Formulas & Excel mode
Not everything needs a model. Formula columns compute values from other columns deterministically — instantly and at zero credit cost — and the grid behaves like a spreadsheet you already know: range selection, copy as TSV, totals and a formula bar.
The formula bar
Above the grid sits an Excel-style Formula bar: a name box, the fx symbol and one editable field.
- Type a plain value to set the cell.
- Start with
=to compute this column from other columns — for example:
= row['Contract Value'] - row['Invoice Total']Formulas reference sibling columns with row['Column Name']. A formula applies to the whole column: it becomes the column's rule, running on every row now and for any new rows added later. Use Apply to commit or Discard to cancel.
Range selection and stats
The grid supports Excel-style selection:
- Click a cell, then Shift+click to extend the range, or grow and shrink it with Shift+Arrow keys.
- Cmd+click picks scattered cells — exactly the ones you want, in any columns.
- Copy a range with Cmd+C — it lands on the clipboard as TSV and pastes cleanly into Excel or Google Sheets.
- While cells are selected — a range or a scattered pick — the status bar shows live Sum, Avg, Min, Max and Count, so a quick calculation over any set of cells needs no formula at all.
Rows can be displayed compact or comfortable (Row height), and each column's alignment can be set left, center or right — with "Apply alignment to all columns" for one-click consistency.
Totals
Enable the Totals summary row to pin aggregates under the grid. Per column, choose Sum, Average, Min, Max, Count numbers or Count filled — or write a custom aggregate:
= sum(col('Contract Value'))Formula rows
Totals is one pinned row — formula rows let you stack as many aggregate rows as you need above it. Add one from the toolbar's add-row menu (Add formula row); remove it with the × on its ƒx gutter.
A formula-row cell behaves like any other cell. Click it and the formula bar binds to it — the name box reads Amount · ƒx1 (or Σ for Totals). Type =sum for a preset aggregate (sum, avg, min, max, count, filled), or any expression for a custom formula; committing an empty field clears the cell.
Calculate over exactly the cells you choose: select data cells (a range, or Cmd+click for a scattered pick), click a formula-row cell and reference the selection with sel():
= sum(sel())The selection's values are inlined into the stored formula when you commit — like pasting values, so the result doesn't drift when the selection goes away. Different selections can feed different formula-row cells, each with its own calculation.
Move and copy between rows: with a formula-row cell selected, Alt+↑/↓ moves its content to the neighbouring formula row, and Cmd+C / Cmd+X / Cmd+V copy, cut and paste entries between formula-row cells.
The formula creator
For anything beyond a one-liner, open the Formula creator modal:
- Ask AI for a formula — describe what you want in plain language ("net value: contract value minus discount, rounded to 2 decimals") and press Generate. The AI drafts the formula for you.
- Check the live preview — the modal shows real rows with the computed result before anything is written.
- Choose the target under Fill column, or use Create new column… (Number or Text) to put results somewhere new.
- Pick Apply to: Selected cells (your current range) or Whole column — "The formula becomes the column's rule: it runs on every row now and for any new rows".
Deterministic and free
Formulas compute from other columns without calling a model — no credits are spent, results are reproducible, and they re-run automatically for new rows.
Function library
The creator documents its function library, grouped into Math, Text, Dates and Logic — around 30 functions, including:
| Group | Functions |
|---|---|
| Math | num, sum, avg, median, count, min, max, round, abs, power, sqrt, floor, ceil |
| Text | concat, strip, replace, contains, startswith, endswith, left, right, mid, split, join, len |
| Dates | ymd, daysbetween |
| Logic | if / else, case, coalesce, any, all, bool |
Limits and safety
- File and sub-sheet columns can't be used in formulas — formulas work on values, not documents.
- Cells locked as ground truth are skipped when a formula is applied, so verified values are never overwritten (see Reviews & audit trail).
- Formula applications are recorded in the audit trail like any other write.
- Blank rows render as formula rows, so a formula column fills them as soon as inputs exist.
Related pages
- Columns & AI extraction — when to use AI instead of a formula.