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# The Gnumeric Manual, version &appversion;

## Welcome!

&welcome;

## How to Use this Manual

&manual-usage;

## A Quick Introduction

The best way to learn how to use Gnumeric is to begin exploring the program yourself. This chapter will help you get started trying new things and seeing what happens. The chapter explains the fundamentals of spreadsheets in general and of Gnumeric in particular. The chapter attempts to help new users get started with Gnumeric and provides background for the more detailed explanations given in the rest of the manual.

Getting started with computers

Unfortunately, this manual cannot teach you the very basics of interacting with a modern computer. If you have never used computers, don't know the names of the hardware components (the pieces you can touch) or don't know the names of the elements you see on the screen (like windows or the mouse pointer), you will probably want to get some basic advice from someone you know or read the manuals which came with your machine or your operating system. It's all pretty easy but, in order to understand this manual, you will need to know some basic terminology and have some basic computing skills.

If you are using the GNOME desktop environment, you can read the the GNOME Desktop User Guide for help in getting started with computers.

If you are using the another desktop environment such as KDE or another operating system, please see the instructions from the web site linked with either your desktop environment, your operating system, your software distribution source or the people who provided you with your computer. There are also many books providing good introduction to computers.

&quick-start;

## Gnumeric Elements

This chapter describes all of the pieces of Gnumeric which a user can manipulate. The chapter provides explanations for each of the menus, menu entries, toolbar buttons and other elements of the graphical user interface.

&gui-overview; &gui-menus; &gui-toolbars; &gui-other-elements; &gui-mouse;

## Working with Data

This chapter explains the core functionality of Gnumeric including the basic types of data manipulated by Gnumeric, the methods of entering, manipulating and formating data, and the basic tools for analysis of these data. More advanced analysis is described in chapter-advanced-analysis.

&data-overview; &data-types; &data-entry; &data-entry-adv; &data-entry-extern; &data-selections; &data-move-copy; &data-delete; &data-insert; &data-format; &data-modify; &data-generate; &data-commentNlink;

## Advanced Analysis

This chapter explains many of the advanced analytic tools available in Gnumeric including statistical analysis, linear algebra calculations and simulation analysis.

&analysis-overview; &analysis-complexNum; &analysis-goalseek; &analysis-solver; &analysis-simulation; &analysis-scenarios; &analysis-statistical;

## Graphics: Plots, Images, Widgets, and Drawings

This chapter explains how to add graphical elements to a Gnumeric worksheet, including data graphs to plot worksheet data, images from external files, graphical user interface widgets which interact with worksheet data, and simple drawing elements.

&graphics-overview; &graphics-plots; &graphics-images; &graphics-widgets; &graphics-drawings;

## Configuring Gnumeric

This chapter explains how to change the default behaviour of Gnumeric including the startup behaviour and default locale (language and number display).

&config-overview; &config-preferences; &config-toolbars; &config-plugins; &config-localization;

## Working with Files

This chapter explains how to use files in &gnum;. The chapter provides an extensive description of the file formats used by &gnum;. The chapter also explains how to open files, import data from text files, save files, export data to text files, send data to others via electronic mail, and convert files from one format to another.

&files-overview; &files-formats; &files-opening; &files-textopen; &files-saving; &files-textsave; &files-email; &files-ssconvert;

## Printing

This chapter explains how to print spreadsheets, tables and plots from Gnumeric to a printer directly or into Postscript or PDF (both are page description languages).

&printing;

## Getting More Help

This chapter describes other sources of help which are available to users including the Gnumeric web site, the mailing list, and the internet relay chat (IRC) discussion channel.

&morehelp;

## Reporting a Problem

This chapter explains how to report a problem with Gnumeric so that the problem can be fixed. The same procedure can be used to file a report requesting an enhancement or a new feature.

&bugs;

## Extending Gnumeric

This chapter explains how to go about extending Gnumeric to provide extra functionality. Because Gnumeric is Free Software this is quite easy to do.

&extending-overview; &extending-functions; &extending-python; &extending-plugins;
&function-ref; &appendix-keybindings;