How to "lock" a cell reference in Numbers??

I tried to lock the cell using "$" but it didn't lock the formula. What is the best way to lock the cell/formula?

Thanks Roy

Edit the reference to add a "$" in front of the part of the reference you wish to lock.

For instance, to lock to B2, write $B$2.

Jerry

Thanks Jerrold, I'm using them that way. My request has to do with
using them as an Absolute Reference versus a relative reference.
If I specify a header ref for a cell in a formula, when I drag that
formula to some other cells I want Numbers to treat it as absolute,
ie. as if I had said $A$5. What I am finding is that it does it's default
behaviour, ie. it is translating the formula reference to a new cell just
as it would do for a reference like A5.

ie. with header references, what is the equivalent of specifying $A$5?
($header name doesn't work 🙂 ).

thx, rob

When you reference a cell or cells in a formula you can click on the cell reference in the formula and an arrow appears. If you click on the arrow you have options of relative reference, absolute column, absolute row, or absolute column and row. Also, if you use header columns and rows data references follow these, just look in the formula editor.

From the beginning my guess was that the OP wanted a way to lock a cell so that it can't be modified by error.

This feature is unavailable in Numbers '08 and '09.

Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) samedi 2 janvier 2010 15:59:53

Hi Yvan,

When the OP said: "I need to know how to lock a cell reference so that when you drag the formula down or across it keeps the same cell reference" I was certain, and I still believe, he was referring to Absolute Addressing. This is of course not what most people think of as cell locking, so I suspect that the new question refers to true locking.

Jerry

A related question - if I'm using Header naming for my cell references (ex. "Monthly" and "Rate as the column and row names respectively) is there a way for me to drag a formula into multiple cells that will update the relative referencing in the formula without also doing the same to the "header referencing"?

ex. cell D25 = Table1 :: Monthly Rate *2 + C25, then drag down, wanting
cell D26 = Table1 :: Monthly Rate *2 + C26, not Table1 :: B12 or whatever

Rob

Rob,

Use Header Cell Names as References is a Numbers Preference setting. Numbers will make the translation for you, so you can point or drag or even use the normal numbers and letters and Numbers will translate.

Jerry

As far as I know, the absolute feature behaves flawlessly with headers referencing.
The Formula Editor is able to build correct formulas for you.

Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) samedi 9 janvier 2010 19:57:39

If your want to use Header content as cell addresses, first you must be using both Header Row and Header Column and their must be content in both headers for the cell you are referencing.

Then you place a $ ahead of the name(s).

Jerry

It would be useful to read pages 89… of the *Numbers User Guide* which is delivered with every copy of the package.

Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) samedi 19 décembre 2009 12:41:51

Just hover over the reference until the triangle appears.

Jerry

Hi Jerrold

Are you sure that you did the screenshot from *Numbers '08* ?

I guess that it's a Numbers '09 one 😉

Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) lundi 21 décembre 2009 18:08:53

Oops!

Admshammer's response above sent me in the 09 direction. My mistake.

Jerry

Message was edited by: Jerrold Green1