OpenOffice.org 2, Firefox, and Thunderbird for Windows All in One [Electronic resources]

1.

Request the Function Wizard

Click the cell you want to hold the function and then click the

Function Wizard button on the

Formula bar. Alternatively, choose

Insert, Function from the menu bar. The

Function Wizard dialog box opens to guide you through each step in this process. As with any wizard, you can use the

Next and

Back buttons to move among the steps.

2.

Select a Category

Select the category from which you wish to write a function. For example, if you are wanting to compute the net present value of a series of cash flows, you would first select the

Financial category and scroll down until you reach the

NPV function entry.

3.

Select a Function to Build

When you see the function you wish to use in the

Functions list, double-click to select that function name. Calc displays a list of fields to match every argument that function needs.

For example, if you selected the

NPV function, Calc would display the fields that match the NPV() argument list: rate of return and one or more values representing the cash flow. As you add arguments, Calc displays the current result in the

Function Wizard's

Result area. You can type the arguments into the fields or click the appropriate cells in the worksheet. If you can't see the cell you want to include as an argument, click the

Shrink button for the desired field, click the cell or select the range, and then click the

Maximize button to enter the argument and restore the dialog box. Click

OK when you finish the function.

TIP

In the

Function Wizard, you can type either specific values, cell addresses, or ranges (by name or by their address), or you can click to select cells from the current sheet. Click to scroll the scrollbar if more arguments are needed than will show on the current

Function Wizard dialog box.

4.

Request the Function List

If you don't need the

Function Wizard's help, select

Insert, Function List from the menu to display the

Function List pane at the right of your screen.

5.

Search for a Function

Open the function category list to select the function category you want to choose from. Scroll the list of functions in that category to find the one you want to use. Click any function to see the types of arguments it requires and a description of its purpose at the bottom of the task pane.

TIPS

You can hide the Function List at any time by clicking its

Hide button. Also, you can turn the

Function List pane into a floating toolbar that you can move to any location on your screen by dragging the pane's title bar into the work area.

If the area at the bottom of the

Function list is too small to provide a useful description of the selected function, drag its top edge up for a better view.

If you're working on a complex formula or function and want to see the results of only part of it, select only the arguments whose result you want to see and press press

F9 . The result appears in a ScreenTip which disappears when you continue typing or press

F9 again.

6.

Follow the Function Pattern

If you double-click the function in the

Function List , Calc inserts the function's format in your cell and highlights each argument (such as RATE) while you fill in each argument with a value, cell, or range.

After entering the arguments, press

Enter . Calc then completes the function and displays the results.