Works 95 FAQ: Spreadsheet Questions (Part 1)

MORE INFORMATION

1. Q. Why does my new spreadsheet already contain information?
   
   A. When you create a new document, and the document already contains information, it has been saved as a default template. To disable the default template, do the following:
   
   
   1. Create a new Spreadsheet document.
   2. On the File menu, click Save As.
   3. Click Template, and then click Defaults.
   4. Click Clear to remove the specified default template.
   5. Click Cancel to close the dialog box.
   New spreadsheets are now created blank.
2. Q. When I type a person's name in a cell or field, why does Works change it to the name of a month?
   
   A. To increase speed and ease of use, Works is programmed to make some assumptions. Sometimes those assumptions may be incorrect. If you type data that resembles the name of a month into a cell or field, Works assumes that it is the name of a month and modifies the data accordingly. This can happen with some people's names. For example, Works may abbreviate the names April, Marc, and June to Apr, Mar, and Jun. Names like Marc and Jan may be automatically expanded to March and January.
   
   To avoid this problem, either type a quotation mark before the month name, for example, "April, or format the cells as text. With cells formatted as text, Works places a quotation mark in front of all new names that you type.
   
   NOTE: The quotation mark indicates that the data in that cell is to be treated as text. The quotation mark itself does not print, just the text.
3. Q. When I print my spreadsheet, only some cells print, or nothing prints at all. Why?
   
   A. To troubleshoot printing problems in a spreadsheet, check the following areas:
   
   
   • Are columns and rows hidden? If so, they do not print. See the Question 4 in this article for information on how to make hidden columns or rows visible.
     
     
   • Is the print area set correctly? If only a few cells are set as the print area, only those cells print. For more information on setting print area, see Question 5 in this article, "How can I print only part of my spreadsheet?"
     
     
   • Does the document display correctly in print preview?
     
     
   • Are you using the correct printer driver, and is it set up correctly? Can you print correctly from other Windows applications? If not, you will probably not be able to print from Works.
4. Q. How do I make hidden rows and columns visible (unhide) in the Works Spreadsheet?
   
   A. To make the columns and rows visible in Works, use the following five-step procedure:
   
   
   1. On the Edit menu, click Select All.
   2. On the Format menu, click Column Width.
   3. In the Column Width dialog box, either accept the default column width of 10, or enter a number greater than zero. Click OK.NOTE: Choosing Best Fit for the column width setting does not unhide a blank column.
   4. On the Format menu, click Row Height.
   5. In the Row Height dialog box, either accept the default row height of 12, enter another number greater than zero, or choose Best Fit. Click OK.
5. Q. How can I print only part of my spreadsheet?
   
   A. To print only a part of your spreadsheet, do the following:
   
   
   1. Select the area you want to print.
   2. On the Format menu, click Set Print Area.
   3. Click OK.
6. Q. Why am I getting extra blank pages when I print my spreadsheet?
   
   If your spreadsheet prints extra blank pages, you may need to reset your print area. You can define exactly which rows and columns print by selecting the range you want to print, and then clicking Set Print Area on the Format menu. The pages printed match the area you included in your print area.
   
   To reset the print area, click Select All on the Edit menu, then click Set Print Area on the Format menu.
7. Q. How do I import documents from another spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel?
   
   To open a document that is directly supported by Microsoft Works, do the following:
   
   
   1. On the File menu, click Open.
   2. Click the Files Of Type box, and then click the appropriate file type.
   3. Double-click the file you want to open.
   
   
   If you are trying to open a document from a spreadsheet that is not included in the Files Of Type box, you must first convert the document into one of the supported formats using the program that created the document. For more information about this task, consult documentation or product support for that program.
8. Q. How do I export documents for use in another spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel?
   
   You can export documents from Microsoft Works for Windows 95 and for use by several different spreadsheet programs, including Microsoft Excel. To export a document into a format that Works can write data to, do the following:
   
   
   1. Open the document you want to save.
   2. On the File menu, click Save As.
   3. In the Save As Type box, click the type of document you want to save. All supported formats are listed here.
   4. Click Save.
   
   
   If you are trying to save a document for use in another spreadsheet, and that format is not directly available in the Save As Type box, save the file in a format the other spreadsheet program can import. For more information about file formats, see the documentation or contact product support for that spreadsheet program.
9. Q. What spreadsheet formats does Works support?
   
   Works 4.0 and 4.5 for Windows 95 can save and open spreadsheets in the following formats:
   
   
   • Microsoft Excel 4.0 and 5.0
   • Lotus 1-2-3 2.x
   • Microsoft Works for Windows 2.0 and 3.0
   • Microsoft Works for MS-DOS 1.0-3.0
   • Microsoft Works for the Macintosh 3.0
   • Microsoft Excel 7.0
   • Works for the Macintosh 4.0
   • SYLK (Symbolic Link)
   
   
   NOTE: SYLK is an import-only filter.
10. Q. How do I create a running total in the spreadsheet?
    
    In a Microsoft Works spreadsheet, you can use formulas to automatically create and calculate running totals. For example, to produce the running totals in columns C and E of the following spreadsheet

                   A          B         C          D            E
              1   Date    Bells Sold  Total   Whistles Sold   Total
              2  1/2/95       20       20          15          15
              3  1/9/95       10       30           5          20
              4 1/16/95       17       47           7          27
              5 1/23/95       45       92          25          52
    						

    you could use the SUM function as follows:

                A          B         C               D            E
           1   Date    Bells Sold  Total        Whistles Sold   Total
           2                       =SUM($B$2:B2)                =SUM($D$2:D2)
           3                       =SUM($B$2:B3)                =SUM($D$2:D3)
           4                       =SUM($B$2:B4)                =SUM($D$2:D4)
           5                       =SUM($B$2:B5)                =SUM($D$2:D5)
    						

    Once you have entered the SUM function at the top of the column, you can use the Fill Down command to copy the function as far down the column as you need.

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