Have you ever used scroll lock?

Well?

I haven't, nor have I ever been able to figure out how it works, or if it even does work...

I know computers pretty well and I don't have a clue on what it does! :confused:

If you are using Excel you can view cells around the whole spreadsheet without leaving the cell that you are currently 'active' on. This is useful, for instance, if you are writing a spreadsheet with lots of columns and rows and you are tracing the precedent cells in a large formulae.

I have some modelling in an Excel spreadsheet with 4 'if' statements nested within the same formula (it works out bonuses and long service loadings) and it's useful to verify the independent variables that influence the result without moving from the cell with the formula...

Originally posted by replicant_008
If you are using Excel you can view cells around the whole spreadsheet without leaving the cell that you are currently 'active' on. This is useful, for instance, if you are writing a spreadsheet with lots of columns and rows and you are tracing the precedent cells in a large formulae.

I have some modelling in an Excel spreadsheet with 4 'if' statements nested within the same formula (it works out bonuses and long service loadings) and it's useful to verify the independent variables that influence the result without moving from the cell with the formula...

And now I know what it does, thanks to another excellent post from replicant.:)

I don't have or never used Excel. Can it do anything on a regular computer?

Originally posted by YellowMaranello


And now I know what it does, thanks to another excellent post from replicant.:)

Nope me still confused:(

It's a guess, but Taz, I think it just always allows you to use the arrow keys to move the bars to see the screen. I haven't found much more use yet of it on regular computers though.

Remember, it's just a guess. It does add color to your keyboard when it's lit! :rolleyes:

I don't have any other use for it other than in Excel and Access using tables or arrays.

As for explaining the Excel thing. If you use the arrow key to move around in Excel, the cell that is active ie the one you can edit moves in the direction you are hitting the arrow key. So if hit the arrow key to the right you will eventually move from a1 to b1 to c1 and so on.

Now sometimes you have a formula that has lots of references to other cells. Now you may find you have an error or want to check the formula. You go to the cell (let say a1) which allows you to see the formula in the formula bar at the top of the screen. You can then see all of the cells that you have referenced in the formula (let's say AZ1 and B129).

Then if you press scroll lock, you can use the arrow key to move around the spreadsheet as you did before so you can look and see if AZ1 and B129 are the correct cells to use in your formula. However, the active cell doesn't move this time - it still stays as a1 and it means you continue to look at formula (to see your cell references) and you can edit the formula by hitting the F2 key without having to go all the way back to highlight cell a1.

Originally posted by Damien

Remember, it's just a guess. It does add color to your keyboard when it's lit! :rolleyes:

*Presses scroll lock* Ooooooooooohhhhhh preeeeettyyyyyy:rolleyes:


Replicant- If only I had known when I had to do my probability assignment :(

Ahhhh now I understand

You find out these things when you write spreadsheet models for a living. Incidentally, I think I'm now into my 16th year using Excel - I started on a Mac Plus with version 1.0A.

Oh and try learning about the subtotal command sometime it will save you heaps of time.

I feel so much better now from reading all this....i to had no idea what it was for......:D

When did you come to the circle Replicant? Do you know any of the other Kiwi AFers?

I'm just wondering 'cause you seem to be awash with usefull info, I hop into one thread and your giving out drink recipies, hop into another and you know what Scroll Lock is for :D

Sense I wasn't posting much when you joined and I didn't get the chance to, Welcome to AF :wave: :D

the scroll lock pretty much is obsolete. it exists for legacy purposes.

on old IBM PC/XT keyboards they didnt have the cursor/movement keys in the middle (the number keypad had to do this)

the scroll lock locked it with the scroll functions, and num lock superceded it by locking in numbers.

try turning off your num lock and see what happens when you press '2'

Originally posted by shadowboy
try turning off your num lock and see what happens when you press '2'

the opposite of what happens when you press 8 :D

I believe we had to use it in computers back in the day in school, forgot how to use it though, so I don't use it anymore. :)

Originally posted by kicker1_solo
I believe we had to use it in computers back in the day in school, forgot how to use it though, so I don't use it anymore. :)

Thank you so much for summing that up for us kicker! :rolleyes:

This is worse than finding out what E=MC squared is!!! Maybe this should go in Philosophy forum because one of life's problems has yet to be solve apparently! :eek:

Thanks for the welcome Gonthrax...

Actually, I haven't met any of the Kiwi AF'ers, I kinda did what I do when I travel, was wandering around following my nose and stumbled in. Kind of liked it so I figured I'd say hello and been here for a couple of weeks or so...

Interesting bunch of folk... so I figure I might hang around a while...

Hmm...leanring all about legacy programming at the moment at school.

Now for a slight change of topid:
What COULD programmers use the scroll lock key for instead to make it useful??