Not just numbers
Most spreadsheets don't just contain numbers. They also contain text, often on the left of the spreadsheet. These label the results and explain what is going on.
When OAK is reconstructing a formula, it endeavours to reproduce relevant labels in its report, to provide an indication of where the values involved come from, and what purpose they serve in the original calculation.
OAK calls this material, informative but not essential to the working a reconstruction, the context of the precedent cells.
Some context appears anyway
A reconstructed formula refers to cells further down the worksheet, which in turn are linked to the precedents of the formula being reconstructed.
In order to offer some understanding of where those precedent cells appear in the original spreadsheet, OAK provides links not only to the cells mentioned in a reconstruction formula, but to all the cells located in the same row.
So for example, reconstructing a formula =H3, that refers to a cell in the middle of the block below...
...will cause OAK to show the word "transportation" at the left, and all the values 4 along the row, even though only the one in column H is actually mentioned in the reconstructed formula.
Tip: These items aren't just values that are copies of what appeared in the original spreadsheet. They are formulas that link back to the original spreadsheet. They can be followed back to their source by pressing Ctrl+[ (left square bracket), and returned to by pressing F5, Enter.
Tip: There are no link formulas generated where cells are blank. That's why cells A10, C10, and D10 are blank.
More context available on request
OAK can be instructed to display more of the context of the elements of a formula than just a single row. The option is offered at the bottom of the reconstruction dialog box.
If the context option is turned on, and three lines are asked for, then OAK will show up to three rows either side of each row that includes precedent cells used in the reconstruction.
The additional lines of context are distinguished from the ones needed in the reconstruction by being shown in a fainter, grey typeface.
There are circumstances where the number of grey context lines delivered on a reconstruction report is less than the number asked for.
•Obviously, if a row is near the top of a worksheet, there may not be that many rows above it. In such a case, OAK will show as many rows as are available.
•If two rows that play a role in a calculation are close to each other, there will be fewer than the demanded context rows between them.
So, for example, a reconstruction of the formula =F1+F4+F5+F15, specifying three rows of context, will lead to a report with this pattern of grey lines (entries in column H are annotations added afterwards):
