qick help please about fill handle

J

jcontrer

i have numerical data on column a. It consists of a list of about 100
numberswith a total on the last row of the column a. on column b i want the
percentage of of the total in column a that each corresponding row
represents. i tried using the fill handle by inputting the formula in the
first few rows of b (eg. b2 =a2/a100, b3 =a3/a100) and then tried to
highlight both and use the fill handle to get the rest of the column and not
have to input one by one but i get an error #div/0! for all of column b after
the first 2 rows.

What is wrong and how can it be fixed?
 
C

Conan Kelly

jconter,

in your formulas, your cell references are "relative". That means when you
copy down or accross, the cell refferences will change accordingly.
"Absolute" cell references will not change when you copy down/accross.

Also, in your cell reference, the column can be absolute, the row can be
absolute or both can be absolulte.

To make a reference absoulute, place a $ before the column, row, or both.

In your formula, you will want to make A100 absolute.......at least the row
"=A2/A$100", but maybe both row & column "=A2/$A$100".

Then you only need to select the first cell (you don't need to select 2) and
fill down as necessary.

HTH,

Conan
 
M

Mike Rogers

jcontrer

select the cell with the formula in column B and move your curser to the
bottom right side of the border on that cell.. you should see your curser
change form a large white Plus sign to a small black plus sign. Once you have
that small plus sign just double click and your formulas will fill to the
bottom of the data in column A. If by chabce that does not work for you once
you get that small black plus sign drag that all the way down to the bottom
of your data. There are still more ways of getting what you want but these
are the ones that I use frequently.

Mike Rogers
 
M

Mike Rogers

jcontrer

I finished reading your post!!! In your formula you are making reference to
A100 that is fixed (not incrementing). Because your formula is incrementing
as you drag it you are loosing that reference, and picking up references on
down column A that are empty. If you give the #div/0! error it is because
you can not divide a number by nothing (or zero) and get an answer. This
error is telling you there is no number to divide by. Look in Help to learn
the difference between absolute & relative references. What you need to do
is use $A$100 in your formula. This will hold the reference to A100 all the
way down you column B.

Hope this helps

Mike Rogers
 

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