Binding an input block to a spreadsheet cell is what connects your reader's choices to your math. This article covers how to assign an input to a cell and what value each block type writes there.
How to assign an input to a cell
- Select the input block in the editor — an Input field, Slider, Dropdown, Selection, or Toggle.
- In its settings panel, open the Formula group.
- Click the cell-assignment box (it reads No cell assigned until something is bound).
- The Formula spreadsheet opens. Click the cell you want this input to write into.
- Click Assign [cell ref] at the top of the panel — for example, Assign D5 — to confirm.
After assigning, the settings box shows the bound cell reference and a Change action you can click to pick a different cell.
Bind each input to a free cell — typically in column D or beyond, since A–C are reserved. See Formula tab overview for why.
What value each block writes
The assigned cell is seeded with the block's current value so your formulas preview against realistic sample data. Each block type contributes a number:
| Block | Value written to the cell |
|---|---|
| Input field | Its default value (or 0 if unset) |
| Slider | Its minimum value. For a percentage slider, the minimum divided by 100 |
| Dropdown / Selection | The sum of the values of the selected option(s); falls back to the first option's value |
| Toggle | Its configured numeric value (or 0) |
How Selection and Dropdown sum
Selection and Dropdown options each carry a numeric value. When more than one option is selected (a multi-select), the assigned cell receives the sum of all the selected options' values. If nothing is selected yet, the cell falls back to the first option's value so a freshly edited option shows up on the sheet immediately.
Slider minimum seeds the cell
A slider seeds the cell with its minimum, not its current handle position — that's the value a reader would see before touching it. If the slider is formatted as a percentage, the seeded value is the minimum expressed as a decimal (a minimum of 10 becomes 0.1).
Live updates while you build
Whenever you change a block's default, options, or min, Numio rewrites the assigned cell so your formulas recalculate against the new sample value. It only ever touches the assigned input cells — it never clears or restyles the rest of your sheet.
Where to go next
- Input rows and cell references — A1 notation, ranges, and absolute references
- Assigning cells to result blocks — the other half of the wiring