Using Functions in tables

Question

I am trying to create a flowing table for a mortgage collection. Table labeled in 6 columns; Pay Date, Amount Paid, Interest, Principal, Balance Due, Interest paid Thru.
The functions used are as follows, Interest = Balance due*6%/12
Principal = Amount Paid- Interest
Balance Due = Principal-(previous)Balance due.
My problem is that the loop created between the Interest formula and the Balance due formula take place before and Amount Paid is entered. I need to somehow stop the loop with a function similar to: If Amount Paid is greater than 0 Then.....Any suggestions? PS: I am running into the same problem using Numbers..
Thanks Quinn
Message was edited by: Q and L

Answer 1

I don't recall if I ever did any complicated expressions in a Pages table previously. I'd much rather work in Numbers. I was surprised to see that the column references switched from letters to Header Labels. Be careful that your Headers are labeled exactly the same as mine or you will need to adjust the references.
You can read the Formulas and Functions User Guide and you can use the Function Browser within Pages to learn about the functions. But, just as you can learn words by reading a dictionary and that won't help you write a good book, it takes practice and experience to get beyond the basics. So, you're on your way.
You can play with the table format to change the row heights and you can make the cell borders disappear. Beyond that, a table is a special thing that must be there to do the math. You can keep your table in one document and publish a different document by copying the results from the calculations and pasting them elsewhere. For instance, you can Copy the last row of the table and "Paste and Match Style" somewhere else. The result will be a line of text with tabs between the fields.
Regards,
Jerry