Consolidating Data

Consolidate is a function used to combine information from multiple sheets

of the spreadsheet into one place to summarize the information. It is used to
view and compare variety of data in a single spreadsheet for identifying
trends and relationships.

You need to check the following before consolidating data:

• Check that the data types must match which you want to consolidate.
• Match the labels from all the sheets which are used for consolidating.
• Enter the first column as the primary column on the basis of which the data
is to be consolidated.
Consolidating Data
Step 1: Open the spreadsheet which has the data to be consolidated &
Create a new sheet where the data has to be consolidated.
Step 2: Choose Data > Consolidate option that will open Consolidate dialog box.
Step 3: The default function “Sum” is seen in the Function drop-down.
You can choose the required function from the drop-down list.
Step 4: Click and select the range from the sheet which is to be consolidated.
Step 5: Click on Add to add this range under the ‘Consolidation ranges’.
Step 6: Click on the cell of sheet where the final data has to be produced.
Step 7: Click on Options, the option consolidate by rows and columns are
checked to consolidate data as per row labels and column label. Link to source
data is checked to make the modification automatically in the consolidated
(target) sheet while making any changes in the source data.
Step 8: Finally click on OK button.
Groups and Subtotals
Group and Outline in Calc is used to create an outline of the selected data
and can group rows and columns together so that one can collapse (-) to
hide it or expand (+) it using a single click on it.
Select the data to be grouped, click on Data>Group and Outline. Then
choose Rows to group the data on the basis of rows or columns to group
it on the basis of columns.
Groups and Subtotals
The Subtotal tool in Calc creates the group automatically and applies common
functions like sum, average on the grouped data.
Step 1: The sheet where this is to be applied must have labels to the column.
Step 2: Click on Data menu and choose Subtotals.
Step 3: Choose the column in the Group by list in the subtotal dialog which is to
be used for grouping the data in the sheet.
Step 4: Select the column by clicking the checkbox under Calculate subtotals
for to create subtotals for.
Step 5: Select the desired function by clicking the function under Use function.
Step 6: Use the 2nd Group and 3rd Group tabs to group the data in further levels.
Step 7: Click on OK button.
What-if Scenarios
A What-if Scenario is used test different possibilities in a spreadsheet by
changing inputs to see how they affect the results, helping you decide the
best option. It is used to explore and compare various alternatives
depending on changing conditions. It can be used in the beginning of any
project to optimise the output.

Follow the following steps to create scenario:

Step 1: Select the cells which contains values in the sheet that needs
to be changed.
Step 2: Choose Tools>Scenarios will open scenario dialog window.
Step 3: Enter a name for the new scenario and leave the other fields
unchanged.
Step 4: Click on OK button.
What-if Analysis Tool
What-if tool uses Data > Multiple Operations and is a planning tool for
what-if questions.
It uses drop-down list to display the output depending upon the input.
What-if Analysis Tool
Following steps are used for what-if analysis tool:
Step 1: Enter the data in the cells and then enter a formula to calculate a
result from values in other cells.
Step 2: Create an array of input values on the basis of which the output is to
be generated using the formula.
Step 3: Select the cell range of input array and output array.
Step 4: Click on Data>Multiple Operations will display the multiple operations
dialog window.
Step 5: Enter the cell address in the Formulas box from the sheet which
contains the formula.
Step 6: Now, enter the cell address of the cell which is a variable and is used in
the formula in Column input cell box.
Step 7: Click on OK will generate all the possible outputs based on the formula.
Goal Seek
In general we fill in the values in the cells and then create formula on these
values to get the required result. To predict the output, we keep on changing
all the input values to obtain the desired output.
Goal Seek helps in finding out the input for the specific output.
Step 1: Enter the values in the worksheet.
Step 2: Write the formula in the cell where the calculation has to be used.
Step 3: Place the cursor in the formula cell, choose Tools > Goal Seek.
Step 4: Place the cursor on the Variable cell box and click on the cell that
contains the value to be changed.
Step 5: Enter the desired result in the Target value box.
Step 6: Click on OK button.
Solver is a more elaborate form of Goal Seek.
Recording a Macro
A macro is a single instruction that executes a set of instructions.
A sequence of actions such as keystrokes and clicks can be recorded and
then run as per the requirement.
By default, the macro recording feature is turned off when LibreOffice is
installed on your computer.
Select Tools > Options > LibreOffice > Advanced. Observe the Optional
Features. There are two options which are not check marked. Put the
checkmark on the option “Enable macro recording”.
The Record Macro option found under Tools > Macros will be visible now.
The Macro records all the keyboard and mouse actions, but
the following actions are not recorded:
Actions carried out in another window than where the recording was
started are not recorded.
Actions that are not related to the spreadsheet contents.
Opening of windows.
Window switching.

The macro recorder works only in Calc and Writer.

Recording a Macro
Step 1: Click on Tools > Macros and then click on the Record Macro option.
Step 2: Now start taking actions that will be recorded.
Step 3: Once you click on Record Macro option, recording of actions starts
and a small alert will be displayed. Clicking on “Stop Recording” button will
stop the recording of actions.
Step 4: This will open the Basic Macros dialog window to save and run the
created macro.
Step 5: The name of the macro by default is Main and is saved in the Standard
Library in Module1. You can change the name of the macro.
Step 6: Click on Save button.
Rules for naming a Macro, Module or a Library:
The name should :
• Begin with a letter
• Not contain spaces
• Not contain special characters except for _ (underscore)

Running a Macro
Step 1: Type the heading in cell A1.
Step 2: Use Tools > Macros > Run Macro to open the Macro Selector dialog box.
Step 3: Select the library and module in the Library list.
Step 4: Select the macro in the Macro name list.
Step 5: Click Run to run the macro.
Creating and Organising a Simple Macro
Use the following steps to organize the macro:
Step 1: Click on Tools > Macros > Organize Macros > LibreOffice Basic to open the
LibreOffice Basic Macro dialog window.
Step 2: Click Organizer to open the Basic Macro Organizer dialog.
Step 3: To create a new library containing modules, click on Library > New.
To create a module to store a macro, Choose the Modules Tab & select a
Module. Click on New.
Macro as a Function
Consider a situation wherein you need to perform calculations that are
repetitive in nature. Assume that the same formula needs to be applied to
different data in different sheets and there is no predefined function for it.
It is possible to do so if we use Macro as a function.
A function is capable of accepting arguments or values. It can perform
operations on the arguments, perform calculations and return the result.

Syntax
Setting up Multiple Sheets
To add a new sheet in the spreadsheet, click on the Add Sheet by clicking on
the (+) sign located in the left bottom of the spreadsheet.
Alternatively, you can right click anywhere on the sheet tab and select Insert
sheet option from the drop-down list.
Insert Sheet dialog box can be invoked from the menu option Sheet > Insert Sheet.

You can also enter a sheet from an already existing file.

Step 1 Click on the From File option in the Insert Sheet dialog box.
Step 2 Click on Browse.
Step 3 Select the file, and then choose the sheet you want.
Step 4 Click OK.
Cell Reference
By referring to cells, you can use their values without having to type them
repeatedly.
In a spreadsheet, every cell has an address that we use to refer to that cell.
A1
Cell references can be made within the same sheet
A B
or across sheets in a spreadsheet file.
1
When we change data in a cell, any cells that reference it 2
will update automatically. 3
This ensures that all related information stays accurate.
The changes are reflected in real-time across the
spreadsheet.
Steps to take a Cell Reference
Step 1 Open your spreadsheet, and lick on the cell where you want the
referenced value to appear.
Step 2 Click on the Formula Bar at the top, and Type = to begin entering the
reference.
Step 3 Navigate to the sheet that contains the cell you want to reference.
Step 4 Click on the cell whose value you want to display in the destination
sheet.
Step 5 Press Enter to apply the reference.

To Take Reference Using the keyboard, type this on the formula bar:
=$’Sheet_Name’.cell_address.
Cell Reference from Another Spreadsheet File

Step 1 Open the spreadsheet where you want to reference a cell.

Step 2 Click on the desired cell, then click on the Formula Bar and type =
Step 3 Open the other spreadsheet (the one containing the cell you want to
reference).
Step 4 Click on the specific cell you want to reference. The formula will
automatically update with the file name and sheet reference.
Step 5 Press Enter or click the green checkmark to confirm the reference.
Hyperlinks to the Sheet
A hyperlink is a clickable link that takes us to another location within a
spreadsheet, document, cell, sheet, file, or even another webpage on the
internet.
A hyperlink is helpful for quick navigation and easy access to related data.

Absolute and Relative Hyperlinks

An absolute hyperlink stores the complete location where the file is stored. It
works as long as the target location remains unchanged.
A relative hyperlink stores the location with respect to the current location.
It works as long as relative location remains unchanged.
 Absolute Hyperlinks Relative Hyperlinks
Stores complete destination address. A relative hyperlink stores the path
relative to the spreadsheet’s location,
meaning it may break if the spreadsheet
ABSOLUTE
HYPERLINK
ABSOLUTE
HYPERLINK is moved to a different folder.
OF FILE B OF FILE B

Relative Relative
FILE A FILE A HYPERLINK HYPERLINK
OF FILE B
FOLDER bat OF FILE B

FILE A FILE A
FOLDER bat
target
location same
FILE B
FILE B
FOLDER bob FOLDER bob
FILE B
If the target file moves to different location, FILE B
then only the absolute link will break. FOLDER bob FOLDER bob
Creating Hyperlinks

Step 1 Open the spreadsheet document, and click on the cell where you want
to insert the hyperlink
Step 2 Go to Insert > Hyperlink to open the Hyperlink dialog box.
Step 3 Choose the link type (Web, Document, Mail, or New Document)
Step 4 Enter the link details (URL, file path, or sheet reference).
Step 5 Set the display text for the hyperlink.
Step 6 Click Apply and Close to save the hyperlink.
Hold Ctrl key on keyboard and then click the hyperlink to open it.
Editing a Hyperlink

Step 1 Right-click on the hyperlink in the spreadsheet.

Step 2 Select "Edit Hyperlink" from the context menu.
Step 3 Modify the link details (URL, file path, or sheet reference) in the dialog box.
Step 4 Update the display text if needed.
Step 5 Click "Apply" and "Close" to save the changes.
On clicking the Remove Hyperlink option, the link will be removed from the text .
Linking to External Data
Internet is a rich source of information, which is stored in the form of web pages
that allows us to insert tables from HTML documents into Calc.

Step 1 Open the spreadsheet where you want to insert external data.
Step 2 Select the cell to store the first cell of the table in the external data.
Step 3 Go to Sheet > External links from the main menu.
Step 4 Enter the URL of the source document in the dialog box and press Enter.
Step 5 In the import options dialog box choose the language. Selecting
Automatic shows data in the same language as in the webpage.
Step 6 Click OK to complete the process
Linking to Registered Data Sources
LibreOffice Calc allows us to link spreadsheet documents with databases and
other data sources.

Step 1 Select Tools > Options > LibreOffice Base > Databases. The Options -
LibreOffice Base-Databases dialog box appears.

Step 2 Click the New button to open the Create Database Link dialog box.
Step 3 Enter the location of the database file, or click Browse to open a file
browser and select the database file.
Step 4 Type a name to use as the registered name for the database and click
OK. The database is added to the list of registered databases.

Go to View > Data Sources, to view the data sources.

Sharing Spreadsheet
In LibreOffice Calc, one spreadsheet can be used by more than one user at a
time by sharing it.
It saves the trouble of keeping track of multiple copies of the same spreadsheet.
Sharing allows working in collaboration so that everyone can contribute, make
changes and view it.
Sharing Spreadsheet
Step 1: Open a new spreadsheet and save it with some name.
Step 2: Click on Tools > Share Spreadsheet from main menu bar.
Step 3: Click on the checkbox “Share this spreadsheet with other users” &
click on OK button.
Step 4: Click on Yes to continue on confirmation dialog window to activate
the shared mode.
Once the spreadsheet is saved, the name of the spreadsheet in the title bar
will display (shared) along with the name of the spreadsheet.
Opening a Shared Spreadsheet
When opening a shared spreadsheet, a message will indicate that it is in
shared mode, with limited features. Click OK to proceed.
Tick "Do not show warning again" if you don't want this message to reappear.
Saving in shared mode restricts features such as Undo, Redo, Paste, and Links
to External Files (visible under the Edit menu).

Saving a Shared Spreadsheet

Save Changes: Save the spreadsheet after making changes before closing it.
If multiple users make changes without conflict, a message will confirm the
updates.
If changes conflict, a dialog box will appear to help resolve the conflict.
Other users cannot save the spreadsheet while you are resolving conflicts.
If another user is resolving conflicts, you will be notified that the file is locked,
and saving will not be possible.
 Recording Changes
Record Changes feature of LibreOffice Calc provides different ways to record
the changes made by one or other users in the spreadsheet.
Step 1: To enable the Record changes, first disable the shared mode of spreadsheet.
Step 2: Click on Tools > Share Spreadsheet from main menu bar.
Step 3: In the Share Document dialog window, remove the check-mark on the check
box, “Share this spreadsheet with other users”, and click on OK button.
Step 4: Now Click on Edit > Track Changes > Record.
Step 5: Apply the changes, and observe that the border colour of the cell in which
data has been changed turns to red. Also, the changed cell will display the
description if the cursor moves to the changed cell.
Add, Edit and Format the Comments

Adding comments helps explain the data so others can understand.

It makes teamwork easier by sharing ideas or notes directly in the sheet.
Comments also help avoid mistakes and keep track of changes.
Step 1: Click on Edit > Track Changes > Comment in the main menu bar.
Step 2: This will open the Add comment window. Then enter your comments.
Step 3: Now to view the entered comment, click on the cell.
You can also insert comments to a cell.
Step 1: Click on the cell where you want to insert comments. Then select from
main menu Insert > Comment
Step 2: The box will appear to write the comment. This type of comments is
known as notes or suggestions in the spreadsheet. (Coloured dot on the cell)
Step 3: Once the comment is added, you can display, edit or delete it. Right click
on the cell where you have inserted the comments then select desired option.
Formatting Comment

Formatting Comment means changing the background colour, border style,

and transparency of a comment.

Step 1: Right click on the cell where the comment is added.

Step 2: Select the option “Format cell”.
Step 3: You can apply the various formatting features as desired and click on OK
button to apply the changes. Observe the desired formatting features applied to
the comment box.
Reviewing Changes – View, Accept or Reject Changes
In the final stage, we will go through the changes to accept or reject to prepare the
final spreadsheet after looking at all the changes made by the team members.
Step 1: Select and click on Edit > Track Changes > Show. It will open the
Show Changes dialog window.
Step 2: This is used to plan what all changes are to be displayed while
reviewing the spreadsheet.
Step 3: Click on Edit > Track Changes > Manage to accept or reject the changes
It will display the Manage Changes dialog window.
Step 4: In this dialog window, click on the line and click on Accept or Accept All
or Reject All button to review the changes.
Step 5: Click on Close button once the review is done.
Merging and Comparing
If the same spreadsheet is reviewed by different team members and you
have two different versions of the same spreadsheet file.
Follow the following steps to merge document -:
1. Open the file where you want to merge the changes.
2. Click on Edit > Track Changes > Merge Document.
3. In the Merge With dialog box, select the second file to be merged & click Open.
4. After merging, the Manage Changes dialog will display the changes, allowing
you to review them.
5. Click on Accept All to apply all changes from the second file into the main file.
6. After merging, verify that the main file now contains the combined data
and changes from both files.
 Comparing Documents
Comparing two documents in LibreOffice Calc involves identifying differences
between two spreadsheet files, such as changes in data, formulas, or structure.
It helps review changes by different users, track updates, and ensure accuracy
and consistency.
1. Open the primary spreadsheet file that you want to compare.
2. Go to Edit > Track Changes > Compare Document.
3. In the Compare to dialog box, select the second spreadsheet file & click Open.
4. The Manage Changes dialog box will appear, showing the differences.
Review the changes and click Accept to apply them.
5. Click on the Close button to exit the Manage Changes dialog.