Apple Pages 2 - Manual (Page 183)

Chapter 8 Creating Tables 183
Using Formulas
A formula is a set of operations for deriving a value. You can add a formula to a table
cell to display a value derived using values in other table cells.
For example, you can add a formula to the bottom cell of a column that adds the
numbers in all the other cells in the column. If any of the column values change, the
total in the bottom cell changes automatically.
Formulas derive values by using operators or functions.
 Operators perform operations such as addition (+) and multiplication (*).
 Functions are predefined, named operations, such as SUM and AVERAGE.
You don’t need to understand more than this to use formulas in tables. Pages
templates (such as the Expense Report and Invoice templates) and Pages formula
editing tools make basic formulas easy to use. “Operators and Functions for Advanced
Table Formula Users” on page 193 provides information for working with more
advanced formulas.
A Tour of Using Formulas
Reviewing the formulas built into the Invoice template is a good introduction to Pages
formulas.
1 Create a new Pages document using the Invoice template.
Open Pages, choose File > New, click Stationery, select Invoice, and click Choose.
The table in this template uses formulas to derive the values in the Cost column.
A formula in each cell in
the Cost column
automatically updates
totals when quantity or
unit price changes.