Paste Values and Apply Arithmetic in Calligra Sheets

Freeze calculated costs as numbers and apply a one-time increase to a separate copy. Calligra’s verified Special Paste controls include Result and arithmetic operations. A transpose checkbox is not present in the reviewed 26.08.2 Special Paste implementation; that part of the requested workflow remains on hold. A small explicit transposed layout below provides a checkable fallback without claiming a native transpose command.

Scope and preparation

This is a documentation-and-source-reviewed exercise for Calligra Sheets on Linux/KDE, using English labels from the 26.08.2 source. The KDE handbook still carries a 2013-03-11 revision; its KF6 URL does not prove that every screenshot or instruction describes a current build. No native application run or screenshot is claimed here. Check your version in Help → About Calligra Sheets. If a specified control is absent, stop that branch and retain the checkpoint; do not substitute another spreadsheet’s controls.

Use a new disposable workbook and save in OpenDocument Spreadsheet (.ods) format. Enter each table cell individually to avoid clipboard import ambiguities. The expected numbers below are independently calculated targets, not observed application results.

Build and preserve the source

Cell	Enter
A1	Item
B1	Units
C1	Unit cost
D1	Cost
A2	Box
B2	4
C2	5
D2	=B2*C2
A3	Tape
B3	3
C3	8
D3	=B3*C3
A4	Wrap
B4	2
C4	7
D4	=B4*C4
D6	=SUM(D2:D4)
F1	Frozen cost
H1	Adjusted cost
J1	Multiplier
J2	1.25

Expected D2:D4: 20, 24, 14; D6 58. Save cost-paste-base.ods. All paste targets below must be empty before first use; never cut the source.

Freeze values with Result

1. Select D2:D4 and Copy. Select F2:F4, then Edit → Special Paste….
2. Set Content → Result and Operation → Overwrite explicitly. Click Paste once. It dismisses this dialog; if your build leaves it open, close it before changing the selection.
3. Inspect F2:F4: expected 20, 24, 14. Select each and inspect the input line: it should contain a number, not the original multiplication formula.
4. Change B2 to 5. D2 should become 25 and D6 63, while F2 stays 20. This is the essential snapshot test.
5. Restore B2 to 4. Confirm D2 20, D6 58, and F2:F4 still 20, 24, 14 before the next branch.

The source implementation’s Result path stores the calculated value. Everything would preserve more than a frozen result, so do not accept matching displayed numbers as proof that formulas were removed.

Apply arithmetic to a disposable copy

1. Copy F2:F4. Select H2:H4 and use Special Paste → Result → Overwrite. Apply once and close. H2:H4 should start at 20, 24, 14.
2. Copy J2, which contains 1.25. Select H2:H4 and reopen Special Paste…. Choose Everything and Multiplication. Apply once, then close.
3. Expected H2:H4: 25, 30, 17.5. In H6 enter =SUM(H2:H4); expected 72.5. Independently, 58×1.25=72.5.
4. Confirm F2:F4 and the live source D2:D4 are still 20, 24, 14. Arithmetic paste changes destination values in place and must not be applied twice; a second multiplication would produce 31.25, 37.5, 21.875.

The reviewed implementation handles Result before the arithmetic operation, so Result with Multiplication does not implement this step. Use Everything with a plain numeric modifier; it can also copy that modifier cell’s formatting, so reapply a numeric format to H2:H5 if needed.

For recovery from a double application, copy the frozen F2:F4 back to H2:H4 with Result and Overwrite, then repeat the multiplier step exactly once. Recopy the source each time and open a fresh dialog; never rely on the old clipboard or remembered operation.

Make a small transposed layout explicitly

A transpose operation would turn a 3-row by 2-column item/value block into 2 rows by 3 columns. No native Special Paste transpose control has been verified in this release. Do not look for an Excel or Calc checkbox here.

For this three-item fixture only, enter L1 Box, M1 Tape, N1 Wrap, L2 20, M2 24, N2 14. This is a manually entered static presentation, not a tested transpose feature. Check each item/value pair against A2:A4 and F2:F4; L2+M2+N2 should total 58. For a larger dataset, stop rather than claiming this manual exercise scales safely. A native transpose or array-formula workflow requires separate verification.

Growth and another operation

Add A5 Labels, B5 5, C5 2, D5 =B5*C5; expected 10. Update D6 to =SUM(D2:D5), expected 68. Copy D5 to F5 with Result and Overwrite. Copy F5 to H5 the same way, then copy J2 and multiply only H5 using Special Paste → Everything → Multiplication. Expected H5 12.5. Update H6 to =SUM(H2:H5); expected 85. The old three-item layout remains a snapshot, so extend it with O1 Labels and O2 10 if you want it to include the new item.

Save cost-paste-final.ods, close and reopen. Check D6 68, F2:F5 20, 24, 14, 10, H6 85, and numeric inputs in the frozen range.

Optional reset and recovery

Preserve the final before Save As to cost-paste-reset.ods. To reset adjusted costs, copy F2:F5 over H2:H5 using Result and Overwrite; H6 should become 68. For an advanced isolated test, enter 2 in J3, copy it, and apply Everything → Addition to H2:H5 once. Expect 22, 26, 16, 12, total 76. This branch starts from restored base values, not the earlier multiplied state. To recover, repeat the overwrite from F2:F5; do not depend on Undo after reopening.

For formulas and live dependencies, see absolute references and recalculation checks.

Download the cell-entry checklist (CSV with cell addresses and entries; a reading/checking aid, not an import-ready worksheet). All starting inputs are also printed above.

Sources and verification boundary

• KDE handbook: sumspecialpaste.
• Calligra 26.08.2 official source archive: dialog controls, menu registration and implementation inspected.

Native Qt6 execution, save/reopen persistence and matching screenshots are still pending. No screenshot of another task is presented as evidence for this exercise.