell. However,
if the text data is all numeric, or looks like a
formula, enter a quotation mark or apostrophe to tell
CALC that it's text. For example, in the tutorial
above, when we entered the year 1984, we entered it as
"1984. If we had entered it without the quotation mark,
CALC would have processed it as a value and
displayed it as 1,984.00. Any character may be typed in
a text entry. If the text data is wider than the
column, and there is nothing in the cell to its right,
it will overlap into subsequent cells. If there is
something in the cell to its right, the text data will
be truncated on the screen. The entire text entry is
retained in the cell, even if it does not all display.
Text can be left- or right-justified in the column by
using the Format (/F) command. Text entries can be
from 1 to 74 characters in length.
11
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GENERAL INFORMATION
VALUE: A value is a number. When a value is entered into a
cell, it is displayed according to current defaults.
For example, you enter 12345 and it is displayed as
12,345.00. Each value is displayed according to the
display attributes of the cell. These attributes can
be changed using the Format (/F) command. CALC
will accept values of any size. However, values which
have more than 14 decimal places to the left or right
of the decimal will appear in scientific notation.
FORMULA: A formula is one or more cell coordinates and/or one or
more values, combined using arithmetic operators. For
example, a formula might simply add together several
numbers: A1 + B1 + C1 + D1 or it might perform a
more complex task: A1*2.5+(SUM(A1:D1)-.00005)
Formulas can be up to 74 characters in length.
A formula can have any combination of cell coordinates, values,
math functions, statistical functions and IF functions, each
separated by an operator. An operator is a symbol or word which
combines two numbers mathematically. For example, the plus sign is
the operator for adding numbers together. CALC has many
operators that can be used in formulas. They are:
Operator Purpose Example
+ Addition A1 + 12345
- Subtraction A1 - 44.6
* Multiplication A1 * 2
/ Division A1 / .003322
^ Exponentiation 2 ^ 8
% Percentage A1 % A5
AND Logical And (complement) A1 AND A2
OR Logical Or (conjunction) A1 OR A2
NOT Logical Not (disjunction) NOT A5
\ Modulo (remainder) A1 \ 10
12
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GENERAL INFORMATION
When CALC processes a formula, it follows standard mathematical
rules of precedence:
* Exponentiation (^) is done first
* multiplication (*), division (/) and percentage (%) are next
* then modulo (\)
* then addition (+) and subtraction (-)
* then relational operators (=, >, etc.)
* and finally, logical operators (AND, OR, NOT)
Some of these operators are well-known and require no further
explanation. Others are less common, and will be recognized only by
those with a mathematics background. The following paragraphs give
further explanation of the less common operators.
The Percentage operator (%) means "as a percent of". For example,
the formula 3 % 5 can be read "3 as a percent of 5", and returns 60
(3 is 60% of 5). 3 % 5 is the same as 3 * 100 / 5.
The Modulo operator (\) does division, then returns the remainder
instead of the quotient. For example, 10 \ 3 returns 1. Instead of
the backslash character, the word MOD may also be used in formulas
to designate modulo. MOD must have a space on the left and right.
10 MOD 3 is the same as 10 \ 3.
Relational operators are normally used in IF functions to compare
two numbers. They are discussed in the Alphabetical Reference
section of this manual, under IF function. However, relational
operators may be used in formulas without IF, to return the truth
value of a relation.
Logical, or Boolean, operators (AND, OR, NOT) are also usually
used in conjunction with the IF function, but can be used in any
formula. When two numbers are compared with a logical operator,
a non-zero number is considered true, while zero is false. After
logically combining the two numbers, if the result is true, a 1 is
returned. If false, a zero is returned. The symbols &, | and ~ can
be used for AND, OR and NOT if preferred. For example,
5 & 1 is the same as 5 AND 1, and returns a value of 1 (true).
13
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Parts of a formula may be nested in parentheses, up to thirty
levels. The following rules apply to formulas with parentheses:
* Every left parenthesis must have a matching right
parenthesis, or else a formula error occurs.
* Parenthesized expressions are always evaluated from the
inner-most to the outer-most. Using parentheses, the
precedence of the arithmetic operators can be overridden.
For example, A1+5*C1 will do the multiplication first, then
the addition. (A1+5)*C1 will do the addition first.
* Use parentheses to separate two operators in a row. For
example, to multiply A1 times -5, the formula A1*-5 is not
valid because the * and - are together. Instead use this
format: A1*(-5) to accomplish the arithmetic.
A formula may also include a function, or consist solely of a
function. For specific information on each function, see the
alphabetical reference section. Some spreadsheet users are
accustomed to prefixing a function name with an @ sign. For
example, instead of TAN(A1) they might prefer to enter
@TAN(A1). To accommodate these users, CALC accepts @
signs anywhere in a formula, and ignores them.
Some spreadsheet users are also accustomed to entering a period
instead of a colon between cells in a range. For example, instead
of SUM(A1:A20) they are accustomed to entering SUM(A1.A20) or
maybe even @SUM(A1.A20). To accommodate these users, CALC
accepts a period instead of a colon in a range, and ignores @
signs.
Spaces may also be used freely in formulas. Lower-case characters
may also be used, but they will be translated to upper-case
(capital) letters. Spaces may not be used in the middle of function
names or cell references. For example, AVE RAGE and A 12 are not
acceptable in a formula.
Values and formulas may contain numbers in exponential form
(similar to scientific notation). The mantissa and exponent are
14
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GENERAL INFORMATION
separated by the letter E (or e). A plus or minus sign is optional
on the exponent. The E is effectively the same as *10^. Here are
some examples of exponential numbers and formulas with exponential
numbers:
3E10
5e-2
-5E+2
A1+3E10
-5E-2 + A1 - 3E10
15
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KEYBOARD CONVENTIONS
KEYBOARD CONVENTIONS
Certain keys perform special functions in CALC. These keys fall
into two categories; cell cursor keys and entry line keys. Once you
start entering data, CALC goes into data entry mode, and only
entry line keys will be recognized from the keyboard until the line
is entered or cancelled.
CELL CURSOR KEYS
Special Key Alternate Purpose of key
UP ARROW CONTROL-E Moves the cell cursor up one row.
DOWN ARROW CONTROL-X Moves the cell cursor down one row.
LEFT ARROW CONTROL-S Moves the cell cursor left one
BACKSPACE column.
BACKTAB
RIGHT ARROW CONTROL-D Moves the cell cursor right one
TAB column.
HOME Moves the cell cursor to the upper
left corner of the screen.
END Moves the cell cursor to the lower
right corner of the screen.
PAGE UP CONTROL-R Moves the cell cursor back (up)
one screen. (to center row)
PAGE DOWN CONTROL-C Moves the cell cursor forward (down)
one screen. (to center row)
CONTROL-W Moves the screen down one row
without moving the cell cursor.
16
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KEYBOARD CONVENTIONS
CELL CURSOR KEYS
Special Key Alternate Purpose of key
CONTROL-Z Moves the screen up one row
without moving the cell cursor.
CONTROL-N Inserts a row above the row where
the cell cursor is located.
CONTROL-Y Deletes the row where the cell
cursor is located.
= CONTROL-Q Prompts for a cell, and jumps to it.
! Recalculates all the formulas in
the spreadsheet.
/ Prompts for a command code.
ENTRY LINE KEYS
Special Key Alternate Purpose of key
BACKSPACE CONTROL-S Moves data cursor left one space.
TAB CONTROL-D Moves data cursor right one space.
ESCAPE CONTROL-C Cancels the current command or
entry, and erases the entry line.
INSERT CONTROL-V Toggles on/off insert mode.
DELETE CONTROL-G Deletes the character of input
data at the cursor.
HOME Moves the data cursor to the first
character.
END Moves the data cursor to the end
of the formula or text.
17
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KEYBOARD CONVENTIONS
ENTRY LINE KEYS
Special Key Alternate Purpose of key
ENTER or COMMA Enters a command and processes it.
RETURN
CONTROL-T Erases input data from the cursor
to the end of the entry line.
UP ARROW Enters a command, then moves the
cell cursor up one row.
DOWN ARROW Enters a command, then moves the
cell cursor down one row.
LEFT ARROW Enters a command, then moves the
cell cursor left one column.
RIGHT ARROW Enters a command, then moves the
cell cursor right one column.
UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW move the cell cursor up and down a
line at a time. When data or a command is being entered on the entry
line, these keys operate like the ENTER key, followed by the arrow
key. When the cell cursor reaches the top or bottom line, it stops
moving. When these keys are held down, causing them to repeat, and
they move off the current screen, CALC goes into a high-speed
mode. The screen is not updated until the key is let up. However,
the coordinate is displayed in the lower left corner of the screen.
LEFT ARROW and RIGHT ARROW move the cell cursor to the left
and right, one column at a time. If the column being moved into is
not currently on the screen, the screen will be "scrolled" left or
right to display it. When the cursor reaches the left or right edge
of the spreadsheet (column A or column BL), it stops moving. When
these keys are held down, causing them to repeat, CALC goes into
high-speed mode, described in the previous paragraph. When moving
the cell cursor around, BACKSPACE works exactly like the LEFT
ARROW key and TAB works exactly like the RIGHT ARROW key.
18
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KEYBOARD CONVENTIONS
When data is being entered on the entry line, the TAB key and
BACKSPACE key serve a different purpose. Instead of moving the
cell cursor, they move the small data cursor. BACKSPACE is
non-destructive, so you can move back to a previous point in the
entry line without erasing any of the right-most characters.
Pressing BACKSPACE while on the first position of a command
entry will cause the command to be terminated and erased.
Pressing HOME moves the cursor to the cell in the upper left corner
of the screen. Pressing END moves the cursor to the cell in the
lower right corner of the screen. Pressing HOME twice moves the
cursor to cell A1. Pressing END twice moves the cursor to the
highest cell in the spreadsheet. If the cursor is already there,
pressing it has no effect.
The ESCAPE key, and its alternate, CONTROL-C, are popular keys
for cancelling a command. These keys are only effective when
something has been typed on the entry line. Pressing one of them
will erase everything on the entry line, and move the cursor to the
beginning of the line. If a command is cancelled with one of these
keys, it is erased and has no effect. If text, a value or a formula
are cancelled, the entry line is erased, and the contents of the
current cell are unaltered.
Pressing the PAGE DOWN key advances the display so that the new
screen contains the bottom three rows from the previous screen at
the top of the new screen. The cell cursor is positioned on the
middle row of the new screen. PAGE UP works just like PAGE
DOWN, except that it moves backward instead of forward.
Pressing CONTROL-W causes the screen to shift up one row, and a
new row to be displayed at the bottom. Use it when you want to see
some data that is just beyond the bottom of the screen. Note that
CONTROL-W does not usually cause the cell cursor to move. The one
exception is when the cell cursor is on the top line. Since the top
line is being shifted off the screen, the cell cursor must move
down one line to remain on the screen. CONTROL-Z works essentially
the opposite of CONTROL-W: it causes the screen to shift down one
row, and a new row to be displayed at the top.
19
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KEYBOARD CONVENTIONS
CONTROL-N is a quick method to insert a row. Using this key
combination will cause a row to be inserted above the row the cell
cursor is on. The same result may be accomplished with the Insert
(/I) command (see Insert command in the Alphabetical Reference).
CONTROL-Y is a quick method to delete a row. Using this key
combination causes the row at the cell cursor location to be
deleted. The same result may be accomplished with the Delete (/D)
command (see Delete command in the Alphabetical Reference section
for details).
The INSERT key is used to add characters in the middle of the entry
line such as a formula or text. Use the tab key to move the data
cursor to the spot where the insertion is to be done. Press the
INSERT key to toggle on the insert mode. The data cursor becomes
enlarged, indicating that insert mode is toggled on. Now type the
characters to be inserted. They will be inserted at the cursor
position, and the data from the cursor to the end of the entry will
be shifted right. When data being shifted reaches the right edge of
the entry line, it disappears and is dropped. The INSERT key is
only effective when there is data in the entry line. Other editing
keys, such as BACKSPACE and DELETE can be used freely while
Insert Mode is toggled on. To toggle off Insert Mode, press INSERT
a second time. Pressing ENTER also automatically turns off Insert
Mode. Note: There is a configuration option to make the INSERT
key insert a single blank when it is pressed. See the section
on Customizing CALC.
The DELETE key is only effective when entering data on the entry
line. It causes the character at the data cursor to be erased, and
all the characters to the right of it to be shifted left. To erase
several characters, press DELETE multiple times.
CONTROL-T is only effective when entering data on the entry line.
It causes the character at the cursor and all data to the right of
the cursor to be erased.
The ENTER key (RETURN key) is used to enter a line of data.
COMMA (,) can also be used to enter data. The one exception for
the comma is when entering text. Since the comma is a valid text
20
-
KEYBOARD CONVENTIONS
character, only the ENTER key or arrow keys terminate a text field.
The EQUAL SIGN (=) invokes CALC's "Go To Coordinate" routine.
To jump to a specific cell, type = followed by the cell coordinate.
For example, =Z99 will move the cell cursor immediately to Z99.
CONTROL-Q is the same as the equal sign, and can be followed by one
of six control keys, to move the cursor around on the spreadsheet:
CONTROL-Q CONTROL-R Move cell cursor to cell A1.
(or HOME HOME)
CONTROL-Q CONTROL-C Move cell cursor to highest cell
(or END END) with data in it. (For example, if
the spreadsheet extends from row
1 to 20, and column A to K, this
will go to cell K20.)
CONTROL-Q CONTROL-E Move cell cursor to top row
(or = UP ARROW) on screen (same column).
CONTROL-Q CONTROL-X Move cell cursor to bottom row
(or = DOWN ARROW) on screen (same column).
CONTROL-Q CONTROL-S Move cell cursor to left-most
(or = LEFT ARROW) column on screen (same row).
CONTROL-Q CONTROL-D Move cell cursor to right-most
(or = RIGHT-ARROW) column on screen (same row).
Users of popular software programs will recognize these as common
control key sequences for moving the cursor around the screen.
The EXCLAMATION POINT (!) causes "recalculation"; i.e. all the
formulas in the spreadsheet are re-computed. This command is
normally used when automatic recalculation has been turned off.
At startup, automatic recalculation is set on. Each time a number
or formula is entered, the message "CALCULATING" appears,
and the cursor ripples through all the formulas. As your
spreadsheet gets larger, the pause required to recalculate may grow
21
-
KEYBOARD CONVENTIONS
annoyingly long. Turn off auto recalculation using the Global,
Manual (/GM) command, then when all your data is entered, type !
to recalculate. As each cell is recalculated, the cursor "ripples"
across the screen, showing its progress. Normally recalculation
proceeds across rows, but it can be set to go column-by-column
using the /Global, Column/Row command.
The SLASH character (/) initiates a "command". You will be
prompted with a list of valid commands such as Print, Format, etc.
To invoke a command, key the first letter of the command. Most
commands prompt for more information. Each command is described
in detail in the "Alphabetical Reference" section.
When typing a command or data, it is not necessary to wait for the
prompt message to be displayed. If you know what to enter, just
type it. CALC pauses briefly before displaying a message,
anticipating that you might already know what it is going to ask.
If you press a key while the message is displaying, you may only
get part of the message. CALC stops immediately when a key is
pressed, and processes that key. During operations that take
several seconds, such as saving files, recalculating or
replicating, it is best not to enter data; some of the keystrokes
might be ignored.
22
-
ALPHABETICAL REFERENCE
Alphabetical Reference
Name Type Purpose
ABS Function Absolute value
ARRANGE Command Arrange (sort) columns or rows
ATN Function Arctangent
AVERAGE Function Average of a range of numbers
BLANK Command Blank out one or more cells
CONFIGURE Command Reconfigure screen, keyboard, printer
COS Function Trigonometric Cosine
COUNT Function Count of a range of numbers
CPI Function Change characters per inch on printer
DELETE Command Delete a row or column
EDIT Command Edit the contents of a cell
EXP Function Mathematical number e raised to the x power
FIX Function Integer (ignores sign)
FORMAT Command Change display characteristics of cell(s)
GLOBAL Command Change various spreadsheet settings
IF Function Conditional test; If...Then...Else
INSERT Command Insert a row or column
INT Function Integer (true integer; i.e. INT(-2.5) = -3)
KEYWORD Function Display current date, time, page number
LOAD Command Load a file into spreadsheet area from disk
LOG Function Natural logarithm
LOOKUP Function Table lookup based on key value
LPI Function Change lines per inch on printer
MAX Function Maximum value in a range of numbers
MIN Function Minimum value in a range of numbers
MOVE Command Move cells, columns, rows or blocks of cells
NOLF Function No line feed on this print line
NOPRINT Function Don't print this line
NPV Function Net present value of a range of numbers
PAGE Function Page break or conditional page break on printer
PAYMENT Function Compute payment, given principal, rate, periods
PERIODS Function Compute periods, given principal, payment, rate
PRINCIPAL Function Compute principal, given payment, rate, periods
23
-
ALPHABETICAL REFERENCE
Alphabetical Reference
Name Type Purpose
PRINT Command Print spreadsheet
QUIT Command Exit from CALC
RANDOM Function Random number
RATE Function Compute rate, given principal, payment, periods
REPLICATE Command Copy cells, and optionally adjust
ROUND Function Round a number to specified decimals
SAVE Command Save a spreadsheet onto disk
SGN Function Sign of a number
SIN Function Trigonometric sine function
SQR Function Square root
STDEV Function Compute standard deviation of a range
SUM Function Sum a range of numbers
TAN Function Trigonometric tangent
TITLE Command Lock titles horizontally and/or vertically
UTILITY Command Delete and rename files; shell to DOS
WINDOW Command Split the screen into two windows
XTERNAL Command Retrieve data from other files or databases
ZAP Command Clear the spreadsheet area
24
-
ABS
ABS Function
Purpose: Computes the absolute value of a cell or formula, and
returns the value to the current cell or formula.
Format: ABS(-35) Returns 35.
ABS(A1) If A1 = 35, then ABS(A1) = 35.
If A1 = 0, then ABS(A1) = 0.
If A1 = -35, then ABS(A1) = 35.
ABS(A1*2/B5) Resolves formula, then computes absolute
value of the result.
Remarks: ABS(x) can be entered into a cell, causing a negative
number to be converted to a positive number, and used as
the cell value. Or the ABS function can be used in a
formula, and/or may have a formula as its argument.
Example: A spreadsheet compares two months' expenses (In
columns B and C), and prints a third column (D), called
"variance". The variance column is used in some later
computations which require all the numbers to be
positive. In cell D1 we want the difference between B1
and C1, with the sign removed if it is negative. We
enter:
ABS(B1-C1)
The Replicate command can then be used to copy the
formula down the column.
25
-
ARRANGE
ARRANGE Command (/A)
Purpose: Sorts a range of rows or columns into ascending or
descending sequence.
Prompts: After entering /A you are prompted:
Column sort or Row sort?
Respond C to sort cells which run down a column, or
R to sort cells which run across a row. The default is
C, since most sorts are done on a column of names or
numbers. The remaining prompts shown here refer to
Column sorts. Row sorts have similar prompts. Entering
C, the next prompt is:
Column letter to be sorted (or range if partial column)
To sort all the cells in a column, just enter the column
letter, such as G, and press ENTER. To sort only a
partial range in the column, enter the from and to cells
separated by a colon.
The third prompt is:
Ascending or Descending?
To sort the lines in normal (ascending) sequence, type A,
or press ENTER. To sort them in reverse (descending)
sequence, type D. The next prompt is:
Second column letter to be sorted (press ENTER if none)
If only one column is being sorted, press ENTER. If there
is a second column to be sorted, enter its letter and
CALC will ask if it is to be sorted ascending or
descending. The next prompt is:
26
-
ARRANGE
Third column letter to be sorted (press ENTER if none)
Press ENTER if there is no third column. If a letter is
entered, CALC asks if it is to be sorted ascending or
descending. CALC now sorts the specified lines into
sequence, redisplays them, and adjusts formulas.
Remarks: Minimal input is required to do most sorts. For example,
to sort an entire spreadsheet in customer name sequence,
if the names are in column B, type:
/ACB (ENTER) (ENTER) (ENTER)
If there are headings on the spreadsheet, you do not want
them sorted with the detail lines. Enter a range of cells
that excludes the headings:
/AC B5:B80 (ENTER) (ENTER) (ENTER)
The sort precedence used by CALC is as follows:
1. Text spaces
2. Text special characters ($, %, &, etc.)
3. Text lower/upper case letters
(a, A, b, B, c, C, etc.)
4. Text numerals ("0", "1", "2", etc.)
5. Negative values/formulas (-3, -2, -1)
6. Zero values/formulas
7. Positive values/formulas (1, 2, 3)
8. Empty cells
This precedence is not ASCII sequence; it is a popular
collating sequence for reports. But what if your sort
requires precise ASCII sequence? Or you need to ignore
upper/lower case. Or ignore the sign of a number. Or
sort numbers ahead of text. In those cases, the standard
precedence of the /Arrange command can be changed with
configuration options in the .PRO file. See the section
titled Customizing CALC for more information.
27
-
ARRANGE
The precedence for descending sorts is essentially the
same, except text is sorted z, Z, y, Y, x, X, etc., text
numerals are sorted 9, 8, 7, etc. and positive values are
sorted before zero, then negative values.
Note that values and formulas are sorted by their numeric
value, not by their contents. In other words, the number
is sorted, not the formula text. Formatting options are
also not included in the sort. For example, if a value
has a floating dollar sign, the dollar sign is not part
of the sorted data. If text is right-justified in the
cell, leaving spaces on the left, the spaces are not part
of the sort unless they were input as part of the text
string.
If two cells have the same value, the one which comes
first remains first after sorting. Because of this, it is
possible to sort on more than three keys, even though
CALC allows for only a three key sort. Suppose you
want to sort a spreadsheet on five columns: A through E,
with A being the primary key, B the secondary, and so
forth. To accomplish this, start by sorting column E,
then sort column D, then C, then B, and finally A. At any
point in the sort, the sequence of your data may look a
bit strange, but when it is done, it will be in sequence
by columns A, B, C, D, then E. If this is a sort you do
regularly, you may want to set up a Smart Key to
automatically go through all the steps.
/Arrange can also be used to rearrange the columns of a
spreadsheet. On an empty row, put a number in each column
indicating where the column will appear in the new
report. Then sort on that row. The columns will be
rearranged in the new sequence, and formulas will be
adjusted accordingly.
One word of caution: /Arrange can scramble a spreadsheet
into uselessness with just a few wrong keystrokes. It is
advisable to /Save your spreadsheet before experimenting
28
-
ARRANGE
with a new sort.
To exit from /A without sorting, press ESCAPE or
BACKSPACE.
Example: EXAMPLE #1: A list of students and their test scores
has been entered into a spreadsheet. Student names (last
name then first name) are in column A. Scores are in
column B:
A B
1 Smith, John 79
2 Jones, Sally 100
3 Doe, John 55
4 Doaks, Joe 79
To sort the spreadsheet alphabetically by student name,
type /ACA (ENTER) (ENTER) (ENTER). The revised spread-
sheet looks like this:
A B
1 Doaks, Joe 79
2 Doe, John 55
3 Jones, Sally 100
4 Smith, John 79
EXAMPLE #2: Using the same spreadsheet described in
example 1, sort it by test score, with the highest scores
at the top. If two or more students have the same score,
they should appear alphabetically.
Column B is the primary sort column, because we want to
sort by test score first. Column A is the secondary sort
column, because we want to sort any students with the
same test scores alphabetically by name. Type:
/ACB (ENTER) D A (ENTER) (ENTER) (ENTER)
to sort on column B descending then column A ascending.
29
-
ARRANGE
After a pause, during which CALC loads the sort
program and sorts the data, the spreadsheet is displayed:
A B
1 Jones, Sally 100
2 Doaks, Joe 79
3 Smith, John 79
4 Doe, John 55
The students with the highest test scores appear first.
Since Doaks and Smith both have the same score of 79,
they appear alphabetically. If Jones' score had also been
79, she would have appeared alphabetically between Doaks
and Smith.
If the alphabetical sort in example 1 had been done just
prior to this sort, it would not have been necessary to
specify student names as a secondary sort field, since
they would have already been in alphabetic sequence.
30
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ATN
ATN Function
Purpose: Computes the arctangent of a cell or formula (in
radians), and returns the value to the current cell or
formula.
Format: ATN(3) Returns 1.249045772
ATN(A1) If A1 = 3, and cell has 2 decimal
places, returns 1.25
ATN(A1*2/B5) Resolves formula, then computes
arctangent
Remarks: ATN(x) can be entered into a cell, causing the arctangent
of a number to be computed, and used as the cell value.
Or the ATN function can be used in a formula, and/or may
have a formula as its argument.
Example: Set up a simple spreadsheet which allows a tangent value
to be entered, and returns the arctangent in radians and
degrees. Enter the following:
A1: Tangent:
A2: Radians:
A3: Degrees:
B1: 1
B2: ATN(B1)
B3: B2*180/3.14159
When a value is typed into B1, the angle, in radians,
displays in B2. The angle in degrees displays in B3.
31
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AVERAGE
AVERAGE Function
Purpose: Computes the mean average of a range of numbers and
returns the result to the current cell or formula.
Format: AVERAGE(A1:A20) Averages a column of numbers
AVERAGE(A5:E5) Averages a row of numbers
AVERAGE(A1:D20) Averages a block of numbers
Remarks: AVERAGE(m:n) can be entered into a cell, causing the
specified range to be averaged, and used as the cell
value. Or the AVERAGE function can be used in a formula.
The AVERAGE function is actually a combination of two
other functions: SUM and COUNT. AVERAGE(A1:A20) is the
same as:
SUM(A1:A20)/COUNT(A1:A20)
The coordinate range specified in an AVERAGE function
may be down a column, such as AVERAGE(A1:A20), it may
be across a row, such as AVERAGE(A1:E1), or it may
be a block of cells (designated by the upper-left and
lower-right coordinates), such as AVERAGE(A1:D20).
If the specified range of cells contains any empty cells,
they are ignored both in sum and count. If the range
contains any cells with text, ERROR is returned.
Example: Column B has a string of numbers from B7 to B26 which
are to be averaged. The result is to be placed in B27. At
B27 enter:
AVERAGE(B7:B26)
After recalculation, B27 contains the mean average.
32
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BLANK
BLANK Command (/B)
Purpose: Removes the contents from a cell or range of cells,
leaving them blank.
Prompts: After entering /B you are prompted for the cell or cell
range. The default, if ENTER is pressed, is to blank the
current cell (the one where the cell cursor is located).
Remarks: The cell range may be a "block" of cells. For example the
range A1:C2 blanks A1, B1, C1, A2, B2 and C2.
The cell range may be the word ALL, in which case all the
cells in the spreadsheet are blanked.
The cell range may also be the word VALUES, in which case
all the cells which contain values are blanked, but the
cells with text and formulas remain intact.
/B frees the memory the blanked cells are occupying. This
can be useful if you have a large spreadsheet that has
filled available memory.
/B does not clear protected cells. A protected cell is
one which has been marked by the /Format,Protect
command as a cell that cannot be changed. To /Blank
protected cells, they first must be unprotected using the
/Format,Unprotect command. If a range of cells is
/Blanked and some of them are protected, the protected
ones are ignored (left unchanged). This is actually a
handy feature in disguise. By selectively protecting
cells on your spreadsheet, you can do a /Blank,ALL and
have it clear only cells with unprotected data. For an
example of this, see the NOPRINT function example.
/Blank,VALUES clears only unprotected values,
leaving protected values intact.
To exit from /B without blanking any cells, press ESCAPE
33
-
BLANK
or BACKSPACE.
Example: EXAMPLE #1: A number has accidentally been entered into
cell D5, and it needs to be removed. If the cell cursor
is located at D5, enter:
/B (ENTER)
If the cursor is not at D5, enter:
/B D5 (ENTER)
EXAMPLE #2: A spreadsheet is being modified to do a
slightly different application. The last ten rows of the
spreadsheet (rows 25 to 34) are to be deleted. Enter:
/B A25:BL34 (ENTER)
34
-
CONFIGURE
CONFIGURE Command (/C)
Purpose: Configures the CALC display, keyboard and printer. The
width, height, layout, and color of the screen display
can be set, the spreadsheet matrix can be changed, and
the printer can be selected. Configuration changes can
be made temporarily or permanently.
Prompts: Enter /C and you will be prompted:
Video, Layout, Color, Matrix, Keys, Printer, Save
Enter the first letter of the desired option. The next
prompt is one of the following:
Video
Type of Display: Mono, CGA, EGA, VGA or Other.
Press the letter corresponding to the type of display
adapter in your computer. If you choose a display type
other than the one your computer has, the screen may go
blank, or characters may appear fuzzy. If this happens,
press <Ctrl-Alt-Del> to reboot your computer.
Some of the display types allow more than 25 lines on the
screen. In those cases, you are prompted for the number of
display lines.
For users with custom video boards other than those
listed, selecting "Other" tells CALC not to reset the
video display each time it starts. Some custom video
boards come with a utility program that allows the screen
size to be changed to a variety of widths and heights. By
running your custom video utility before starting CALC,
then starting CALC with "Other" video specified, you can
use such special features as 132-column-wide screens.
35
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CONFIGURE
Layout
Select screen layout: DME, DEM, MDE, MED, EDM, EMD.
DME is an abbreviation for: Display/Message/Entry
DEM is an abbreviation for: Display/Entry/Message
MDE is an abbreviation for: Message/Display/Entry
MED is an abbreviation for: Message/Entry/Display
EDM is an abbreviation for: Entry/Display/Message
EMD is an abbreviation for: Entry/Message/Display
CALC comes configured as "DME"; i.e. the spreadsheet
display area is at the top of the screen, the two message
lines come below it, and the entry line is at the bottom.
Several popular spreadsheet programs use this layout, but
others use the "EMD" layout, with the entry line and
message lines at the top. (Note: If you are new to
CALC, it's best to use DME until you become familiar
with it because this manual assumes a setting of DME.)
Color
Border, Display, Message, Entry, Cursor,
Protected, 1Bargraph, 2Bargraph, 3Bargraph, Window
If your computer has a color board and a color monitor,
this option allows you to reset the screen colors. Enter
the first letter of one of the words above, and you are
prompted:
B to advance background color, F to advance foreground
color. When you find the colors you want, press ENTER.
As you press B or F, the colors change on the screen.
Keep pressing the keys until you find the colors you
like. There are eight background colors, and sixteen
foreground colors. Press ENTER, to lock in the color for
the current area, and you are prompted to select another
area. Press BACKSPACE or ESCAPE to exit.
Users with monochrome boards may want to experiment with
this option too. By rotating "colors" on a monochrome
board, inverse video, underlining and brightness can be
changed.
36
-
CONFIGURE
It is possible to make text "disappear" by making the
foreground and background color similar. If you have
missing data after configuring colors, restore from your
master copy of CALC, and start over.
Matrix
Enter the number of columns (1 to 255).
CALC is configured for 64 columns by 256 lines. You
can change the dimensions of the spreadsheet workarea,
within certain limits. First of all, the total number of
cells cannot exceed 16,384. So if you specify 256 columns
wide, there will only be 64 lines in the matrix. On the
other hand, if you specify only ten columns, the number
of lines increase to 1,638.
After you enter the number of columns, CALC prompts
for the number of lines. The maximum number you may
enter has been calculated, and is displayed on the entry
line. If you want the maximum, just press ENTER.
The matrix size is not saved with each spreadsheet. It is
a startup option, which must be specified in a .PRO file,
or must be /Configured each time.
The Matrix option should only be used when the spreadsheet
area is empty. If it is not empty, a warning message is
given. You can either continue, and lose the current
contents of the spreadsheet area, or ESCAPE, save the
spreadsheet, then come back and reconfigure the matrix.
Keys
Which Smart Key to define?
Smart keys allow a sequence of keystrokes to be assigned
to a special key. When the key is pressed, the sequence is
sent to CALC as if it had been typed by the operator.
For example, if smart key 1 is set up as:
/L,EXAMPLE,,/GF
37
-
CONFIGURE
then whenever Alt-1 is pressed (Hold down Alt key and
press the 1 key at the top of the keyboard), the string
is sent to CALC. If CALC is awaiting a command
at the time, it will load the file named EXAMPLE, then
switch to Global Formula mode.
Up to twelve smart keys can be set up on the smart key
screen. They can later be invoked by holding down the ALT
key and pressing one of the keys on the top row of the
keyboard: 1-9, 0, - or =. Additional smart keys can be
defined for other keys, such as the ten Function keys on
the left, using the TRANSLATE x TO yyy option in
the .PRO file. TRANSLATE is discussed in the section
titled "Customizing CALC".
Smart key definitions are not saved with the spreadsheet.
To save them, use the /Configure,Save option and put them
into a .PRO file. If they are in the .PRO file named
CALC.PRO, they are automatically loaded when
CALC is started. If they are in a different .PRO file,
its name must be entered on the command line when
starting CALC. .PRO files are discussed in detail in
the section titled "Customizing CALC".
Most of CALC's prompts can be terminated with a comma,
so long strings of commands can usually be typed into a
smart key without requiring special characters. However,
if a special character such as a carriage return or
backspace must be imbedded in a smart key string, it must
be entered in a special format: square brackets enclosing
the ASCII value; i.e. carriage return is [13] and
backspace is [8]. In an earlier example we used commas to
terminate the fields on /LEXAMPLE,, but to terminate
the fields with carriage returns instead, the smart key
definition is /LEXAMPLE[13][13].
The section titled "Customizing CALC" gives more
information on smart key strings with imbedded special
characters, and it includes a table of special keys and
their equivalent ASCII values.
38
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CONFIGURE
Printer
IBM Graphics, Epson, Proprinter, Okidata, Toshiba,
MPI or Comrex.
This prompt lists a few brands of printers. If your
printer appears in the list, or if it is compatible with
one in the list, enter the first letter of the printer
name, and CALC will be custom configured for it.
CALC works with almost any printer, so don't despair
if yours isn't in the list. Only two things happen when
you configure for a specific printer:
1. the CPI and LPI functions can be used
to change characters per inch within a
spreadsheet; and
2. when using the "setup" command while printing,
you can press a single key to change character
spacing, rather than type the printer control
characters.
Both of these capabilities can be achieved for any
printer by using an only slightly more complex technique.
So no features are really "lost" if your printer is not
in the list; you just need to define your printer codes
in a .PRO file. For more information, see the section
titled Customizing CALC.
Save
Enter the name of the .PRO file. The current system
options will be written to the file.
Enter a file name. If the .PRO extension is left off,
it will be added. All of the Configuration, Global and
Print option settings are saved as they are currently
configured. The various options are written to the .PRO
file as keywords, which you can later change with a text
editor if you want. Press ESCAPE to exit without
saving.
39
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CONFIGURE
If a file named CALC.PRO exists, it is automatically
read when CALC is started. You can specify that a
second .PRO file be loaded after CALC.PRO by typing
the file name on the command line when starting
CALC. For example, if you type CALC BW from DOS,
CALC first loads CALC.PRO (if it exists),
then loads BW.PRO.
Remarks: If you are using CALC on an IBM PC with a standard
80-column color monitor, or on an IBM PC with a
monochrome board and monitor, CALC does not need
to be reconfigured unless you want to change the color or
layout of the screen.
If you have a computer or video monitor which requires
you to type BW or SL on the command line at startup,
you are actually telling CALC to read a profile file
of the name BW.PRO or SL.PRO. To eliminate typing
these codes each time, go to the DOS prompt and type:
RENAME BW.PRO CALC.PRO
and the options will be automatically loaded each time
CALC is started.
The "Slow" screen refresh must be specified on some
brands of computers whose video RAM memory is not
compatible with that of the IBM PC. If you try running
CALC on your computer and it appears to load, but
nothing displays on the screen, try the SL profile,
which uses standard BIOS calls for video display.
Some video boards cause excessive "flicker" on the screen
in "fast" mode. If this flicker is annoying, specifying
SL at startup will eliminate it. However, the trade-off
is slower display of data on the screen.
If the height of your display is less than 25 lines,
perform the "Getting Started" procedure, then enter /C H
followed by the number of lines on your display.
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CONFIGURE
For more details on customizing and personalizing your
version of CALC, see the section titled "Customizing
CALC."
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COS
COS Function
Purpose: Computes the trigonometric cosine of a cell or formula
and returns the value to the current cell or formula.
Format: COS(3.14159) Returns -1
COS(A1) If A1 = 3.14159, returns -1
COS(A1*2/B5) Resolves formula, then computes cosine
Remarks: COS(x) can be entered into a cell, causing the cosine of
a number to be computed, and used as the cell value. Or
the COS function can be used in a formula, and/or may
have a formula as its argument.
Example: Set up a simple spreadsheet which allows a value in
radians to be entered, and returns the cosine:
A1: Radians:
A2: Cosine:
B1: 3.14159
B2: COS(B1)
When a value is typed into B1, the cosine is displayed in
B2. Enter 3.14159 in B1, and -1 is returned in B2. Now
change the spreadsheet so degrees can be entered instead
of radians:
A1: Degrees:
A2: Cosine:
B1: 180
B2: COS(B1*3.14159/180)
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COUNT
COUNT Function
Purpose: Counts the number of non-empty cells in a range of
numbers and returns the resulting count to the current
cell or formula.
Format: COUNT(A1:A20) Counts a column of numbers
COUNT(A1:E1) Counts a row of numbers
COUNT(A1:D20) Counts a block of numbers
Remarks: COUNT(m:n) can be entered into a cell, causing the
specified range to be counted, and the count used as the
cell value. Or the COUNT function can be used in a
formula.
The coordinate range specified in a COUNT function may
be down a column, such as COUNT(A1:A20), it may be
across a row, such as COUNT(A1:E1), or it may be a
block of cells (designated by the upper-left and lower-
right coordinates), such as COUNT(A1:D20).
If the specified range of cells contains any empty cells,
they are ignored by COUNT. If the range contains any
cells with text, ERROR is returned.
Example: Column B has a string of numbers from B7 to B26 which
are to be counted. The result is to be placed in B27.
At B27 enter:
COUNT(B7:B26)
After recalculation, B27 contains the count.
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