Apple AppleWorks 5 : Windows 95/NT 4.0 - Manual (Page 159)

Spreadsheet 7-25
AppleWorks tells you if it can’t evaluate a formula you’ve entered. Error
messages start with the symbol # and end with an exclamation point (!), or
you may see a message on the screen. Check your formula for the correct
placement of parentheses, be sure parentheses are correctly paired, and
check to see that you have entered operators between the cell references. For
more spreadsheet and formula tips, see onscreen Help.
Examples: Entering formulas
These examples show how to use formulas to add numbers.
Example 1: Simple arithmetic
To enter a formula that sums three numbers:
1. Click a cell to make it active.
2. Type =12+3-5 in the entry bar.
3. Click to confirm the entry.
AppleWorks sums the numbers and displays the result, 10, in the cell.
Tip To total the value quickly, select the cells and click on the Default
button bar.
Example 2: Using cell references
To sum three numbers using cell references:
1. Type 75 , 150 , and 725 as shown here.
2. Click cell B3, type an equal sign (=) in the entry bar, and then click cells A1,
A2, and C1.
AppleWorks inserts the addition operator (+) between each cell reference.
Your spreadsheet should look like this:
Error messages
Entry bar Formula
Operators
The formula’s result goes
in the selected cell
Address of the
selected cell