> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.doconda.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Formulas vs values in a generated XLSX

> An XLSX cell can store a formula or just a value; with formulas, the sheet recalculates when an input changes.

In an [XLSX](/en/glossary/xlsx) file, each cell can store a fixed **value** (a number or text) or a **formula**
(`=SUM(B2:B9)`) together with its last calculated result. A sheet with formulas recalculates when an input changes; a
sheet that only stores values is a snapshot of the calculation that never updates.

## Why it matters when generating documents with AI

* A model that computes totals and writes them as numbers can get them wrong, and nobody can see where the figure
  comes from.
* With formulas, whoever receives the sheet can change an assumption (a price, a rate) and see the effect across the
  workbook.
* Assumptions in their own cells, rather than typed inside formulas, make the model auditable.
* A hard-coded number among identical formulas, or a broken reference (`#REF!`), breaks the calculation without being
  obvious at a glance.

## With Doconda

The Excel files Doconda creates have real formulas (not pasted numbers), with assumptions in their own cells and no
calculation errors ([Create](/en/guides/create)); when [editing](/en/guides/edit), changes are made with formulas too.
The [review](/en/guides/review) flags formula errors, broken references, links to other files and hard-coded numbers
among identical formulas, with the sheet and cells.

## Related

* [What is XLSX](/en/glossary/xlsx)
* [Structured output vs file output](/en/glossary/structured-output)
* [What is OOXML](/en/glossary/ooxml)


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.