Re: spreadsheet in org

[Thomas Baumann <dtbaumann@yahoo.de>]

Richard G Riley <rileyrgdev@googlemail.com> writes:

> Here is a straightforward spreadsheet:
>
>
> * Test org-mode spreadsheet for cash books
>
>
> |   | Name             |           Cash |
> |---+------------------+----------------|
> | _ |                  |    cashforward |
> |   |                  |          68000 |
> | _ |                  |       cashtake |
> |   | cash takings     |           2340 |
> | _ |                  |       cashbank |
> |   | moved to bank    |           2000 |
> |---+------------------+----------------|
> | _ |                  |           cash |
> | # | subtotal         |          68340 |
> |---+------------------+----------------|
> |   | emp1             |            315 |
> |   | emp2             |            289 |
> |   |                  |              0 |
> |   |                  |              0 |
> |---+------------------+----------------|
> | _ |                  |          wages |
> | # | total wages      |            604 |
> |---+------------------+----------------|
> | _ |                  | cashafterwages |
> | # | Cash After Wages |          67736 |
> |---+------------------+----------------|
> #+TBLFM: $cash=$cashforward+$cashtake-$cashbank::$cashafterwages=$cash-$wages::$wages=vsum(@10$3..@13$3)
>
> My questions are:

> Can one not actually name a specific cell? Or must the name itself be
> stored above or below the cell?

C-c'
gives you a nice interface to the table formulas, making names
almost obsolete

> The wages field : how to generalise this to allow for rows to be
> added/deleted in the emp1,emp2 block?

$wages = vsum(@-I..@-II)
will do the trick (sum between hlines)
apart from that, if you add rows using M-S-down your formulas will be
adjusted automatically.

> Or is there a totally better way to do this? I didnt see a way for all
> fields to auto calculate when a certain field was changed. One has to
> tab over the "#" in the left hand column. Or?

As the manual says: C-u C-c *
you might also want to look at the Tbl menu


> Oh yes, can one change the enter mode so that the field only edits if
> you press enter first? And then it preselects the previous contents so a
> single key other than cursor keys will wipe the previous contents?
> Currently if I type "5" in the wages field above then, depending where
> the cursor is, I get (for example) 6504.

The interface is already outstandingly smart: Try moving with the TAB
from one field to another or use enter to stay inside the column. You
will notice that the requested features are already present. Maybe, also
try another couple of spreadsheets :-) 

Thomas