Quick tour¶

Cells hold a number, a label (any string not prefixed with =), or a formula (prefixed with =). Arrow keys move; Enter commits and moves down; Tab commits and moves right.

This guide shows the terminal frontend, but the model, formulas, file format, and most commands are the same in the desktop app.

The terminal app: a sales report with IF/MATCH formulas, named ranges, and two spilled array results

gridcalc example_excel.json, one of the shipped examples. The top line is the formula bar; [EXCEL] on the right is the file's formula mode.

        A          B          C
1  Revenue   Cost       Margin
2  1000      600        =(A2-B2)/A2*100      <- formula
3  1200      700        =(A3-B3)/A3*100
4  Total     =SUM(B2:B3) =AVG(C2:C3)

The command line¶

Press : for the command line. The basics:

Command	Purpose
`:w [file]`	save (extension `.json` or `.xlsx`)
`:o file`	open
`:q`, `:q!`	quit, force-quit
`:e`	edit the workbook's Python code block in `$EDITOR`
`u`, `Ctrl-R`	undo / redo
`v`	enter visual selection mode (then `y` yanks, `p` pastes)
`/text`	search (`n`/`N` to cycle matches)
`>`	go to a named cell (e.g. `> AA10`)

The full set is in the command reference, and every key is rebindable -- see Configuration.

Where to go next¶

Formula modes -- pick strict Excel, Excel plus Python, or full Python for a workbook.
Formulas -- syntax, the function library, named ranges, and the per-workbook code block.
Multi-sheet workbooks -- tabs, cross-sheet references, and what the dep graph does with them.
Optimization -- define an LP, MIP, or QP in the sheet and solve it.