The edit bar allows changing the active cell’s content. Applied styles cannot be seen
in the edit bar, only the formula is displayed.
Screen snap: Edit bar.
The "red
light" icon button allows the user to cancel the text input and put
the old value back. Pressing the "Escape" key has the same effect.
The
"green light" icon button allows the user to confirm the modification
in the text filed of the edit bar. Clicking on this button does not make another cell
active. Pressing the "Enter" key has the same effect.
When the edit bar's text field's content does not start with the "=" character, and it does not look like a number; then it is considered as text. If you want a text to start with a "=" character, you have to make it begin with a "'" (apostrophe) character. A text in a cell is left aligned by default and can overlap adjacent cells.
There can be several kind of numerical values. A numerical value in a cell is right aligned by default (except for boolean values which are centred) and cannot overlap adjacent cells.
To enter a simple numerical value (normal kind) in a cell, you just have to input numbers and possibly a sign or/and a decimal point ([+/-]XXXX[.XXX]).
Cell value can be a percentage value if you end the numerical value with an "%" character ([+/-]XXXX[.XXX]%).
Numerical value can also be entered in scientific notation with the mantissa followed by the exponent ([+/-]XXXX[.XXX][E/e][+/-]XXX).
You can directly enter "day of the week" and "month of the year" by entering the first three letters of the word (case and accent insensitive).
Inputs like "true" or "false" (case insensitive) allow to assign boolean values to cells.
To assign a "date" value to a cell, you must use the following formats:
You can use negative number to specify years before J.C. Only valid data will lead to a numerical value, others will lead to a text value.
To assign a "time" value to a cell, you must use the HH:MM[:SS] format. Invalid hours cannot lead to a numerical value.
A formula must always begin with a character '=' (equal). It can return a value, a text or an error, but in all cases, the returned result cannot overlap adjacent cells.
You can use a reference from an other cell as a formula parameter. For example, if you want cell C3 to display the cosine value of an angle in degrees contained in the cell B3, you should insert this formula in cell C3: '=cos(radians(B3))'.
A cell reference can be relative or absolute.
A reference is relative by default. That means in case the formula is moved in another cell, the cell reference will be updated in accordance with the moving. From previous example, if we move cell C3 to E6 (2 columns right, 3 lines down), the formula will become '=cos(radians(D6))'.
When a reference is absolute, the formula is not updated and the referenced cell always remains the same, even in case of a move. To write an absolute cell reference you have to put a character '$' (dollar) before each coordinate. From the previous example, the formula becomes '=cos(radians($B3$3))'.
A reference can be line relative and column absolute, or vice versa. You just have to put a character '$' (dollar) before the absolute coordinate. For example: B$3, $C2...
Some functions (like sum, product, min, max...) allow cells area reference as parameter. This kind of reference must be written in form of 'C1L1:C2L2', 'C1:C2' or 'L1:L2' (with C as a column letter and L as a line number). The character '$' (dollar) allows to keep a coordinate absolute. For example: to get the sum of all the values in the column A, you have to write this formula: '=sum(A:A)'.
You can also make reference sequences from several cells or cells areas separated by the character ';' (semicolon). For example to get the lowest value in the columns B and D you have to write this formula: '=min(B:B;D:D)'.
During the formula editing (when the edit field begin with the character '='), you can click on a cell of the spreadsheet to add this cell reference to the formula. This cell reference will be relative, and a character '+' (plus) may be added for formula consistency.
You can also insert a cell area reference by selecting the area with the mouse. The area coordinates will be updated into the edit field during the mouse selection. To select a set of columns/lines in its entirety you have to click on the column/line headers.
When you add cell references by the way of the mouse, you can get sequences of cell references by keeping the 'ctrl' key pressed.
