<sect1 id="sect-quick-start-top">
  <title>Working with Gnumeric</title>

  <para>
    Using a spreadsheet generally involves several steps. First the
    application is started to obtain an empty workbook, which
    generally has several empty worksheets. Next, data and formulas
    are entered into one or several sheets. The data may be entered by
    hand or imported from external files. The formulas are generally
    entered by hand, possibly with the help of various tools. The data
    may be formatted to appear in particular ways and to clarify the
    structure of the data in the worksheet. A user may also create
    several graphical plots. Certain parts of the spreadsheets may be
    printed out as tables. The work is then usually saved into a file
    which can be re-opened later to add or modify the contents of the
    workbook.
  </para>

  <note>
    <para>
      The terminology can be confusing. A spreadsheet file contains a
      workbook and possibly some other information about the
      file. (Because the workbook is far more important than the extra
      information, the files themselves are often called workbooks.) A
      workbook contains one or more worksheets. Each worksheet
      contains a large number of cells usually arranged into a two
      dimensional grid made up of columns and rows. 
      We introduce the names of the parts of 
      &gnum; below in 
      <xref linkend="quick-parts-of-gnumeric" /> and explain the parts 
      further in <xref linkend="chapter-gui-elements"/>.
    </para>
  </note>

</sect1>








<sect1 id="sect-quick-starting-gnumeric">
  <title>Starting Gnumeric the First Time</title>

  <para>
    &gnum; can be started in several ways
    on every computer operating system and desktop environment. Each
    of the approaches described below are equivalent; they result in a
    gnumeric window appearing on your monitor as shown in <xref
    linkend="fig-gnumeric-first-start" />
  </para>

  <figure id="fig-gnumeric-first-start">
    <title>The Gnumeric spreadsheet when first opened.</title>
    <screenshot>
      <mediaobject>
        <imageobject>
          <imagedata fileref="figures/gnumeric-empty.png" 
              format="PNG"/>
        </imageobject>
        <textobject>
          <para>
            This screenshot depicts Gnumeric when first opened.
          </para>
        </textobject>
      </mediaobject>
    </screenshot>
  </figure>

  <note>
    <title>Starting is the hardest step</title>
    <para>
      Starting &gnum; the first time is the most difficult
      step. Unfortunately, this is also the step which we cannot
      effectively explain in this manual. &gnum; can be installed
      many different ways so no generic instructions can possibly
      suffice. The pointers below will hopefully help you get past this
      first step.
    </para>
  </note>

  <note>
    <para>
      We assume that the &gnum; program is
      already installed program on your machine.
      Installing &gnum; depends
      on the particular operating system and distribution used on your
      machine and is therefore beyond the scope of this manual. If
      &gnum; is not already installed on your
      machine, read the manuals that came with your distribution or
      look at your distribution vendor's web site.
<!-- TODO: ref- add a link to the installation section. -->
    </para>
  </note>

  <sect2 id="sect-quick-starting-gnumeric-gnome">
    <title>Starting Gnumeric from the GNOME desktop</title>

    <para>
      If you are a GNOME user, you should have a `panel' somewhere on
      your desktop. This panel contains icons, and at least two menus.
      One of these menus is called <guimenu>Applications</guimenu> and
      has an icon which looks like the outline of a foot. If you click
      on this menu name, a menu will appear. Drag the cursor down to
      the <guisubmenu>Office</guisubmenu> sub-menu name, and a sub-menu
      will appear. Drag the cursor into the sub-menu and then release
      the mouse button when the cursor is on the entry which reads
      "Gnumeric Spreadsheet." This will start the program and the main
      window of &gnum; will appear as
      shown in <xref linkend="fig-gnumeric-first-start" />.
    </para>
  </sect2>

  <sect2 id="sect-quick-starting-gnumeric-unixdesktop">
    <title>Starting Gnumeric from another *NIX desktop</title>

    <para>
      If you run a UNIX-like operating system (called *NIX in this
      manual) such as GNU/Linux, GNU on some other kernel, or a
      commercial UNIX (TM) system, or if you use a commercially
      distributed version of GNOME, of the KDE (K Desktop
      Environment), or of a similar desktop system, you will have to
      find a way to launch &gnum;
      yourself. Hunt around the menus until you find something named
      "Gnumeric", possibly with the
      <inlinemediaobject>
        <imageobject>
          <imagedata fileref="figures/gnumeric-icon-24.png" 
              format="PNG" />
        </imageobject>
        <textobject>
          <para>
            This image depicts the menu icon of Gnumeric.
          </para>
        </textobject>
      </inlinemediaobject>
      icon and then click on that menu entry.
    </para>
    <warning>
      <para>
        On UNIX-like operating systems, &gnum; 
        requires the X window system to run.
      </para>
    </warning>
  </sect2>

  <sect2 id="sect-quick-starting-gnumeric-unixshell">
    <title>Starting Gnumeric from a *NIX terminal</title>

    <para>
      You can also start &gnum; from the
      command line in an <application>xterm</application> window or
      equivalent terminal emulator. Open a terminal, and, at the shell
      prompt type:
      <screen>
gnumeric &amp;
      </screen>
      which will start the program and send it into the background.
    </para>
    <warning>
      <para>
        You must be running the X window system to run
        &gnum;.
      </para>
    </warning>
  </sect2>

  <sect2 id="sect-quick-starting-gnumeric-doze">
    <title>Starting Gnumeric from a Microsoft desktop</title>

    <para>
      &gnum;, starting with the 1.4 series, can be run as a native
      application on the Microsoft Windows operating systems. On those
      operating systems, The <guilabel>Start</guilabel> menu should
      contain an entry which will launch &gnum;. The actual location
      of the menu item depends on the choices made during
      installation. 
    </para>

    <sect3 id="sect-quick-starting-gnumeric-dozePrompt">
      <title>Starting Gnumeric from a Microsoft command prompt</title>

      <para>
        You can also start &gnum; from a
        shell window by finding the directory with the program itself
        which will be called <filename>gnumeric.exe</filename>. You
        can either move to that directory and type:
        <screen>
gnumeric
        </screen>
        or you can type the whole name of the path and file, which
        will be something like:
        <screen>
c:\Program Files\Gnome-Office\gnumeric
        </screen>
        either of which should start the program.
      </para>
    </sect3>

  </sect2>

  <sect2 id="quick-start-by-file">
    <title>Starting from a Spreadsheet file</title>

    <para>
      &gnum; can also be opened using a
      spreadsheet file directly. If there is a spreadsheet file on the
      desktop or in a file manager like
      <application>Nautilus</application>, it may be possible to click
      or double-click with the mouse pointer on the file and have
      &gnum; open the file
      automatically. Alternatively, you may be able to right click on
      the file and get a pop-up menu that will allow you to select
      &gnum; as the application to use to
      open the file.
    </para>
  </sect2>
    
  <sect2 id="quick-start-other">
    <title>Other sources of help</title>

    <para>
      If you are still stuck, ask a friend or someone who knows your
      machine. Unfortunately, getting started is often the hardest
      part of learning to use a new program but it is also the one
      place a manual such as this one cannot really help.
    </para>

  </sect2>

</sect1>


<sect1 id="quick-parts-of-gnumeric">
  <title>The Parts of Gnumeric</title>

  <para>
    After opening, &gnum; appears as was
    shown in <xref linkend="fig-gnumeric-first-start" /> but is shown
    below with the major components labeled. The open
    application contains a menubar at the top, two toolbars below the
    menu bar, and below these, on the left, the object toolbar, and,
    on the right, the data entry area above the cell grid area which
    itself is above the list of worksheets and the information
    area.
  </para>

  <figure id="fig-quick-parts-gnumeric-labelled">
    <title>The parts of Gnumeric</title>
    <mediaobject>
      <imageobject>
	<imagedata fileref="figures/gnumeric-labelled.png" format="PNG" />
      </imageobject>
    </mediaobject>
  </figure>

  <para>
    The part names are listed below along with a reference to
    the section that discusses that element. If you are reading this document
    on a computers, you may be able to click on the references to jump to
    that section of the manual.
  </para>
  
  <variablelist>
    <varlistentry>
      <term>
        <emphasis role="bold">1</emphasis>
	  The menubar
      </term>
      <listitem>
	<para>The menubar provides access to the core
	  functions of GNOME. Almost everything that you can
	  do in &gnum;
	  you can do through the menus. We discuss the menus and
	  menubar in <xref linkend="sect-gui-menus" />. </para>
      </listitem>
    </varlistentry>

    <varlistentry>
      <term>
        <emphasis role="bold">2</emphasis>
	  The standard toolbar
      </term>
      <listitem>
	<para>
	  The standard toolbar provides shortcuts for the most used
	  items in the menus. We discuss the toolbars in <xref
	  linkend="sect-gui-toolbars" /> and this toolbar in particular in
	  <xref linkend="std-toolbar" />.
	</para>
      </listitem>
    </varlistentry>

    <varlistentry>
      <term>
        <emphasis role="bold">3</emphasis>
	    The format toolbar
      </term>
      <listitem>
	<para>
	  The format toolbar changes the display properties of data in
	  the workbook. We present it in <xref linkend="fmt-toolbar"
	  />, part of the general discussion of toolbars of <xref
	  linkend="sect-gui-toolbars" />.
        </para>
      </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
   
    <varlistentry>
      <term>
        <emphasis role="bold">4</emphasis>
	  The object toolbar
      </term>
      <listitem>
	<para>This toolbar enables you to draw graphic elements
	on the sheet, such as text labels, big red circles or thin
	green arrows. You can use these to bring attention to a
	particular part of a worksheet. We explain the object toolbar in
	<xref linkend="obj-toolbar" /> in the <xref
	linkend="sect-gui-toolbars" /> portion of this manual.</para>
      </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
    
    <varlistentry>
      <term>
        <emphasis role="bold">5</emphasis>
	    The data entry area
      </term>
      <listitem>
	<para>The data entry area is useful for the
	  modification of complex formulas. We discuss it in
	  <xref linkend="data-entry" />. </para>
      </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
      
    <varlistentry>
      <term>
        <emphasis role="bold">6</emphasis>
	  The cell grid area
      </term>
      <listitem>
	<para>The cell area lies in the middle of all the rest. The
	cell area includes the row and column labels, the scrollbars
	and the tabs below. We explain the use of these elements in
	<xref linkend="cell-grid" />.</para>
      </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
    
    <varlistentry>
      <term>
        <emphasis role="bold">7</emphasis>
	  The information area
      </term>
      <listitem>
	<para>This area is used by
	  &gnum; to give you
	  feedback on the status of certain
	  operations. We explain this information in
	  <xref linkend="info-area" />. </para>
      </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
    
  </variablelist>

  <para>
    For a detailed explanation of each of these elements, see
    <xref linkend="sect-gui-overview" />.
  </para>

  <para>
    By default, &gnum; opens a workbook
    with three worksheets and a file name of
    <filename>Book1.gnumeric</filename>.
  </para>

</sect1>






<sect1 id="quick-commands">
  <title>Using Commands</title>

  <para>
    You can access the commands provided by
    &gnum; using several methods.
    These methods are explained here. The most important commands are
    explained in the rest of this chapter. We explain all of the commands 
    in later chapters of this manual.
  </para>

  <sect2 id="quick-commands-menu">
    <title>Using Menu Commands</title>
    <para>
      The menus provide the simplest way for you to get to all of the commands
      provided by &gnum;. These menus
      work like those in any GNOME application: you click on the menu to
      open it, you drag the mouse cursor onto the menu and then release the
      mouse button (or click again) while the cursor is above a menu entry 
      to execute that command. For further information, see <xref
      linkend="sect-gui-menus"/>.
    </para>
  </sect2>

  <sect2 id="quick-commands-toolbar">
    <title>Using Toolbar Button Commands</title>
    <para>
      The buttons on the toolbars are quite simple to use. You simply
      place the mouse cursor above one of the buttons and press
      the left mouse button to perform the command and it will either
      execute immediately or open a dialog window to obtain further
      information first. For further information on the toolbar button
      commands, see <xref linkend="sect-gui-toolbars"/>.
    </para>
  </sect2>

  <sect2 id="quick-commands-context">
    <title>Using Context Menu Commands</title>
    <para>
      In many situations, &gnum; provides
      a menu right under the mouse cursor if the right hand mouse
      button is clicked. This menu contains different entries
      depending on where the mouse cursor is when you click the right
      hand mouse button. For further information, see <xref
      linkend="context-menu"/>.
    </para>
  </sect2>

  <sect2 id="quick-commands-keyboard">
    <title>Using Keyboard Shortcut Commands</title>
    <para>
      You can trigger certain common commands by using a combination of
      keys. The menu entries are often followed by a combination of
      keys which you can use to trigger that command. For instance,
      to save the file which you are currently using, you can 
      jointly type the control key and the s key
      (i.e. <keycombo><keysym>Ctrl</keysym><keysym>S</keysym></keycombo>).
      For further information, see <xref linkend="keybinding"/>.
    </para>
  </sect2>

</sect1>





<sect1 id="quick-data">
  <title>Data in Gnumeric</title>

  <para>
    The main purpose of spreadsheets like
    &gnum; is to collect information in a
    coherent manner, perform calculations on the information and then
    be able to update those calculations easily if the original
    numbers change. The use of a spreadsheet therefore requires a
    substantial understanding of the types of information which can be
    entered into the spreadsheet and the methods which can be used to
    manipulate that information. This section explains how you can use
    data in &gnum;.
  </para>

    <sect2 id="quick-data-datatypes">
    <title>The Types of Data in a Spreadsheet</title>

    <para>
      Spreadsheets like &gnum; treat
      information by separating the data into separate cells and
      considering the data in each cell to be separate elements. Each
      cell in the spreadsheet has both a value, which is what
      &gnum; manipulates, and a
      representation, which is what is actually shown. Understanding
      this distinction is complicated and make take some time if you are new
      to spreadsheets.
      time. This distinction between value and representation is one of the
      reasons spreadsheets are so useful.
    </para>

    <para>
      The cells of the spreadsheet are contained in the cell grid
      area. The cell grid area is the area with a white background and
      grey grid lines. The grid lines separate this area into separate
      cells. Each cell has a unique reference name which is the
      combination of the letters of the name of the column and the
      number of the row. For instance, the top, leftmost cell is the
      cell named "A1" and the cell two over to the right and four rows
      down is named "C4" because it is in the column labelled "C" and
      in the fourth row. Each of these cells can contain only one
      single datum.
    </para>

    <para>
      The datum contained in any cell will have one of five types: a
      text string type, a number type, a formula type, a boolean type
      or an error type. These five types of data values can then have
      various display formats so that, for instance, a number value
      can be displayed as a number, a monetary amount, a date or a
      time. Text strings are sequences of characters and punctuation
      marks and could, for example, contain textual information such
      as people's names. Number values are simply numbers but may be
      input and displayed in various formats including decimal
      numbers, dates, times, and numbers in scientific
      notation. Formulas are instructions to
      &gnum; to calculate a result. The
      power of spreadsheets comes from these formulas because the
      results of the calculation can depend on the contents of other
      cells. Boolean values are either TRUE or FALSE and can be used
      in logical statements. Error values are usually the result of
      mistakes or impossible calculations.
    </para>

    <para>
      For more advanced information on the types of data usable in
      &gnum;, see <xref
      linkend="sect-data-types"/>.
    </para>

  </sect2>

  <sect2 id="quick-data-input">
    <title>Putting Data into the Spreadsheet</title>

    <para>
      In order to enter data into the spreadsheet, you must first
      select a cell in which to place the information and then
      actually type the information on the keyboard. Once you have
      entered the information, &gnum;
      attempts to figure out both the appropriate data value type to
      assign to the cell and the appropriate data format in which to
      display this data value. Because this process is quite complex,
      you may occasionally need to actively select these
      parameters of the cells, which we explain in <xref
      linkend="quick-format" /> below. The next two sections explain
      how to get data into a cell, first by moving the selection box
      to a desired cell and then by typing the data.
    </para>

    <sect3 id="quick-data-input-moveselection">
      <title>Moving the selection box</title>
      <para>
        In order to enter data into
        &gnum; you must place the selection box
        over the appropriate cell. The selection box appears on
        the cell grid as a double lined rectangle with a small grey
        square in the lower right corner of the box. By default the
        selection box surrounds the top, leftmost cell in the cell
        grid area.
      </para>

      <para>
        The simplest way to move the selection box is to use the
        mouse. If the mouse cursor is placed over the cell "C3" (the
        cursor will be represented as a thick white cross) and the
        left mouse button then clicked, the selection box will move to
        cell "C3". Note that the selection box can cover more than one
        cell if the mouse is dragged while being clicked. The use of
        these larger selections is explained below in <xref
        linkend="quick-complex-select" />.
      </para>

      <tip>
        <para>
          The selection box also causes the header of the column and
          row to change slightly. The headers will turn a darker shade
          of gray and the font of the letters and numbers turn
          bold. This helps indicate what is currently being selected.
        </para>
      </tip>

      <para>
        You can also move the selection box with the keyboard arrow
        keys. For instance, typing the right arrow twice and the down
        arrow once will move the selection box from the cell "C3" to
        the cell "E4".
      </para>

      <para>
        The selection box can be moved in other ways and will move in
        response to certain actions. These movements become intuitive
        after using &gnum; for a little
        while.
      </para>
    </sect3>

    <sect3 id="quick-data-input-input">
      <title>Data input</title>

      <para>
        In order to enter data into a selected cell, you can simply
        start typing. The characters will then become part of the
        spreadsheet when you change the selection either by typing the
        <keycap>Enter</keycap> key, which moves the selection down one
        cell, by typing the <keycap>Tab</keycap> key, which moves the
        selection one cell to the right, or by selecting any other
        cell with the mouse.
      </para>

      <para>
        For example, you could use the mouse to select the cell four
        columns over (Column D) and three rows down (Row 3). Then you
        could type "Hello, this is a line of text." and then type
        the <keycap>Enter</keycap> key. The text would then appear in
        cell "D3" and, if the cells to the right are empty, would span
        into those cells so that the whole entry is visible. The
        selection box moves when you type the <keycap>Enter</keycap> 
        and will therefore appear afterwards in cell "D4", ready
        for the input of more data.
      </para>

      <note>
        <para>
          Note that as the data text is entered it appears in both the
          cell and in the data entry area (the area below the toolbars
          to the right of the equals (=) sign).
        </para>
      </note>

      <para>
        You can correct mistakes you make during data entry by
        using the <keycap>Backspace</keycap> key or the
        <keycap>Delete</keycap> key. Finer control can be obtained if
        the cursor is moved to the text entry area by clicking in the
        box to the right of the equals (=) sign with the
        mouse. Editing in the text entry area enables the arrow keys
        to navigate backwards and forwards within the text being
        entered and also enables the mouse to be used to move the
        cursor.
      </para>

      <para>
        You can simply change the contents of a cell by selecting the
        cell again and either type the new contents or edit the
        existing contents of the cells.
      </para>

      <note>
        <para>
          If the content of the cell is too large for the size of the
          cell, the entry may span over the edge of the cell into the
          empty cells to the right. If the cell is a number, the cell
          grid area may display hash marks (######) to indicate the
          cell has content which is too large to display in the given
          cell width.
        </para>
      </note>

    </sect3>

    <sect3 id="quick-data-input-recognition">
      <title>Automatic data recognition</title>

      <para>
        As you enter data into the spreadsheet,
        &gnum; interprets the information
        in order, first, to assign it to a data category and, second,
        to give it an appropriate data display format. The entry will
        be assigned to one of the basic data types and possibly to a
        sub-type. Entries which start with an apostrophe (') are
        considered to be text no matter what the rest of the
        contents. Entries which start with an equals sign (=) are
        automatically considered to be a formula. Entries which are
        single numbers or which fall into commonly used patterns for
        dates or times will be considered to be numbers.
      </para>

      <para>
        &gnum; usually figures out
        correctly both the type and the appropriate display format for
        the data being entered. Occasionally, you will have to
        force &gnum; to consider the data
        to be a different data type than
        &gnum; would guess by
        default. We explain the details of this process in greater
        detail in the extended chapter on data, <xref
        linkend="chapter-data" />.
      </para>

    </sect3>

    <sect3 id="quick-data-input-text">
      <title>Entering text</title>

      <para>
        To enter text, you simply select the appropriate cell,
        type the text and then the <keycap>Enter</keycap> key. If the
        text is too large to fit in its own cell, and the cell to its
        right is empty, the text will span into the cell on the
        right. By default, &gnum; uses a
        display format for text in which the contents are shown left
        justified.
      </para>

      <para>
        For more information about text elements, see <xref
        linkend="sect-data-text"/>.
      </para>

    </sect3>

    <sect3 id="quick-data-input-numbers">
      <title>Entering numbers</title>

      <para>
        To enter numbers, select the appropriate cell,
        type in a number and then the <keycap>Enter</keycap>
        key. &gnum; recognizes several
        types of information to be numbers.
      </para>

      <para>
        The simplest kind of input which
        &gnum; recognizes as numbers are
        standard numeric values. Technically, these are contiguous
        sequences of digits which may have a separator symbol between
        the thousands and another symbol indicating the decimal
        separator. These symbols follow the English convention by
        default (comma as thousand separator, period as decimal
        symbol) but will adopt the symbols appropriate for a different
        locality if &gnum; is launched in
        a particular way. For instance, in a French setting the period
        is the thousand separator symbol and the comma the decimal
        separator symbol.
<!-- TODO: add xref to localization --> 
        By default, &gnum; will display
        these numeric values lined up against the right side of the
        cell.
      </para>

      <para>
        Several other types of input are recognized as numeric values
        which means that calculations can be performed on the values
        in the cells.
      </para>

      <itemizedlist mark='circle'>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Dates in the standard format of the locale are recognized
            as numbers. By default, when you 11/21/1970 it will be
            recognized as the twenty-first of November of the year
            nineteen seventy. &gnum;
            stores the value as the number of days since the first day
            of January in 1900.
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Time values, such as 10:34 or 11:23:45 PM, are recognized
            as number values. These values are stored in
            &gnum; as fractions of the
            whole day. 
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            You can input percentage values simply by appending the
            percent symbol (%) to the value.
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Fractions can be input and are recognized as values.
<!-- TODO: add example of a fraction. -->
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            You can also input numeric values using scientific notation. For
            instance, 1.003e+6 will be recognized as the value one
            million three thousand.
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </itemizedlist>

      <para>
        For more information on numbers, see <xref
        linkend="sect-data-numbers" />.
      </para>

    </sect3>

    <sect3 id="quick-data-input-boolean">
      <title>Entering a Boolean</title>
      <para>
        To enter a boolean values, select the appropriate
        cell, type in either "TRUE" or "FALSE" and then the
        <keycap>Enter</keycap> key.
      </para>
    </sect3>

    <sect3 id="quick-data-input-formula">
      <title>Entering a formula</title>

      <para>
        To enter a formula, select a cell and type in the
        equals sign (=) and then a valid formula. If
        &gnum; cannot understand the
        formula which is entered, it will open a dialog box which may
        have an explanation and gives you a chance either to
        re-edit the expression or to accept the entry as a text entry
        instead of a formula. The second choice makes it easy to
        re-edit the entry into a valid formula simply by fixing the
        formula and removing the leading apostrophe (') before the
        equals sign.
      </para>

      <para>
        Formulas can be quite complex since the power of spreadsheets
        comes from these formulas. A simple example of the use of a
        formula is as follows: first, select cell B2 and input the
        value "3" into that cell. Second, select cell D4 and input
        (without the quotes) "=B2+2" and then type the
        <keycap>Enter</keycap> key. Cell D4 should display the value
        "5". If the value of cell B2 is changed from "3" to "100",
        &gnum; will automatically update
        the value of cell D4 to "102".
      </para>

      <para>
        A valid formula can be a simple arithmetic equation such as 
        <screen>
=3+4-1
        </screen>
        which uses a formula to make the cell equal to the value
        6.
      </para>

      <para>
        Formulas may include calls to functions. These are statements
        which indicate that more complex operations should be
        performed. For instance, a formula could be "=EXP(24)" which
        would give the value of e (the base of the natural logarithm)
        raised to the 24th power. The cell would then display
        "2.6489e+10".
      </para>

      <para>
        As was shown in the example above, formulas may contain
        `references' to the contents of another cell. In the example
        given above, the contents of the cell in the second column and
        the second row was used in a calculation by using the cell
        name "B2". These references mean that complex calculations can
        be automatically updated when one of the original values
        change. 
      </para>

      <para>
        You can make references to the cells in other worksheets and
        even to those in other workbooks (files). The basic format of
        a complete reference is made of the name of the file the
        reference is in, enclosed by square brackets, followed by the
        name of the sheet, followed by an exclamation point, followed
        by the letter(s) of the column name, followed by the number of the
        row. For example, a complete reference could be
        "[my_file.gnumeric]"Sheet3"!C3". These complete references can
        be shortened if the filename or sheet names are the same as
        that of the reference. "AE34" would refer to the cell in the
        current file, in the current worksheet which is in column "AE"
        and in row "34".
      </para>

      <para>
        References can refer to a range of contiguous range of
        cells. For instance, the reference "A1:E5" refers to all the
        cells from the top-left most cell of the current sheet to the
        cell five rows down and five rows over. This can be useful in
        a formula which uses a function such as MAX(). The formula
        "=MAX(A1:E5)" would display the value of the largest number
        value in this range of cells.
      </para>

      <para>
        For more information on references see the complete discussion
        in <xref linkend="sect-data-formulas-references" /> later on in this
        manual.
      </para>


      <para>
         For a more discussion of the use of formulas see <xref
         linkend="sect-data-formulas" /> later in this manual. For a
         list of the functions available, see the function reference
         appendix, <xref linkend="function-reference" />, or click on
         the toolbar button with the symbol "f(x)" on it for an
         organized list of functions.
      </para>

    </sect3>

    <sect3 id="quick-data-input-error">
      <title>Entering an error value</title>

      <para>
        Error values are almost never entered into the spreadsheet
        directly but generally arise when formulas cannot calculate
        valid results. The only error value occasionally entered is
        "#N/A". It can be either typed in directly or created via "=na()".
      </para>

    </sect3>

  </sect2>
</sect1>


<sect1 id="quick-format">
  <title>Cell Formats</title>

  <para>
    The data in &gnum; are stored in the
    cells of the spreadsheet, each of which has a cell format which
    dictates how the data will be displayed, whether the cell will
    have borders and other information. Cell formatting can be quite
    confusing at first because it combines simple changes, such as the
    colour of the characters being displayed, with more complex ideas,
    such as how future changes to the cell will be interpreted.
  </para>

  <para>
    All of the cell formatting commands can be reached through a
    context menu by right clicking on a cell and selecting the
    <guilabel>Format Cells...</guilabel> menu entry. This will open a
    dialog window with tabs which group together similar types of
    formatting. Clicking on the <guilabel>Font</guilabel> tab allows
    you to change the font family, style, size and colour. For
    instance, if the cell B2 contained the text "Hello, this is my
    first spreadsheet" then you can make this text bigger by
    selecting a larger font size.
  </para>

  <sect2 id="quick-format-simple">
    <title>Simple Cell Formatting</title>

    <para>
      Simple changes to the format of a cell include changing the
      alignment of the characters, changing the font type or colour,
      changing the border, and changing the colour or pattern of the
      background.
    </para>

    <para>
      The <guilabel>Alignment</guilabel>, <guilabel>Font</guilabel>,
      <guilabel>Border</guilabel>, and <guilabel>Background</guilabel>
      tabs are simple to understand simply by playing around with the
      settings and looking at the effect on a cell which contains
      text.
    </para>

    <para>
      The <guilabel>Protection</guilabel> and
      <guilabel>Validation</guilabel> tabs are advanced functionality
      which you can ignore at the beginning. For explanations of these
      tabs, see the advanced description in <xref
      linkend="sect-data-format-validation" />.
      </para>

  </sect2>

  <sect2 id="sect-quick-format-number">
    <title>Formatting the Display and Entry Data Types</title>

    <para>
      Cell formats are most difficult to understand when they address
      the type of data stored and the visual display of that
      data. This only arises with the options selected in the
      <guilabel>Number</guilabel> tab of the <guilabel>Format
      Cells</guilabel> dialog. While these ideas are complex, 
      you need to understand them early on as they are fundamental
      to spreadsheet use.
    </para>

    <para>
      When you enter data into &gnum;,
      the spreadsheet interprets the entry based on the input format
      of the cell. The default format of empty cells is the
      <guilabel>General</guilabel> format which instructs
      &gnum; to guess both the type of
      the data being entered and a suitable display format for that
      data type. However, you can change the <guilabel>General</guilabel>
      format to a specific format in order to alter both the way
      &gnum; interprets any future data
      input to the cell and the way data in the cell are displayed.
    </para>

    <note>
      <para>
        Changing the format does not alter the data type of data
        already in a cell but does alter the display format of that
        data. This means that the input format will only affect future
        input whereas the display format will affect both the data
        currently in the cell and any data placed later into the cell.
      </para>
    </note>

    <para>
      For example, if you enter "12/25/2000" (without the quotes),
      &gnum; guesses that this is a date
      and stores the value 36885. (The value
      &gnum; uses for dates is the number
      of days since the last day of 1899.
      <footnote>
	<para>
        &gnum; actually perpetuates an error of
        <application>Excel</application> for the sake of compatibility
        and assumes 1900 to be a leap year even though it was not.
	</para>
      </footnote>
      At the same time, &gnum; changes the
      display format to display this number as a date, with a numeric
      month, day and year, separated by slashes.
    </para>

    <important>
      <para>
        The order in which the formatting operations occur is
        critical. It is not possible to alter the type of a datum
        currently in a cell by formatting. To alter the interpretation
        of the data type in a cell, formatting must occur
        <emphasis>prior</emphasis> to the entry of the data.
      </para>
    </important>

    <para>
      It sometimes becomes necessary to override the "General" type if
      &gnum; is making an incorrect
      assessment of the data being entered. Postal Zip Codes in the
      United States, for instance, are incorrectly interpreted to be
      numbers. Some of these Zip Codes start with a leading zero which
      the "General" format type drops so the user must
      intervene to keep that zero displayed. In order to input these
      Zip Codes, the following steps must be performed. First, the
      cell must be selected. Next, the cell must be formatted to hold
      a "Text" value. This formatting changes both the interpretation
      of any future data entry into this cell and alters the display
      formatting of the cell. Finally, the Zip Code can be
      entered. Following these steps, the data value will be
      considered to be a "Text" value, any leading zeros will be
      retained and the data will be left justified since this is the
      default display format for "Text" values.
    </para>

    <tip>
      <para>
        If you need to alter the data type of a whole column prior
        to data entry, you can do this in one formatting
        operation. First you select the whole column by clicking
        on the column header (the letters at the top). Next, you can format
        the selected cells at once by clicking the right
        mouse button to obtain the context menu or by selecting the
        <guimenu>Format</guimenu> menu and the
        <guimenuitem>Cells...</guimenuitem> menu entry. This quick
        approach to pre-formatting cells can also be done for any
        group of selected cells.
      </para>
    </tip>

  </sect2>

</sect1>


<sect1 id="quick-complex-select">
    <title>Complex Cell Selections</title>
  
    <para>
      Selections can be more complex than a single cell at a
      time. Selections may describe a continuous rectangular block of
      cells, an arbitrary shaped group of cells or even a discontinuous
      group of cells.
    </para>

    <para>
      The most common way to select a continuous rectangular block of
      cells uses a click and drag mouse motion. You can select the cells 
      in this continuous block by clicking and holding the left
      mouse button down on one of the corner cells (for instance, the
      top, leftmost cell) and dragging the mouse cursor to the
      opposite corner (for instance, the bottom, rightmost cell)
      before releasing. The selection box will expand to include all
      of the cells in this range.
    </para>

    <para>
      The most common way to select an arbitrary shaped or
      discontinuous group of cells is to hold down the
      <keycap>Ctrl</keycap> key while using the mouse to select
      cells. As long as you hold the <keycap>Ctrl</keycap> key down,
      all of the cells included by a click or a click and drag motion
      will be added to the selection.
    </para>

    <note>
      <para>
        There are several operations which cannot be performed with
        odd shaped or discontinuous groups of cells.
      </para>
    </note>

    <para>
      For more information and other ways to select multiple cells,
      see the complete discussion in <xref
      linkend="sect-data-selections" />. 
    </para>

</sect1>


<sect1 id="quick-cut-n-paste">
  <title>Moving Cell Contents, Inserting New Cells or Deleting Cells</title>

  <para>
    The contents of cells, both data values and formatting, can be
    moved from one part of a spreadsheet to another so that data do
    not have to be re-entered if the spreadsheet is reorganized. New
    cells can be added to a spreadsheet and old cells removed but
    these latter operations cause the layout of the spreadsheet to be
    altered.
  </para>

  <sect2 id="quick-cut-n-paste-movecontents">
    <title>Moving Cell Contents</title>

    <para>
      The simplest way to move cell contents around a spreadsheet
      involves selecting a block of cells containing the contents to
      be moved, either "cutting" or "copying" those cells, selecting
      the location where these contents are to be moved and then
      pasting the data.
    </para>

    <para>
      Moving data can only be performed with a single selection of
      cells which means that only continuous rectangular blocks of
      cells can be moved. This does mean, however, that columns or
      rows can be moved as a unit. By default,
      &gnum; moves the entire contents of
      the cells including both the data values and the formatting of
      the cells.
    </para>

    <para>
      Once you have selected a group of cells, they can be "cut" or "copied"
      either using the <guimenu>Edit</guimenu> menu, the toolbar
      buttons (a pair of scissors or two pieces of paper, respectively),
      the right mouse button context menu or keyboard shortcuts
      (<keycombo><keysym>Ctrl</keysym><keysym>X</keysym></keycombo> or
      <keycombo><keysym>Ctrl</keysym><keysym>C</keysym></keycombo>
      respectively). If cells are "cut" the contents will be removed
      from the current location. If cells are "copied", the contents
      will be duplicated in the new location. These two operations
      treat cell references in formulas slightly differently. If cells
      are "cut", any references in the cells in the new location will
      remain pointed at the original cells. If cells are "copied", the
      references in the cells in the new location will point to cells
      in the same relative position.
    </para>

    <para>
      You can select the new location for the cells in two ways. The
      simplest is to select the top, left cell of the new
      location. Alternatively, you can select the whole new range of cells 
      but the shape of this new range must match exactly the
      dimensions of the original range which is more difficult.
    </para>

    <para>
      Finally you can "paste" the cell contents in the new location
      using either the <guimenu>Edit</guimenu> menu
      <guimenuitem>Paste</guimenuitem> menu entry, the toolbar button
      with a clipboard, the context menu
      <guimenuitem>Paste</guimenuitem> menu entry or the
      <keycombo><keysym>Ctrl</keysym><keysym>V</keysym></keycombo>
      keyboard shortcut.
    </para>

    <para>
      An alternative way to move cells in a current worksheet involves
      dragging and dropping the original selection. You select the cells to be
      moved as above. You then place the mouse cursor on
      the thick white selection border. If you click and hold the left hand
      button, you can drag the selected cells to a new
      location resulting in the same operation as a "cut" and a
      "paste". If you hold down the <keysym>Ctrl</keysym> key during
      the click and drag of the mouse, the result is the same as a
      "copy" and "paste" operation and can be repeated several times.
    </para>

    <para>
      Both the <guimenu>Edit</guimenu> menu and the context menu have
      an extra menu entry called <guimenuitem>Paste
      Special...</guimenuitem> which can be used during a cut and
      paste operation to selectively transfer some of the original the
      cell contents or to alter the contents in specific ways. This
      option allows the transfer of only the cell contents, only the
      cell formats or only the calculated values of the cells. The
      transferred contents can also be mathematically combined with the
      current contents of cells in the new location. Alternatively,
      the selection can be transposed. See <xref
      linkend="sect-movecopy-pastespecial" /> for more information on
      the <guimenuitem>Paste Special...</guimenuitem> command.
    </para>


  </sect2>


  <sect2 id="quick-cut-n-paste-insdel">
    <title>Inserting and Deleting Cells</title>

    <para>
      A worksheet can also be altered by inserting or by deleting
      cells. These operations actually alter the locations of cells in
      a workbook.
    </para>

    <para>
      Inserting and deleting columns and rows are easy to
      understand. If you select a group of columns or rows, selecting
      the <guimenuitem>Column</guimenuitem> or
      <guimenuitem>Row</guimenuitem> menu entries in the
      <guimenu>Insert</guimenu> menu will add the same number of
      columns to the left of the selected columns or of rows above the
      selected rows. You can also use the context menu for the insert
      operation. The context menu can be used to delete the currently
      selected columns or rows.
    </para>

    <warning>
      <para>
        Insert operations can result in the loss of data if the last
        columns or rows currently contain information.
      </para>
    </warning>

    <para>
      Individual cells or contiguous rectangular blocks of cells can
      also be inserted and deleted. During this operation, you are
      asked which way to shift the current cells to allow the
      insertion or deletion of the selected cells. The movement can be
      along the rows or along the columns and will result in the
      relative movement of cells which were previously
      contiguous. This shift is the fundamental difference between
      insert and delete operations compared to cut or copy and paste
      operations.
    </para>

  </sect2>

</sect1>






<sect1 id="quick-sheets">
  <title>Sheets</title>

  <para>
    The worksheets in a workbook can be altered in several ways. The
    name of a particular worksheet can be altered. New sheets can be
    added. A current sheet can be duplicated or removed. The sheets
    can be reordered. Other sheets operations can alter the colour of
    the tabs or change the "protection" status of a worksheet to allow
    cells to be locked or hidden.
  </para>

  <para>
    The names of sheets can be changed. You can do this by editing
    the tab directly. Clicking twice on a tab will highlight the text
    and then standard editing operations will alter the text contents. 
  </para>

  <para>
    You can insert a new empty sheet after the current sheet through
    the <guimenuitem>Sheet</guimenuitem> menu entry in the
    <guimenu>Insert</guimenu> menu or through the context menu which
    appears when you click the right mouse button on a tab.
  </para>

  <para>
    Instead of an empty sheet, you can add a copy of the current worksheet 
    to the workbook after the current sheet by selecting the
    <guimenuitem>Duplicate this Sheet</guimenuitem> menu entry from
    the context menu.
  </para>

  <para>
    You can remove the current sheet using the <guimenuitem>Remove
    this Sheet</guimenuitem> menu entry from the context
    menu. 
    <warning>
      <para>
        Deleted sheets cannot be retrieved through the "Undo"
        mechanism and sheet deletion is therefore an irreversible operation. Be
        careful!
      </para>
    </warning>
  </para>

  <para>
    You can re-order worksheets by clicking and holding the left
    mouse button on a tab, then dragging that tab to the left or to
    the right. Little arrows will appear showing the location where
    the sheet will be placed. Releasing the mouse button will then
    move the sheet to this new position.
  </para>

  <para>
    Many of these operations can be performed at once from the
    <guilabel>Manage Sheets</guilabel> dialog which can be opened
    through the <guimenuitem>Manage Sheets...</guimenuitem> menu entry
    in either the <guisubmenu>Sheet</guisubmenu> submenu in the
    <guimenu>Edit</guimenu> menu or in the sheet tab's context
    menu.
<!-- TODO: add an xref to the 'Manage Sheets' dialog.
    For more information on this dialog, see <xref
    linkend="" />.
-->
  </para>


</sect1>	





<sect1 id="quick-graphing">
  <title>Graphing</title>

  <para>
    A major function of moderns spreadsheets is to provide a quick and
    easy way to plot numerical data in graphical charts of various
    kinds. The use of graphs provides users a way to explore data to
    discover relationships and trends in the data values. Graphs also
    provide an effective way to present data so as to demonstrate
    relationships in the data and summarize large amounts of data in
    an effective image. In &gnum;, both
    of these can be done easily and efficiently. Information on the
    creation of graphical displays of data is
    presented in greater detail in <xref linkend="chapter-graphics"/>.
  </para>

  <para>
    When graphs are used to explore data, the aim is usually to
    produce a plot quickly with a minimum of effort. These plots are
    not designed to look polished but must present the required
    information as quickly as possible. To produce these graphs, users
    must learn a simple series of operations which will produce the
    desired plots. For speed, the most critical operation involves
    selecting the cells on the spreadsheet which will be used as data
    <emphasis>before</emphasis> starting the graphing process.
  </para>

  <para>
    Graphs which are used to present data must be carefully crafted to
    communicate effectively. Clarity of communication is the critical
    factor and the plot may include a large amount of work to ensure
    that the visual result of the plot helps to communicate the
    desired result.
    <tip>
      <para>
        The use of a graph may not be the best way to communicate
        information. A verbal explanation or a simple table are often
        sufficient and, because they are more compact, may be more
        effective ways to communicate.
      </para>
    </tip>
    &gnum; includes a large number of
    features which allow users to craft the look of a particular graph
    to maximize the effectiveness of the presentation. In
    &gnum;, it is possible to change the
    fonts, modify the borders of each element, add patterns and images
    to backgrounds, add patterns to plot elements and configure the
    graph in multiple ways. These features will be explained in detail
    below.
    <tip>
      <para>
        Graphs which use a large number of the graphical features
        available in &gnum; often appear
        cluttered. The visual richness of such images can often
        obscure the message contained in the presentation of the
        data. Sparse, elegant and direct graphs will communicate
        results most effectively.
      </para>
    </tip>
  </para>

  <sect2 id="quick-graphing-anExample">
    <title>A Simple Graphing Example</title>

    <para>
      This section will introduce the process of creating a graph
      by presenting an example of a side-by-side column plot.
    </para>

    <sect3 id="quick-graphing-anExample-data">
    <title>Data for the examples.</title>
    <para>
      Because a graph requires data, it is first necessary to create
      some simple data to use in these examples. First we have to
      input these data into a worksheet. The data used are shown in
      <xref linkend="fig-quick-graph-dataPic"/>. For clarity in this
      discussion, the word "Interval" should be in cell A1.
    </para>

    <figure id="fig-quick-graph-dataPic">
      <title>Gnumeric with the data used in this example.</title>
      <screenshot>
        <mediaobject>
          <imageobject>
            <imagedata fileref="figures/example-data.png" format="PNG"
            />
          </imageobject>
          <textobject>
            <para>
              This screenshot depicts Gnumeric with the data used in the
              two example graphs.
            </para>
          </textobject>
        </mediaobject>
      </screenshot>
    </figure>

    </sect3>

    <sect3 id="quick-graphing-anExample-plot">
      <title>Making the Column Plot </title>

      <para>
        A column plot presents a series of data points as columns
        whose height depends on the value of each datum. This is a
        useful type of plot to show the number of eggs produced in
        each interval.
      </para>

      <procedure>
        <title>Making a Column Plot</title>

        <step>
          <para>
            The quickest way to make a plot starts with the selection
            of the data. Using the mouse, first select the range A1:C5
            which includes the data both for the number of Eggs and
            for the number of Females.
          </para>
        </step>

        <step>
          <para>
            Next, click on the graphing toolbar button
              <inlinemediaobject>
                <imageobject>
                  <imagedata fileref="figures/button-graph.png" 
                            format="PNG"/>
                </imageobject>
                <textobject>
                  <para>
                    This image shows the toolbar graphing button.
                  </para>
                </textobject>
              </inlinemediaobject>
             which looks like three colored pillars. This launches a
             new window called the graph guru.
          </para>
        </step>

        <step>
          <para>
            Next, click on the word "Column" next to the icon with
            vertical colored bars
              <inlinemediaobject>
                <imageobject>
                  <imagedata fileref="figures/example-columnSelect.png" 
                            format="PNG"/>
                </imageobject>
                <textobject>
                  <para>
                    This image shows the "column" plot type after it
                    has been selected.
                  </para>
                </textobject>
              </inlinemediaobject>
            which will move the selection to that row.
          </para>
        </step>

        <step>
<!--TODO: update button label from "OK" to "Graph"-->
          <para>
            Click on the "Insert" button. This will make the druid
            disappear and leave the mouse cursor as a thin cross hair.
          </para>
        </step>

        <step>
          <para>
            Finally, we will place and size the graph on a
            sheet. Click on the sheet and drag downward and to the
            right. As the mouse is dragged, a rectangle will
            expand. When the mouse button is released, a simple column
            chart should appear.
          </para>
        </step>
       
      </procedure>

      <para>
        The simple graph should look like <xref
        linkend="fig-quick-graph-colGraph"/>.
      </para>

      <figure id="fig-quick-graph-colGraph">
        <title>The Simple Graph with a Column Plot.</title>
        <screenshot>
          <mediaobject>
            <imageobject>
              <imagedata fileref="figures/example-colGraph.png"
              format="PNG" />
            </imageobject>
            <textobject>
              <para>
                This screenshot depicts the simple graph with a single
                chart containing a column plot.
              </para>
            </textobject>
          </mediaobject>
        </screenshot>
      </figure>

    </sect3>

    <sect3 id="quick-graphing-anExample-simple">
      <title>Modifying the Simple Graph</title>

      <para>
        The graph can be customized with titles, extra charts,
        overlaid plots, label boxes and lots of extra information. To
        customize the graph, right click on the plot to open the graph
        custom menu. The graph context menu will appear as shown in
        <xref linkend="fig-quick-graph-contextMenu"/>.
      </para>

      <figure id="fig-quick-graph-contextMenu">
        <title>The context menu which appears on a graph object.</title>
        <screenshot>
          <mediaobject>
            <imageobject>
              <imagedata fileref="figures/menu-context-graph.png"
              format="PNG" />
            </imageobject>
            <textobject>
              <para>
                This screenshot depicts the context menu applicable
                to graphs.
              </para>
            </textobject>
          </mediaobject>
        </screenshot>
      </figure>

      <para>
        This menu provides access to several functions. Users can
        customize the appearance of graphs by selecting the
        <guimenuitem>Properties</guimenuitem> menu item, can save the
        graph into PNG or SVG formats using the <guimenuitem>Save as
        image</guimenuitem> menu item, can reorder the various
        graphical elements displayed in the worksheet using the
        <guimenuitem>Top</guimenuitem>, <guimenuitem>Up</guimenuitem>,
        <guimenuitem>Down</guimenuitem>, and
        <guimenuitem>Bottom</guimenuitem> menu items or can delete
        graphical elements with the <guimenuitem>Delete</guimenuitem>
        menu item.
      </para>

      <para>
        If we wanted to add a title and a legend to the graph, we
        could use the <guimenuitem>Properties</guimenuitem> menu item
        to open the graph editor and customize the graph as follows:
      </para>

      <procedure>
        <title>Adding a title and legend to the simple graph</title>

        <step>
          <para>
            Right click on the graph to open the context menu
            and select the <guimenuitem>Properties</guimenuitem> menu
            item. This will open the graph editor.
          </para>
        </step>

        <step>
          <para>
            The graph editor opens with the top-level "Graph" entry
            selected in the element tree displayed in the top left
            pane of the editor. The top right pane of the editor
            displays a preview of the eventual graph. The bottom pane
            of the editor has a single or several tabs presenting the
            elements which can be modified for the particular item
            selected in the element tree. Click and hold on the
            <guibutton>Add</guibutton> button
              <inlinemediaobject>
                <imageobject>
                  <imagedata
                       fileref="figures/button-graphEditor-add.png"
                       format="PNG"/>
                </imageobject>
                <textobject>
                  <para>
                    This image shows the <guibutton>Add</guibutton>
                    button in the graph editor.
                  </para>
                </textobject>
              </inlinemediaobject>
            to open the menu of elements addable to a graph. Note that
            this menu changes depending on the element selected in the
            element tree when the <guibutton>Add</guibutton> is
            clicked. Drag the mouse cursor down until the selection
            highlights the "Title" entry and release the mouse
            button. This will add a "Title" node in the graph element
            tree and change the selection to this "Title" node. The
            bottom pane of the graph editor will also change to
            display the modifiable characteristics of the "Title"
            element.
          </para>
        </step>

        <step>
          <para>
            In the text field of the tab displayed in the bottom pane
            of the graph editor, add a title such as "Egg Production
            and Female Productivity" and type the
            <keycap>Enter</keycap> key. Note that the title appears at
            the top of the graph in the preview pane.
          </para>
        </step>

        <step>
          <para>
            In the graph tree, select the node labelled
            "Chart1". Next, click and hold on the add button, drag
            down to the <guimenuitem>Legend</guimenuitem> menu item
            and release. Note that this adds a legend on the right of
            the graph in the preview pane.
          </para>
        </step>

        <step>
          <para>
            Click on the "Apply" button. The plot should now have a title
            and a legend. Note that
            &gnum; has used the words in
            the column headers automatically to label the two data
            series in the legend.
          </para>
        </step>
       
      </procedure>
      <para>
        The modified graph should look like <xref
        linkend="fig-quick-graph-colGraph-modified"/>.
      </para>

      <figure id="fig-quick-graph-colGraph-modified">
        <title>The Modified Column Graph.</title>
        <screenshot>
          <mediaobject>
            <imageobject>
              <imagedata fileref="figures/example-colGraph-modified.png"
              format="PNG" />
            </imageobject>
            <textobject>
              <para>
                This screenshot depicts the example column graph with
                a title and a legend.
              </para>
            </textobject>
          </mediaobject>
        </screenshot>
      </figure>

    </sect3>

  </sect2>    

</sect1>


<sect1 id="quick-printing">
  <title>Printing</title>

  <para>
    Printing in &gnum; is quite simple
    and similar to other GNOME applications. Printing can be done
    using the toolbar buttons or can be accessed through the
    <guimenu>File</guimenu> menu. Printing usually involves
    configuring the page properties (like the paper type and margins),
    then previewing the document to be printed and finally actually
    printing the document.
  </para>

  <para>
    In order to configure a worksheet for printing several parameters
    must be set such as the correct size of the paper sheet, the
    layout of the spreadsheet, headers and footers and such
    information. These parameters can be set once for all of the
    worksheets in a file or separately for each worksheet. The
    <guimenuitem>Page Setup...</guimenuitem> menu entry invokes a
    dialog through which to alter the printing parameters.
  </para>

  <para>
    The <guimenuitem>Print Preview...</guimenuitem> menu item or
    toolbar button will open a window which shows what will be printed
    with the current configuration. By default, printing only applies
    to the current worksheet but this can be changed in the print
    dialog explained next.
  </para>

  <para>
    The <guimenuitem>Print...</guimenuitem> menu item or toolbar
    button will open a dialog which allows the user to select whether
    to print to a printer or to a postscript or PDF file. Various
    printers can be selected and the parameters of the job, such as
    whether to print all the worksheets or only the currently selected
    worksheet, can be altered. Clicking on the
    <guibutton>Print</guibutton> button will perform the printing
    task.
  </para>

  <para>
    Printing is explained in greater detail in <xref
    linkend="chapter-printing" />.
  </para>



</sect1>



<sect1 id="quick-files">
  <title>File Opening and Saving</title>

  <para>
    When you first start &gnum; a new
    workbook will be opened.  To save this workbook into a file, click
    on <menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu><guimenuitem>Save As
    &hellip; </guimenuitem></menuchoice>.  This brings up the file
    dialog where you can pick the filename and format for the book you
    are saving.  It is best to save the book in the <guilabel>Gnumeric
    XML file format</guilabel> the first time.  This allows you to
    easily edit the file without worrying about changes in the format
    and look of the book.
  </para>

  <para>
    Once the file has a name and a file format, saving subsequent
    changes can be done easily either through the
    <guimenu>File</guimenu> menu, through the toolbar or through a
    keyboard shortcut. Saving with the menu requires selecting the
    <guimenu>File</guimenu> and then the <guimenuitem>Save
    </guimenuitem> menu item. Saving with the toolbar simply requires
    clicking on 
	<inlinemediaobject>
	  <imageobject>
		<imagedata fileref="figures/button-save.png" format="PNG"/>
	  </imageobject>
	  <textobject>
		<phrase>The "Save File" button</phrase>
	  </textobject>
	</inlinemediaobject>
    in the tool bar. Finally saving with a keyboard shortcut simply
    requires typing
    <keycombo><keysym>Ctrl</keysym><keysym>S</keysym></keycombo>.
  </para>

    
  <para>
    Sometimes you want your book to be saved often so you do not lose
    any work. To save the book at intervals click on
    <menuchoice><guimenu>Tools</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Auto Save
    &hellip;</guimenuitem></menuchoice>.  The <interface> Auto
    Save</interface> dialog appears.
	<figure id="fig-dialog-autosave">
	  <title>Auto Save dialog</title>
	  <screenshot>
	    <mediaobject>
	      <imageobject>
		<imagedata fileref="figures/dialog-autosave.png" format="PNG"/>
	      </imageobject>
	      <textobject>
		<phrase>The autosave dialog box.</phrase>
	      </textobject>
	    </mediaobject>
	  </screenshot>
	</figure>
    Click on the <guibutton>Automatic Save Every</guibutton> button
    and enter the number of minutes will pass between each save.  When
    the interval is shorter more of your work will be potentially
    saved, but &gnum; might appear
    sluggish.  If &gnum; is sluggish
    increase the time between saves.  The button <guibutton>Prompt
    Before Saving</guibutton> brings up a dialog to ask if you want to
    save the book.
  </para>

  <warning>
    <para>
      Using the automatic saving feature of
      &gnum; can save time but is
      dangerous. &gnum; does not create a
      new file each time a file is saved but instead
      &gnum; modifies the existing file
      which destroys the previous work. In certain situations, this
      feature can lead to the loss of possibly important work. Users
      are highly recommended to backup their work by copying the
      original file to a new name or by saving files to newly named
      files.
    </para>
  </warning>

  <para>
    An existing spreadsheet file can be opened in several ways. If the
    file has an icon on the desktop, this icon can be clicked or
    double-clicked with the mouse button. Similarly, if a file
    manager, such as the <application>Nautilus</application> file
    manager, lists the file, then the file name can be clicked and
    opened. If &gnum; is already opened,
    a file can be opened by clicking on the <guimenu>File</guimenu>
    and selecting the <guimenuitem>Open</guimenuitem> menu
    item. Alternatively, the "Open file" button on the toolbar,
	<inlinemediaobject>
	  <imageobject>
		<imagedata fileref="figures/button-open.png" format="PNG"/>
	  </imageobject>
	  <textobject>
		<phrase>An image of the "Open File" button.</phrase>
	  </textobject>
	</inlinemediaobject>, 
    can be used or the <keysym>F3</keysym> key clicked.  All three of
    these open the <interface>Open File</interface> dialog.  You can
    then select the spreadsheet file you wish to open.
    &gnum; can open many different types
    of spreadsheet file formats.
  </para>

  <note>
    <para>
      If the file has recently been opened in
      &gnum;, the file name will appear
      in the <guimenu>File</guimenu> menu and can simply be clicked to
      re-open the file.
    </para>
  </note>

</sect1>



<sect1 id="quick-closing-gnumeric">
  <title>Closing Gnumeric</title>

  <para>
    There are several ways to close
    &gnum;. The simplest is to select the
    <guimenu>File</guimenu> menu and then the
    <guimenuitem>Quit</guimenuitem> menu option at the bottom of the
    <guimenu>File</guimenu>.
  </para>

  <para>
    &gnum; can also be closed through the
    window manager by clicking on a close box in the window frame or
    through a pop-up menu. The placement of the box and the invocation
    of the menu depend on the particular window manager and the theme
    being used. If the GNOME panel is running the window list applet,
    clicking with the right mouse button opens a context menu with a
    <guimenuitem>Close</guimenuitem> which can be used to close
    &gnum;.
  </para>

  <note>
    <para>
      If any changes have been made to the workbook since the last
      time it was saved, a dialog will open to ask what is supposed to
      happen to the contents of the workbook. At this point the
      contents of the workbook can be saved (Save), the request to
      close gnumeric can be cancelled (Don't Quit) or the most recent
      changes can be discarded (Discard). If the user decides to save
      the content, a second dialog may open requesting a file name,
      location and type for the saved workbook.
    </para>
  </note>

  <note>
    <para>
      Any files which are saved by &gnum;
      must be deleted by the user. Either the GNOME file manager
      <application>Nautilus</application> or the shell tool
      <command>rm</command> can be used to delete the files. 
    </para>
  </note>

</sect1>

