<sect1 id="sect-data-selections">
  <title>Selecting Cells and Cell Ranges</title>
  
  <para>
    By selecting multiple cells at once, common operations can be
    performed on all the cells which have been selected. These
    operations include data entry, copying the cells, and multiple
    other operations .
  </para>
  

  <sect2 id="simple-selections">
    <title>Simple Selections</title>

    <para>
      The simplest selection involves a single cell. Simply clicking
      with the left hand mouse button while the mouse cursor is over a
      cell will cause that cell to become selected.
    </para>

    <para>
      The selected cell is indicated by a dark double line with a small
      square in the bottom right corner. The selected cell is the the
      one that is currently in focus and will take any input for the
      keyboard.
    </para>

    <figure id="fig-selected-cell">
      <title>A selected cell.</title>
      <screenshot>
	<mediaobject>
            <imageobject>
              <imagedata fileref="figures/selection-2.png" format="PNG"/>
            </imageobject>
            <textobject>
              <phrase>An image of a single selected cell.</phrase>
            </textobject>
           </mediaobject>
      </screenshot>
    </figure>

    <para>
      To make a cell become the selected cell, simply move the
      white-cross cursor over the cell and press the left mouse
      button.
    </para>
    
    <figure id="fig-selecting-cell-by-cursor">
      <title>Selecting a cell with the mouse cursor.</title>
      <screenshot>
	<mediaobject>
            <imageobject>
              <imagedata fileref="figures/selection-1.png" format="PNG" />
            </imageobject>
            <textobject>
              <phrase>An image of the cursor selecting a cell.</phrase>
            </textobject>
           </mediaobject>
      </screenshot>
    </figure>

  </sect2>


  <sect2 id="selecting-multiple-cells">
    <title>Selecting Multiple Cells</title>

    <para>
      Several cells can be selected at once. The selection of multiple
      cells is indicated by a dark double line around the extents of
      the selection. The top-left cell appears much like a single
      selected cell while the rest of the selection is the inverse
      color.
    </para>

    <figure id="multicellselect">
      <title>A multi-cell selection</title>
      <screenshot>
	<mediaobject>
            <imageobject>
              <imagedata fileref="figures/selection-3.png" format="PNG" />
            </imageobject>
            <textobject>
              <phrase>An image of a contiguous selection of cells.</phrase>
            </textobject>
           </mediaobject>
      </screenshot>
    </figure>
    
  
  <sect3 id="continuous-selections">
    <title>Continuous selections</title>
    
    <para>
      To make a continuous selection of cells, click on the cell with
      the white_cross cursor and drag the extents of the selection
      until it comprises the area you wish to select, and
      release.
    </para>
    
    <figure id="multicellsect2">
      <title>Multiple cells being selected with the cursor.</title> 
      <screenshot>
        <mediaobject>
            <imageobject>
              <imagedata fileref="figures/selection-4.png" format="PNG" />
            </imageobject>
            <textobject>
              <phrase>An image of a block selection and the mouse cursor.</phrase>
            </textobject>
           </mediaobject>

      </screenshot>
    </figure>
  </sect3>

  
  <sect3 id="discontinuous-selections">
    <title>Discontinuous selections</title>
    
    <para>
      To select a set of cells that may not be continuous, use
      <keycombo><keycap>Ctrl</keycap></keycombo>+<mousebutton>MB1</mousebutton>
      and drag to argument an existing selection.  The cells can be
      added individually or as parts of other selections.
    </para>
    
    <figure id="dicontselect">
      <title>A discontinuous selection of cells.</title>
      <screenshot>
	<mediaobject>
            <imageobject>
              <imagedata fileref="figures/selection-5.png" format="PNG" />
            </imageobject>
            <textobject>
              <phrase>An image of a multiple selection.</phrase>
            </textobject>
           </mediaobject>
      </screenshot>
    </figure>
    </sect3>
  </sect2>
  
  
 <sect2 id="data-selections-keyboard">
    <title>Selections Using the Keyboard</title>
    
    <para>
      The quickest way to make large selections, especially when your
      already using the keyboard is to just use the keyboard selection
      tools.  The basic use is to press
      <keycombo><keycap>Shift</keycap><keycap>arrow</keycap></keycombo>
      keys to make a new selection.
    </para>
    
    <para>
      To select an entire row of cells, press Shift+space. This is
      equivalent to pressing the row label button on the left side of
      the sheet.
    </para>
    
    <figure id="selectrow">
      <title>An entire row being selected.</title>
      <screenshot>
	<mediaobject>
            <imageobject>
              <imagedata fileref="figures/selection-8.png" format="PNG" />
            </imageobject>
            <textobject>
              <phrase>An image of a selected row.</phrase>
            </textobject>
           </mediaobject>
      </screenshot>
    </figure>
    
    
    <para>
      To select an entire column of cells, press
      <keycombo><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>
      Space</keycap></keycombo> . This is equivalent to pressing the
      column label button on the top of the sheet.
    </para>

    <figure id="selectcol">
      <title>An entire column being selected.</title>
      <screenshot>
	<mediaobject>
            <imageobject>
              <imagedata fileref="figures/selection-9.png" format="PNG" />
            </imageobject>
            <textobject>
              <phrase>An image of a selected column.</phrase>
            </textobject>
           </mediaobject>
      </screenshot>
    </figure>
    
    <para>
      To select the entire sheet, press
      <keycombo><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>A</keycap></keycombo>. This
      is equivalent to pressing the button in the top left corner of
      the sheet.
    </para>
    
    <figure id="selectall">
      <title>The entire worksheet being selected.</title>
      <screenshot>
	<mediaobject>
            <imageobject>
              <imagedata fileref="figures/selection-10.png" format="PNG" />
            </imageobject>
            <textobject>
              <phrase>An image of an entire worksheet selected.</phrase>
            </textobject>
           </mediaobject>
      </screenshot>
    </figure>
    
    
    <itemizedlist>
      <listitem>
	<para>
	  <keycombo><keycap>Shift</keycap><keycap>Arrow</keycap></keycombo>
	  : Define selection with cursor keys.
       </para>
     </listitem>

      <listitem>
	<para>
	  <keycombo><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>Arrow</keycap></keycombo>
	  : Jump to the end of the current region.
        </para>
      </listitem>
      
      <listitem>
	<para>
	  <keycombo><keycap>Alt</keycap><keycap>Space</keycap></keycombo>
	  : Select current row. 
       </para> 
     </listitem>

      <listitem>
	<para>
	  <keycombo><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>Space</keycap></keycombo>
	  : Select current column.
        </para>
      </listitem>
      
      <listitem>
	<para>
	  <keycombo><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>A</keycap></keycombo>
	  : Select the entire sheet.
        </para>
      </listitem>
      
      <listitem>
	<para>
	  <keycombo><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>/</keycap></keycombo>
	  : Select the array formula arround the current edit position.
        </para>
      </listitem>

    </itemizedlist>
  </sect2>
  

  
</sect1>

