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You are here: Create Your Plan>Forecast Financials in Tables>Working with Tables>Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets

You can choose to work with your tables via the Table Wizards, or directly in the Spreadsheet view. You can switch between these means by clicking the tabs at the bottom of the screen. (Show me...)

The Spreadsheet view shows your plan's financial tables as a matrix, with rows across for each item, and columns down for each month and year. Using the spreadsheets is as simple as clicking in a blue cell and typing. Unlike the Wizards, the Spreadsheets also show you the locked portions of the table where totals and other calculations are performed automatically by the software.

Example

A highlight on the row number and column letter of the cell which is currently selected shows you where you are in the table.

  A B C D
1 Personnel Plan      
2   Jan Feb Mar
3 Kevin $2,200 $2,200 $2,200
4 Erika $2,200 $2,200 $2,200
5 Jack $2,600 $2,600 $2,600
6 Other $0 $1,120 $3,472
7 Total People 3 4 5
8        
9 Total Payroll $7,000 $8,120 $10,472

In the example above, the cell C4 is selected. Rows 1 and 2 are headers, rows 3-7 are unlocked for you to enter data, and row 9 contains built-in formulas that are protected.

Locked and unlocked cells

Some cells in the spreadsheet can be typed in, and some cannot - they contain headers, or calculations, or other data which should not change. We refer to these as unlocked and locked cells, respectively. Items you can change are blue, to show they are unlocked, data-entry cells.

NOTE: These colors will not display in your printed plan, unless you use the WYSIWYG table printing option.

Row Labels

Column "A" of each spreadsheet contains row labels. You can rename unlocked row labels by simply clicking on them and typing a new name. Locked row labels, and headers like table names, cannot be renamed by typing, although you can globally change all row labels to Spanish or English in the Plan Setup.

Instructions

Above each table spreadsheet are Instructions specific to that table. Scroll down to see more detail in the Instructions, or click Hide to make more space for working in the spreadsheet. Click Show to re-display the Instructions. You can also use the Full Screen button to hide Instructions, Tasks, and the Outline, to expand your spreadsheet view.

Help for Each Row

Row-by-row definitions offer you detailed explanations of each row as you go, below your table spreadsheet. To see these definitions, open any table spreadsheet. Make sure there is a checkmark next to Row by row definitions on the View menu. Then click in any cell in the table. Row definitions appear below the spreadsheet.

Additional Detail

Showing Gridlines

By default, cells in your table spreadsheets do not show gridlines (borders between cells). The only borders shown indicate headings and subheadings within the table. If you wish to see these gridlines onscreen while you work in the spreadsheets:

These default formats for distinguishing your locked and unlocked cells do not affect how the table looks when printed, unless you use the WYSIWYG printing style.

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