Absolute and relative cell references in a spreadsheet
When using a function/formula, while creating a macro, or a custom function we can use cell references in two ways—absolute and relative.
Absolute cell reference
The absolute cell reference indicates that the given column and row references are constant/fixed and will not change irrespective of the change in position of the destination cell. A cell reference can be made into an absolute by appending a "$" sign before the column/row reference in the cell address.
Example:
$A$1 — Both the column and row are absolute.
Relative cell reference
The relative cell reference indicates that the given cell reference is bound to change based on the change in position of the destination cell.
Example:
A1 — Both the column and row are relative.
Mixed cell reference
Apart from absolute and relative cell references you can also use mixed cell references—that is a combination of absolute and relative references.
Examples:
$A1 - The column is absolute while the row is relative.
A$1 - The column is relative while the row is absolute.
$A$1:B1 - The start cell (A1) remains constant while the end cell (B1) is relative.
Note: You can use the F4 key as a shortcut to toggle between the absolute, mixed, and relative cell references inside Zoho Sheet.
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