diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/AddPtg.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/AddPtg.java
index a47cf6956..22af5b3b4 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/AddPtg.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/AddPtg.java
@@ -60,14 +60,15 @@
  */
 package org.apache.poi.hssf.record.formula;
 
+import java.util.List;
+
 /**
  *
  * @author  andy
  */
 
 public class AddPtg
-    extends Ptg
-    implements OperationPtg
+    extends OperationPtg
 {
     public final static int  SIZE = 1;
     public final static byte sid  = 0x03;
@@ -147,4 +148,10 @@ public class AddPtg
     public int getStringLength() {
         return 1;
     }
+    
+    public void manipulate(List source, List results, int pos) {
+        standardBinaryManipulation(source,results,pos);
+        
+    }
+    
 }
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/AttrPtg.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/AttrPtg.java
index 0a9fb5c48..a92712e9c 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/AttrPtg.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/AttrPtg.java
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ package org.apache.poi.hssf.record.formula;
 import org.apache.poi.util.LittleEndian;
 import org.apache.poi.util.BitField;
 
+import java.util.List;
+
 /**
  * "Special Attributes"
  * This seems to be a Misc Stuff and Junk record.  One function it serves is
@@ -71,8 +73,7 @@ import org.apache.poi.util.BitField;
  */
 
 public class AttrPtg
-    extends Ptg
-    implements OperationPtg
+    extends OperationPtg
 {
     public final static short sid  = 0x19;
     private final static int  SIZE = 4;
@@ -205,4 +206,9 @@ public class AttrPtg
     {
         return -1;
     }
+    
+    public void manipulate(List source, List results, int pos) {
+    }
+    
+    
 }
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/DividePtg.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/DividePtg.java
index 241047f3b..a3d76fe94 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/DividePtg.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/DividePtg.java
@@ -60,14 +60,15 @@
  */
 package org.apache.poi.hssf.record.formula;
 
+import java.util.List;
+
 /**
  *
  * @author  andy
  */
 
 public class DividePtg
-    extends Ptg
-    implements OperationPtg
+    extends OperationPtg
 {
     public final static int  SIZE = 1;
     public final static byte sid  = 0x06;
@@ -118,4 +119,8 @@ public class DividePtg
         buffer.append(operands[ 1 ].toFormulaString());
         return buffer.toString();
     }
+    
+    public void manipulate(List source, List results, int pos) {
+    }
+    
 }
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/MultiplyPtg.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/MultiplyPtg.java
index 8dc1395f2..e4a170379 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/MultiplyPtg.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/MultiplyPtg.java
@@ -60,17 +60,20 @@
  */
 package org.apache.poi.hssf.record.formula;
 
+import java.util.List;
+
 /**
  *
  * @author  andy
  */
 
 public class MultiplyPtg
-    extends Ptg
-    implements OperationPtg
+    extends OperationPtg
 {
     public final static int  SIZE = 1;
     public final static byte sid  = 0x05;
+    
+    private final static String MULTIPLY="*";
 
     /** Creates new AddPtg */
 
@@ -83,6 +86,11 @@ public class MultiplyPtg
 
         // doesn't need anything
     }
+    
+    protected MultiplyPtg(String formula, int offset) {
+        
+    }
+    
 
     public void writeBytes(byte [] array, int offset)
     {
@@ -104,6 +112,11 @@ public class MultiplyPtg
         return 2;
     }
 
+    public int getStringLength() {
+        return 1;
+    }
+    
+
     public String toFormulaString()
     {
         return "*";
@@ -118,4 +131,28 @@ public class MultiplyPtg
         buffer.append(operands[ 1 ].toFormulaString());
         return buffer.toString();
     }
+    
+    public void manipulate(List source, List results, int pos) {
+        standardBinaryManipulation(source, results, pos);
+    }
+    
+    public int getPrecedence() {
+        return 3;
+    }
+    
+    public static boolean isNextStringToken(String formula, int pos) {
+        boolean retval = false;
+        while (pos < formula.length() && Character.isWhitespace(formula.charAt(pos))) {
+            pos++;
+        }
+        
+        if (pos < formula.length()) {
+            if (formula.charAt(pos) == MULTIPLY.toCharArray()[0]) {
+                retval = true;
+            }
+        }
+        return retval;
+    }
+    
+    
 }
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/OperationPtg.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/OperationPtg.java
index c598cfcfd..6f56e2a1c 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/OperationPtg.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/OperationPtg.java
@@ -60,20 +60,31 @@
  */
 package org.apache.poi.hssf.record.formula;
 
+import java.util.List;
+
 /**
  * defines a Ptg that is an operation instead of an operand
  * @author  andy
  */
 
-public interface OperationPtg
+public abstract class OperationPtg extends Ptg
 {
     public final static int TYPE_UNARY    = 0;
     public final static int TYPE_BINARY   = 1;
     public final static int TYPE_FUNCTION = 2;
 
-    public int getType();
+    public abstract int getType();
 
-    public int getNumberOfOperands();
+    public abstract int getNumberOfOperands();
+    
+    /**
+     * manipulate the list, moving the arguments for this function to the source list
+     * followed by the operator.
+     */
+    public abstract void manipulate(List source, List results, int pos);
 
-    public String toFormulaString(Ptg [] operands);
+    public abstract String toFormulaString(Ptg [] operands);
+    
+    protected void standardBinaryManipulation(List source,List results, int pos) {
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/ParenthesisPtg.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/ParenthesisPtg.java
index 5bf163b07..afd6289f4 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/ParenthesisPtg.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/ParenthesisPtg.java
@@ -55,16 +55,18 @@
 
 package org.apache.poi.hssf.record.formula;
 
+import java.util.List;
+
 /**
  * Dummy class, we want it only for for the parsing process
  * does not actually get into the file  -- note by andy...there is a parenthesis PTG
  * that can be written and is sometimes!
  *
  * Avik Sengupta <lists@aviksengupta.com>
+ * Andrew C. Oliver (acoliver at apache dot org)
  */
 public class ParenthesisPtg
-    extends Ptg
-    implements OperationPtg
+    extends OperationPtg
 {
    
 
@@ -99,5 +101,9 @@ public class ParenthesisPtg
     {
         return "(";
     }
+    
+    public void manipulate(List source, List results, int pos) {
+    }
+    
 }
 
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/PowerPtg.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/PowerPtg.java
index e5e61be9e..b3680eb09 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/PowerPtg.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/PowerPtg.java
@@ -60,14 +60,15 @@
  */
 package org.apache.poi.hssf.record.formula;
 
+import java.util.List;
+
 /**
  *
  * @author  andy
  */
 
 public class PowerPtg
-    extends Ptg
-    implements OperationPtg
+    extends OperationPtg
 {
     public final static int  SIZE = 1;
     public final static byte sid  = 0x07;
@@ -118,4 +119,8 @@ public class PowerPtg
         buffer.append(operands[ 0 ].toFormulaString());
         return buffer.toString();
     }
+    
+    public void manipulate(List source, List results, int pos) {
+    }
+    
 }
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/SubtractPtg.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/SubtractPtg.java
index e9c70c834..d550df54d 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/SubtractPtg.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/SubtractPtg.java
@@ -60,14 +60,15 @@
  */
 package org.apache.poi.hssf.record.formula;
 
+import java.util.List;
+
 /**
  *
  * @author  andy
  */
 
 public class SubtractPtg
-    extends Ptg
-    implements OperationPtg
+    extends OperationPtg    
 {
     public final static int  SIZE = 1;
     public final static byte sid  = 0x04;
@@ -118,4 +119,9 @@ public class SubtractPtg
         buffer.append(operands[ 1 ].toFormulaString());
         return buffer.toString();
     }
+    
+    public void manipulate(List source, List results, int pos) {
+    }
+    
+    
 }
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/ValueVariableFunctionPtg.java b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/ValueVariableFunctionPtg.java
index 84dcb51bd..df3972803 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/ValueVariableFunctionPtg.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/formula/ValueVariableFunctionPtg.java
@@ -63,14 +63,15 @@ package org.apache.poi.hssf.record.formula;
 import org.apache.poi.util.BitField;
 import org.apache.poi.util.LittleEndian;
 
+import java.util.List;
+
 /**
  * An excel function with variable number of value arguments.
  * @author  andy
  */
 
 public class ValueVariableFunctionPtg
-    extends Ptg
-    implements OperationPtg
+    extends OperationPtg
 {
     public final static short  sid  = 0x42;
     private final static short SIZE = 4;
@@ -127,4 +128,8 @@ public class ValueVariableFunctionPtg
     {
         return toFormulaString();
     }
+    
+    public void manipulate(List source, List results, int pos) {
+    }
+    
 }