Estimating Glossary

NOTE-- In 2000 we completely replaced MacNail with the newer Goldenseal construction estimating software. There are still die-hard MacNail users, so we keep the manuals online for their use! Goldenseal is an integrated program that also includes accounting, job costing and contract writing features. There are answers to many Goldenseal questions on our website.

Estimating Glossary F to G

File Finder: A Macintosh dialog box displayed after selecting Open or Save As from the FILE menu. See page 175 for more information.

Finder: The Macintosh program that runs the desktop.

Fixed Costs: The portion of an estimate where wages, sales tax rate, overhead, profit, and fudge factors are set. It is located just above job dimensions in the upper left window.

Floppy disks: Used to store data. Most floppy disks contain 800K of memory compared to Hard Disks which can contain several thousand. Floppy disks are less expensive and very portable.

Folder: Icon on the desktop that looks like a file folder and is used to store files and other folders. To display the contents of a folder double click to open it. It will open into a folder window.

Fonts: Letters on the Macintosh can be displayed and printed in different type faces. Each type face is a font. Each font has a name such as Geneva or Helvetica.

Formula: An Excel feature that calculates a number to put in a cell. You can see by clicking on the cell and looking at the 'formula bar' (the area just below the menu bar at the top of the screen). The formula may be a number, or it may be a formula (starting with an equal sign) that refers to other cells, or to 'defined names'. The results of the formula will be displayed on the screen itself, except when you are still working on the formula in the formula bar. The formula bar will always show the formula that is in the 'active cell' (the one that is highlighted).

Formula bar: Box at the top of the screen just below the menu names. Displays formula for the current cell. Can be used to type formulas into (see diagram page 168).

Fudge factor: A number that the MacNail construction estimating software uses to 'nudge' final prices up or down to account for special conditions or regional differences.

Go To: An Excel feature that jumps you to a different part of a worksheet.