Sams Teach Yourself StarOffice® 5 for Linux in 24 Hours

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Hour 15: Using Formulas, Functions, and Names

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Entering Formulas

A formula cell is any cell in which StarOffice must do some calculation before displaying a numeric or text value.

To place a formula in a StarOffice cell, start your entry in the cell with an equal sign (=). A formula can be simple math, such as the following:


=4*5

The cell that contained this formula displays


20

Of course, that formula doesn't serve much purpose in a spreadsheet because it is much easier to just enter the result. To make a formula useful, another cell is usually referred to, as follows:


=4*C55

The value displayed in the cell containing this formula depends on the value stored in cell C55. Because of the formula, the value of one cell is updated as the value in another cell changes. This is the power of a spreadsheet.

Tip - The four basic math operations--addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division--can be used in any formula. In fact, you'll probably use them regularly as part of your formulas.


An example of a basic formula is to add the values of several cells. Click on cell B11 if it doesn't already have focus. Type the following:


=B6+B7+B8+B9+B10

When you press Enter, StarCalc adds together the four numbers that you entered in your sample spreadsheet and displays the total in cell B11.

Sams Teach Yourself StarOffice® 5 for Linux in 24 Hours

ContentsIndex

Hour 15: Using Formulas, Functions, and Names

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