Understanding cell references

• T stands for Table and indicates that the reference is to a table cell.
• n is the story index number, starting at 1. This number tells you which story (text frame or chain of linked frames) contains the table.
• X is the column letter (A, B, C, etc.), identifying the column within the table.
• m is the row number, starting at 1, identifying the row within the table.

For example, T1A1 refers to the cell in column A, row 1 of a table in the first story, while T2B3 refers to column B, row 3 in a table in the second story.

In InDesign, a story is any text frame or a chain of linked text frames. Each story is assigned a unique number by MathGrid, starting from 1. This means:

• Each separate text frame in your document is a different story, even if they are on the same page.
• If you link text frames together, they are treated as a single story.

Tip: If you are unsure which story number (or cell coordinate) to use, simply select a cell in your table and use the Add to target or Add to formula button in MathGrid. The correct reference will be inserted automatically.

• T1C5 — Column C, row 5 in the first story (text frame)
• T3A2 — Column A, row 2 in the third story
• T2D10 — Column D, row 10 in the second story

• Cell references let you build formulas that automatically update when your table data changes.
• You can reference cells from different tables or stories, making cross-table calculations possible.
• Using references instead of hardcoded values makes your documents more flexible and easier to maintain.