LibreOffice has some nice features that are not always so well-documented. Here’s one for performing currency calculations that I discovered and found useful. Typically a table might have a column in the local currency, and then require a column for the same figures in another currency. That’s where it’s useful to calculate the figures automatically, based on a given rate. If the current rate changes, the foreign currency rate will automatically update, based on a new figure that is placed in the cell from which the conversion will be performed. That’s as long as the document is saved in .odt format. If the document is saved in .doc or .docx format, only the values will be preserved, meaning that the document should look fine, but it will not be possible to perform an automatic update of the fields based on a new currency rate.
- Choose a cell for the currency rate and place there the currency rate there, which can be obtained from xe.com
- Obtain the cell references from the status bar at the bottom of screen
- Place cursor in the cell in which the calculation should appear.
- Get the formula bar by pressing F2
- Insert the formula as (example) =<C3>/<D1> and click on check mark (where D1 is the cell reference for the currency rate and C3 is the currency from which the calculation should be made).
- Change the number format of the cells to reflect the currency that is being converted to. (Table, Number format, choose currency and format for expressing it).
- Another way to get the cell references is to click inside the cells while the formula bar is operative, and simply type between them the operator (/ or *)