How to have a column variable in Google Sheets

Question

Long story short I am just filling out a spreadsheet to track hours worked on a project. Row 4 calculates the time spent for each entry with a simple formula (example: =B3-B2) where the row 2 number is start time row 3 number is end time.

My calculation works fine.

What I need help with is that I don't want to have to type a formula manually into every single cell in row 4 as I fill out the spreadsheet, that is tedious and annoying as hell.

There has to be a way to use a function or variable that returns the column the cell is in so if I am entering this into B4 the calc as above would be B3-B2 but I want a variable that will return the B for me so that when I paste the same exact formula into column c, d, e on and on it returns column c, d, e saving me a bunch of typing in the calculation over time.

So essentially the calc would be (ColumnVariable[Row3] - ColumnVariable[Row2])=my output I would simply get by typing b3-b2 or c3-c2 or d3-d2 ect.

I just need to know what that column variable is so I can save myself a bunch of headache. I just haven't been able to find the right search terms to get the answer for this.

Answer 1

I put some random numbers in rows 2 and 3 (instead of times). In cell B4 I wrote this formula: "=B3-B2". To copy the formula to the cells to the right of it, but change the column letter, I just did this:

1. Select the cell with the formula in it, cell B4.
2. Click-and-hold on the lower right corner of the cell (not the center).
3. Drag to the right a few columns.
4. "Unclick" (let my finger off the mouse).
5. The formula is automatically copied into each cell in the range, but with a different column letter in each cell.

Note that the totals in row 4 are different. It's the cell value above it, minus the cell value above that. Also note that in the last picture, the formula in cell E4 is "=E3-E2".

You can drag that formula as many columns to the right as you want.