Friday, December 02, 2005
The pointing method of entering a formula in Excel still involves some manual typing. The advantage is that you don't need to type the cell or range references. Instead, you point to them in the worksheet, which is usually more accurate and less tedious.
The best way to explain this procedure is with an example. Follow these steps to enter the formula =A1/A2 into cell A3 by using the pointing method:
Move the cell pointer to cell A3.
Type an equal sign (=) to begin the formula.
Press the up-arrow key twice.
As you press the key, notice that Excel displays a moving border around the reference cell (A1) and that the cell reference appears in cell A3 and in the formula bar.
Type a division sign (/).
Press the up-arrow key once.
Press Enter to end the formula entry.
The best way to explain this procedure is with an example. Follow these steps to enter the formula =A1/A2 into cell A3 by using the pointing method:
Move the cell pointer to cell A3.
Type an equal sign (=) to begin the formula.
Press the up-arrow key twice.
As you press the key, notice that Excel displays a moving border around the reference cell (A1) and that the cell reference appears in cell A3 and in the formula bar.
Type a division sign (/).
Press the up-arrow key once.
Press Enter to end the formula entry.
