Entering Data

When you open an Excel template, you will see the Intro page. To begin working with the Excel template, click the worksheet tab labeled Template at the bottom of the screen or press Ctrl + Page Down.

To enter data into the template, type the data into the appropriate cells in the template. Fields with light-green shading indicate that you can enter data into these fields. With the exception of data entry cells, all cells are protected. Use the Tab key to move from one unprotected cell to the next. If the template contains one or more shaded areas that appear to be larger than a single cell, the data entry cells are most likely the left-most cells in that area.

As you enter your data into the appropriate cells, the formulas will automatically calculate your data and update the results accordingly. If you see a strange value in one of the results fields, such as #VALUE!, this is because you have incorrectly entered some data, or you are missing data. Please go back and check your work.

Saving Your Work

Always remember to save your work when working with your templates. To save your document, select File->Save, and choose where you would like to save your document. You can also choose to have OfficeReady 4.0 save your templates automatically upon opening (see Preferences->General).

Also, always make sure to know where you are saving your documents, so that you will know where to find them later.

Editing a Template's Formulas

The Excel templates are protected to keep you from accidentally overwriting crucial formulas.

If you would like to unlock a template, select the Tools | Protection | Unprotect Sheet menu option. Repeat this for each worksheet you wish to unprotect.

If you want to modify a template, be sure to follow these guidelines:

  1. Unprotect the worksheet by selecting the Tools | Protection | Unprotect Sheet menu option.
  2. Modify the formula or text entry you wish to change.
  3. Protect the worksheet by selecting the Tools | Protection | Protect Sheet menu option.

Note: it is strongly recommended to avoid unprotecting or modifying the Excel templates.