When I add a row, I lose the formula!

Question

I made a simple check register spreadsheet a year ago & when I run out of rows I add more rows by dragging the handle in the lower right of the spreadsheet DOWN. I can also click the handle with the number of the row in the lower left to add just one more row. Or I can select the lower right cell (account balance) & hit enter & it created one more row.
None of these methods preserve my formula! I could swear that dragging the lower right handle in the past has preserved the formula.
What am I doing wrong?
Thanks!

Answer 1

growler62000 wrote:
=IF(AND(ISBLANK(E2),ISBLANK(F2)),"",Beginning Balance :: B2-E2+F2)
A = ref #/ck #
B= Date
C= Description
E=Debit
F= Credit
G=Balance
I assume the above formula is in G2. What's the formula in G3?
If you've created it by filling down, it should be:
=IF(AND(ISBLANK(E3),ISBLANK(F3)),"",Beginning Balance :: B3-E3+F3)
But I suspect it's this:
=IF(AND(ISBLANK(E3),ISBLANK(F3)),"",G2-E3+F3)
...and the difference is what's preventing the formula from being automatically filled into new rows.
My solution DOES work perfectly although I probably explained it poorly.
Yes it does. Your solution was clearly described, and with one formula in column G that's different from the rest, it's also the most efficient one available.
BTW, I wish I could force column B to order the entries by date as sometimes I will 1st enter today's date & then next row I enter yesterday’s date, etc
What messes up sorts is the references to specific cells in the formulas. If you can replace those with references to the appropriate cells wherever the formula actually winds up, the problem is solved.
Two tools that numbers provides that help with this are
1. the ability to reference a cell in the same row using only its column reference
2. the OFFSET function.
Both are used in the example below. The table on the left is a snapshot after data was entered, and before the table was sorted. The one on the right shows the same table after sorting the selected rows.
You'll note that I added a second Header row to allow space for the beginning balance to be placed in a header row on this table. That's to make it possible to have the same formula in every non-header row of column G so that the formula will be automatically entered into new rows as they are added.
Your formula will still work in the first non-header row, should you choose not to make this modification (Just enter the formula below into the row below that and fill down to the bottom row), but I would caution you to not include this first body row in any sort in that case.
Here's the formula in G3 of the example (and filled down to every row below that):
=IF(AND(ISBLANK(E),ISBLANK(F)),"",OFFSET($A$1,ROW()-2,6)-OFFSET($A$1,ROW()-1,4)+ OFFSET($A$1,ROW()-1,5))
Note that the first references to E and F omit the row numbers, and the references to the previous balance, debit and credit cells are through an offset from cell A1.
You can find out more about OFFSET in the iWork Formulas and Functions User Guide.
Regards,
Barry