The same is true when the user types in the figures for 'sales' and 'income'. into the cells below it, Numbers constructs a named range for the cells A2 through A13 and gives it the name 'month'. For instance, if the user types 'month' into A1, and then types the names 'January', 'February', etc. However, if the user types a header into the table, something one normally does as a matter of course, Numbers uses this to automatically construct a named range for the cells on that row or column. In basic operation, Numbers can be used just like Excel data can be typed anywhere and formulas can be created by referring to the data by its cell. Numbers uses a hybrid approach to the creation of formulas, supporting the use of named data like Improv, but implementing them in-sheet like Excel. The downside to Improv's approach is that it demanded more information from the user up-front, and was considered less suitable for 'quick and dirty' calculations or basic list building. It also meant that formulas calculating intermediate values did not have to be placed in the sheet and normally did not take up room. Changes to the layout of the sheet would not affect the formulas the data remains defined no matter where it is moved.
Using the car example, the formula in Improv would be average per car = total income / cars sold. Formulas were written by referring to these categories by name, creating a new category that could be (if desired) placed in the sheet for display. These data ranges were known as 'categories'. Their solution was to make the user explicitly define the semantic content of the sheets-that the B column contained 'cars sold'. During the development of Improv, the Lotus team discovered that these sorts of formulas were both difficult to use, and resistant to future changes in the spreadsheet layout.
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