Writing a sheet

A sheet is a list of lines evaluated from top to bottom. Each line can define a value, reference something above it, or simply produce a result. Variables live in one scope per sheet and are available to every line below their definition.

Comments and labels#

Everything after a # followed by a space is a comment and is ignored.

2 + 2 # this is a note

returns 4

A label: before an expression names the line without being evaluated. This is handy for reminding yourself what a line means.

Price: 10 + 5

returns 15

A single # at the very start of a line also works as a comment.

// also starts a comment, as in Numi and Soulver sheets. A line is one calculation: a ; between two statements is an error.

Tags#

With no space after the #, a word is a tag rather than a comment. Tags label lines so you can total them elsewhere.

20 #food
30 #food
#food

last line returns 50

A line that is only tags shows their total, and sum/total/average/avg (optionally followed by of) does the same. Tagged value lines above the request are summed (tagged assignments such as lunch = 12 #food are not counted; write lunch: 12 #food).

An operator after a request applies to its total.

10 #food
20 #food
sum #food * 2

returns 60

20 #food
30 #food
#food * 2

last line returns 100

Tags can be used directly in calculations: #food * 2, #food + #other. Requesting a tag with no tagged lines is reported as an error.

A row with several tags is the full amount split equally between them. So burger: 2 * 50 #ana #bob gives each tag 50 while the row keeps its full 100.

burger: 2 * 50 #ana #bob
#ana
#bob

each tag gets 50

Variables#

Assign a value with = and reuse it on later lines.

pizzas = 2
pizzaPrice = 30
people = 4
(pizzas * pizzaPrice) / people

last line returns 15

Variable names can contain spaces. A multi-word name must be consistent: monthly rent is one name, not monthly and rent.

monthly rent = 1500
monthly rent * 12

last line returns 18,000

If an assignment fails (x = foo + 1), the name stays an error until it is assigned again, so later lines that use it show "x" has an error on line 2 instead of quietly using an older value.

You can store a function with f(x) = … and call it later, either directly or under another name.

double = f(x) = x * 2
double(21)

last line returns 42

f(x) = x * 2
f(4)

last line returns 8

Objects#

An object groups named values, and a dot reaches a field.

invoice = {subtotal: 120, tax: 12}
invoice.subtotal + invoice.tax

last line returns 132

References#

line(n) uses the result of line n. Only lines above can be referenced, and the value shows in place of the token while the caret is elsewhere (the raw line(3) reappears while you edit that line).

5
line(1) * 2

last line returns 10

prev refers to the most recent result above it. It skips comments and blank lines.

20
prev * 4

last line returns 80

10
# a comment in between
prev + 1

last line returns 11

Reserved words#

A few names cannot be used as variables:

prev (the previous result)
total (the running-total aggregate)
unit — opens a user-defined unit (unit widget = 3.5 kg)
the unconditional date words today, now, yesterday, tomorrow, christmas, halloween
any name starting with __ (the editor's internal helpers)
end closes a group

Variables otherwise share one scope with the built-in names, so a variable can shadow a unit or function: after m = 5, 2 m is 2 × m, not two metres. The other aggregate keywords sum, average and avg can still be shadowed: after avg = 5, a later avg line reads the variable instead of aggregating.

Blank lines#

A blank line ends the block that sum, average and the other aggregates look at, and it separates sections of a sheet. Use it to keep aggregates scoped to the lines you mean.