Org table: emphasizing calculated cell

Org table: emphasizing calculated cell

[Jarmo Hurri]

Greetings.

In the table below, the text in the first column of the last row is
emphasized. What is (an easy way) to emphasize the calculated value in
the second column of the last row?

| quantity | value |
|----------+-------|
| A        |     1 |
| B        |     3 |
|----------+-------|
| *C*      |  0.33 |
#+TBLFM: @4$2=@-2/@-1;%.2f

All the best,

Jarmo

Re: Org table: emphasizing calculated cell

[Norwid Behrnd]

Jarmo,

try extending the format of the table formula with asterisks, i.e.

```
| quantity |  value |
|----------+--------|
| A        |      1 |
| B        |      3 |
|----------+--------|
| *C*      | *0.33* |
#+TBLFM:  @4$2=@-2/@-1; *%.2f*
```

Subsequently, issue the call ```C-c *``` for an update while the
cursor is within the table.  This approach works well enough for me
(equally for emphasis with enclosing forward slashes, or underscores)
in Emacs' native display (backed by elpa-org 9.4.0) as well as for a
subsequent export into .html and display (e.g., in Firefox), or .tex.


Norwid

Re: Org table: emphasizing calculated cell

[Jarmo Hurri]

Greetings Norwid.

Norwid Behrnd <nbehrnd@yahoo.com> writes:

> try extending the format of the table formula with asterisks, i.e.
>
> ```
> | quantity |  value |
> |----------+--------|
> | A        |      1 |
> | B        |      3 |
> |----------+--------|
> | *C*      | *0.33* |
>
> #+TBLFM:  @4$2=@-2/@-1; *%.2f*
> ```
>
> Subsequently, issue the call ```C-c *``` for an update while the
> cursor is within the table.  This approach works well enough for me
> (equally for emphasis with enclosing forward slashes, or underscores)
> in Emacs' native display (backed by elpa-org 9.4.0) as well as for a
> subsequent export into .html and display (e.g., in Firefox), or .tex.

Excellent, this is a working solution for the basic case. Much
appreciated!

This solution seems to change the contents of a cell, not only its
formatting. So the following, where I try to increase the value of "C"
by one, leads to an error:

```
| quantity | value  |
|----------+--------|
| A        | 1      |
| B        | 3      |
|----------+--------|
| *C*      | *0.33* |
| D        | #ERROR |
#+TBLFM: @4$2=@-2/@-1; *%.2f*::@5$2=@-1+1
```

I wonder if there is a way around this effect?

Jarmo

Re: Org table: emphasizing calculated cell

[Norwid Behrnd]

Dear Jarmo,

your observation is new to me because I only used the approach

```
#+TBLFM:  @4$2=@-2/@-1; *%.2f*
```

at the end of a table e.g., about the grand total of an addition
(there are other/better ways to achieve this).

The instruction however computes the ratio, and formats twice the
result; once for the number of decimals displayed (which is not the
adjustable precision of computation), followed by the addition
asterisks orgmode subsequently interprets to use bold glyphs.  So
eventually you concatenate characters, i.e. the content of the cell
no longer is of type integer, nor a real/floating number. Since an
addition in line of

```
A + 3.14 = ...
```

is not defined, Emacs reports an error.

My insight in Emacs calc still is too small to know how to to trim
character strings (i.e., remove of the asterisks) and convert a
string of characters like ```3.14``` into a floating number.  So
there might be better solutions than the following.

Let's use your idea to use /multiple table formulae/.  Contrasting to
your attempt, I don't mind to go the extra mile and to run a cheap
computation twice for a result already in hand.  As a MWE 

```
| quantity  |  value |
| A         |      1 |
| B         |      3 |
| ratio A/B | *0.33* |
| ratio + 1 |   1.33 |
#+TBLFM: @4$2 = @2/@3; *%.2f* :: @5$2 = @2/@3 + 1; %.2f
```

where the table is populated/updated by ```C-u C-c *```.

-8><---
Side note:  It is possible to experiment with multiple table formulae
on multiple lines, e.g. to use here

```
#+TBLFM: @4$2 = @2/@3; *%.2f*
#+TBLFM: @5$2 = @2/@3 + 1; %.2f
```

instead.  This may be fine at the level to join the nuts and bolts,
to populate (and update) the table TBLFM by TBLFM with an individual
```C-c C-c``` while the cursor is in the corresponding definition.
The example below however suggests ```C-u C-c *``` considers only the
first TBLFM and skips the other:

```
cave!  incomplete update by C-u C-c *

| quantity  |  value |
| A         |     20 |
| B         |      3 |
| ratio A/B | *6.67* |
| ratio + 1 |   1.33 |
#+TBLFM: @4$2 = @2/@3; *%.2f*
#+TBLFM: @5$2 = @2/@3 + 1; %.2f
```

Norwid

Re: Org table: emphasizing calculated cell

[Nick Dokos]

Jarmo Hurri <jarmo.hurri@iki.fi> writes:

> Greetings Norwid.
>
> Norwid Behrnd <nbehrnd@yahoo.com> writes:
>
>> try extending the format of the table formula with asterisks, i.e.
>>
>> ```
>> | quantity |  value |
>> |----------+--------|
>> | A        |      1 |
>> | B        |      3 |
>> |----------+--------|
>> | *C*      | *0.33* |
>>
>> #+TBLFM:  @4$2=@-2/@-1; *%.2f*
>> ```
>>
>> Subsequently, issue the call ```C-c *``` for an update while the
>> cursor is within the table.  This approach works well enough for me
>> (equally for emphasis with enclosing forward slashes, or underscores)
>> in Emacs' native display (backed by elpa-org 9.4.0) as well as for a
>> subsequent export into .html and display (e.g., in Firefox), or .tex.
>
> Excellent, this is a working solution for the basic case. Much
> appreciated!
>
> This solution seems to change the contents of a cell, not only its
> formatting. So the following, where I try to increase the value of "C"
> by one, leads to an error:
>
> ```
> | quantity | value  |
> |----------+--------|
> | A        | 1      |
> | B        | 3      |
> |----------+--------|
> | *C*      | *0.33* |
> | D        | #ERROR |
>
> #+TBLFM: @4$2=@-2/@-1; *%.2f*::@5$2=@-1+1
> ```
>
> I wonder if there is a way around this effect?
>

The error here is that `*0.33*' is no longer a string that can be converted to a number,
so the calculator barfs.

TUrn on formula debugging with `C-c {' and try evaluating it.

-- 
Nick

"There are only two hard problems in computer science: cache
invalidation, naming things, and off-by-one errors." -Martin Fowler

Re: Org table: emphasizing calculated cell

[Samuel Wales]

out of curiosity, do common spreadsheets implement the feature of
distinguishing calculated results from entered values?  i find myself
wanting that too, but don't know if that desire is unusual.


On 8/27/21, Nick Dokos <ndokos@gmail.com> wrote:
> Jarmo Hurri <jarmo.hurri@iki.fi> writes:
>
>> Greetings Norwid.
>>
>> Norwid Behrnd <nbehrnd@yahoo.com> writes:
>>
>>> try extending the format of the table formula with asterisks, i.e.
>>>
>>> ```
>>> | quantity |  value |
>>> |----------+--------|
>>> | A        |      1 |
>>> | B        |      3 |
>>> |----------+--------|
>>> | *C*      | *0.33* |
>>>
>>> #+TBLFM:  @4$2=@-2/@-1; *%.2f*
>>> ```
>>>
>>> Subsequently, issue the call ```C-c *``` for an update while the
>>> cursor is within the table.  This approach works well enough for me
>>> (equally for emphasis with enclosing forward slashes, or underscores)
>>> in Emacs' native display (backed by elpa-org 9.4.0) as well as for a
>>> subsequent export into .html and display (e.g., in Firefox), or .tex.
>>
>> Excellent, this is a working solution for the basic case. Much
>> appreciated!
>>
>> This solution seems to change the contents of a cell, not only its
>> formatting. So the following, where I try to increase the value of "C"
>> by one, leads to an error:
>>
>> ```
>> | quantity | value  |
>> |----------+--------|
>> | A        | 1      |
>> | B        | 3      |
>> |----------+--------|
>> | *C*      | *0.33* |
>> | D        | #ERROR |
>>
>> #+TBLFM: @4$2=@-2/@-1; *%.2f*::@5$2=@-1+1
>> ```
>>
>> I wonder if there is a way around this effect?
>>
>
> The error here is that `*0.33*' is no longer a string that can be converted
> to a number,
> so the calculator barfs.
>
> TUrn on formula debugging with `C-c {' and try evaluating it.
>
> --
> Nick
>
> "There are only two hard problems in computer science: cache
> invalidation, naming things, and off-by-one errors." -Martin Fowler
>
>
>


-- 
The Kafka Pandemic

Please learn what misopathy is.
https://thekafkapandemic.blogspot.com/2013/10/why-some-diseases-are-wronged.html

Re: Org table: emphasizing calculated cell

[Jarmo Hurri]

Nick Dokos <ndokos@gmail.com> writes:

> Jarmo Hurri <jarmo.hurri@iki.fi> writes:
>> This solution seems to change the contents of a cell, not only its
>> formatting. So the following, where I try to increase the value of "C"
>> by one, leads to an error:
>>
>> ```
>> | quantity | value  |
>> |----------+--------|
>> | A        | 1      |
>> | B        | 3      |
>> |----------+--------|
>> | *C*      | *0.33* |
>> | D        | #ERROR |
>>
>> #+TBLFM: @4$2=@-2/@-1; *%.2f*::@5$2=@-1+1
>> ```
>>
>> I wonder if there is a way around this effect?
>
> The error here is that `*0.33*' is no longer a string that can be
> converted to a number, so the calculator barfs.

Yes, that is obvious. The underlying question is whether it is possible
to cleanly separate presentation from contents. Here they are mixed.

All the best,

Jarmo

Re: Org table: emphasizing calculated cell

[Jarmo Hurri]

Greetings Norwid.

Norwid Behrnd <nbehrnd@yahoo.com> writes:

> Let's use your idea to use /multiple table formulae/.  Contrasting to
> your attempt, I don't mind to go the extra mile and to run a cheap
> computation twice for a result already in hand.  As a MWE 
>
> ```
> | quantity  |  value |
> | A         |      1 |
> | B         |      3 |
> | ratio A/B | *0.33* |
> | ratio + 1 |   1.33 |
>
> #+TBLFM: @4$2 = @2/@3; *%.2f* :: @5$2 = @2/@3 + 1; %.2f
> ```

Thanks, that is indeed a working approach. As you suspected, I would go
an extra mile or ten to avoid repeating formulae. ;)

Have fun and stay safe,

Jarmo