How do I set up the add function to add the elements in a column?

I have a spreadsheet with numbers in column 2. I select a set of rows. I want to add the numbers in column 2 for these rows and have the answer placed somewhere sensible. How do I do that?
This is obviously a very useful feature but I don’t know how to use it.
Keith

Hi
for the sample answer, I make the following assumptions:

  • the result should be in cell C1 (Colum 3, Row 1).
  • 1st cell for the sum is B1 (Column 2, Row 1)
  • Last cell for the sum is B10 (Column 2, Row 10)

then go to cell C1 and add the formula: =SUM(B1:B10)

Yes I see that would work. Since on any call I have a particular number of values to add I have to specify the number of values, the 10 you mentioned in your formula. So I still have a lot of counting to do! What about this?

I Insert a blank row underneath the rows to be added
I Highlight the column of cells to be added - a stack finishing above the blank row - I choose the top row
I Press ADD
Libre office will add the values in the column and place the result in that column in the row I have so thoughtfully provided

For extra points -
I Just highlight the column of cells
I press ADD
Libre-office will itself insert the blank row I just mentioned ; it will then add the elements in the highlighted cells and put the answer in the cell below the column.


I can see that we are getting away from the notion of a speadsheet with numerical arguments here.

Well I found that I can add up the items of a given class quite quickly; the total time is made up of two main elements;

a -time to transfer the data from my bank statement

b - time to add up the amounts for items of the same class

I find that a is much bigger than b. Of course my bank could make it easier by providing a suitable formatted
ledger file (cancelling a), just as libre office could make life easier by provindng the SUM function I mentioned (making b much much less) I conclude that for an indivdual the task is carried out so little that the effort by the bank or libre office would not be worthwhile. And; of course, large groups who do this will be able to use custom built software with both these functions built in.
Keith

My answer is really summed up in the comment above. As I was about to say when I reached the limit -

I want Libre-office to respond to me as follows:

I highlight a stack of cells from row r1 to row r2, say, in column c.
(Libre-office knows the values of r1,r2, and c.)
I press ADD
a - Libre-office inserts a blank row immediately below row r2.
b - Libre-office adds the values in column c from row r1 to row r2 and places the value in the new row r2+1

The advantage here is that I don’t need to do the counting and type in a particular formula involving the number of cells over which to add. You can see that this offers a tremendous speed-up.
Alas - this is not just an application of libre-office as it stands; I am asking for libre-office
a - to mimic what I I would do with right click, insert a row
b - to analyze the pattern of selected cells in order to discover r1,r2, and c. ( Libre-office must ‘know’ these values in order to maintain the display of he selected cells.)
c - to create the right formula involving SUM and the integer 1 + r2 - r1; this is the number of values to be added.
d - to execute this formula

I am a bit hazy about how to ensure that the answer falls in the cell in the new row 1+r2 and column c
However I am sure that someone can enlighten me!