Copy Paste basics?

[David W]

I have been using excel for several years now and over the past few
years I've been running across the need to copy a value from one cell
to a selection of cells without the formula changing or a portion of
the formula. For example, cell A1 contains the formula =A2+A3. If I
copy that to cell B1 my formula changes to =B2+B3 which is the norm.
However I need to copy a formula and keep the cell names constant so
that when I copy to B1 it will equal A2+A3. another example would be I
want to multiply the contents of B3 by the contents of C2, D2, E2, and
F2 and have the result display in C3, D3, E3 and F3. Basically I need
the ability to multiply a series of cells by the value in a single
cell, without having to type the formula every time. Is this possible?
is it so basic and I'm just a moron? am I even making sense? Any help
would be appreciated.

 

[Alan]

With the formula you want to copy selected, highlight the contents of the
formula bar, right click and copy that. Don't forget to hit Enter before you
exit that. Then select any call, right click and paste, the formula or
whatever was in the formula bar will paste unchanged,
Regards,
Alan.

 

[KC Rippstein]

If you know there are some formulas you'll want to use elsewhere on the
sheet but some of the cell references will be "constants", then make those
cell references "constant" by putting a dollar sign in front of the letter
and number.

For example, if A2+A3 needs to be A2+A3 elsewhere on the page, you can make
it $A$2+$A$3. The simpler answer is to tell the new location =A1, but you
knew that

If only one part needs to stay constant (say the A but not the 2 or the 3),
then just put the dollar sign in front of the A and not the number, like
$A2+$A3...the same holds true if the row needs to be constant but the column
will change, like A$2+A$3. This is usually very helpful in most
spreadsheets I work with.

Finally, if there is a cell or range of cells that will naturally be
constants (like a purchase date, an order total, whatever) you can give that
cell or range of cells a name in the white box next to the formula bar. So
if B2 is a constant (like an interest rate used throughout your sheet), give
B2 a name like IntRate and then in your formulas throughout, you can use
=IntRate*C2*D2*E2, etc.

-KC