Apple iWork '09 - Manual (Page 27)

Chapter 1 Using Formulas in Tables 27
To refer to a range of cells, click a cell in the range and drag up, down, left, or right Â
to select or resize the cell range.
To specify absolute and relative attributes of a cell reference, click the disclosure
Â
triangle of the inserted reference and choose an option from the pop-up menu.
See “Distinguishing Absolute and Relative Cell References” on page 27 for more
information.
In Numbers, the cell reference inserted uses names instead of reference tab notation
unless the “Use header cell names as references” is deselected in the General pane of
Numbers preferences. In Keynote and Pages, the cell reference inserted uses names
instead of reference tab notation if referenced cells have headers.
To type a cell reference, place the insertion point in the Formula Editor or the formula
m
bar (Numbers only), and enter the cell reference using one of the formats listed in
“Referring to Cells in Formulas” on page 24.
When you type a cell reference that includes the name of a header cell (all
applications), table (Numbers only), or sheet (Numbers only), after typing 3 characters
a list of suggestions pops up if the characters you typed match one or more names
in your spreadsheet. You can select from the list or continue typing. To disable name
suggestions in Numbers, choose Numbers > Preferences and deselect “Use header cell
names as references” in the General pane.
Distinguishing Absolute and Relative Cell References
Use absolute and relative forms of a cell reference to indicate the cell to which you
want the reference to point if you copy or move its formula.
If a cell reference is relative (A1): When its formula moves, it stays the same. However,
when the formula is cut or copied and then pasted, the cell reference changes so
that it retains the same position relative to the formula cell. For example, if a formula
containing A1 appears in C4 and you copy the formula and paste it in C5, the cell
reference in C5 becomes A2.
If the row and column components of a cell reference are absolute ($A$1): When
its formula is copied, the cell reference doesn’t change. You use the dollar sign ($) to
designate a row or column component absolute. For example, if a formula containing
$A$1 appears in C4 and you copy the formula and paste it in C5 or in D5, the cell
reference in C5 or D5 remains $A$1.
If the row component of a cell reference is absolute (A$1): The column component is
relative and may change to retain its position relative to the formula cell. For example,
if a formula containing A$1 appears in C4 and you copy the formula and paste it in D5,
the cell reference in D5 becomes B$1.