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From: zimmer@calvin.stanford.edu (Andrew Zimmerman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Spreadsheets
Message-ID: <1991Apr14.041650.6227@neon.Stanford.EDU>
Date: 14 Apr 91 04:16:50 GMT
References: <2473@fornax.UUCP> <SCOTT.91Apr12221422@mcs-server.gac.edu> <1991Apr13.115926.4528@neon.Stanford.EDU>
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In article <1991Apr13.115926.4528@neon.Stanford.EDU> zimmer@calvin.stanford.edu (Andrew Zimmerman) writes:
>   2.  I tried to use it just as a spreadsheet.  It did not seem obvious to
>me how to use it.  Something as simple as swapping two rows took me 20 
>minutes to figure out.  And even then, I had to do a copy and then a delete.
>Copying a row caused all of the formulas to break.  Changing the name of the
>row to the name of the other deleted row didn't help, the formula was still
>in error.  All I had to do to fix the formula was to delete any character,
>and then type in the exact same character.  I finally gave up when I had
>problems with the IRR formula.  It seems that all of the cash flows have to
>be in the same category which for my application was not what I wanted.
>(I don't like the IRR functions that come with any of the major spreadsheets,
>but thats a different issue)
>But, the worst thing about Improv is that it is not compatible with other
>spreadsheets.

    Since I posted this note, I have played with Improv some more and (with 
the help of some other people) figured out how to move rows.  Here's how to
move a row:
1. select the row to be moved
2. in the edit menu, choose cut
3. move to the row right above where the new row is to go
4. in the edit menu, choose paste
   How to move a row to be the top row of the spreadsheet is an exercise left
   to the reader. 

If you delete a row that is used in a formula, and later give the exact same
name to a different row, there is an item called "check formula" in one of the
menus that will fix all of the formulas.

So, to be fair, it does seem that Improv does have the same functionality as
the other spreadsheets.  In the process, I also found a few other features
that are nice.  It just doesn't seem to be too obvious how to do some things.
(Note:  this doesn't mean that it isn't better, its just not obvious.)

Andrew
zimmer@calvin.stanford.edu