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AutoSum function in Excel

Excelbud — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:32:59 +0000

Quick Overview

The AutoSum Function is by far one of the most useful features in all of Excel. Just about every spreadsheet can benefit from incorporating the AutoSum function.

Lets Begin

To begin, let’s start with a list of data we are looking to sum.

Use the AutoSum function to count the selected items in the grocery list from B3 to B9. In Cell B11, enter the formula: =SUM(B3:B9)

Let’s quickly dissect the syntax. We are telling Excel to add all of the amounts in the range B3 to B9 and display the total in Cell B11.

While holding the CTRL button, you can select various cells, or a range of cells to Sum.

Examples:

=SUM(B3:B9) – Result $28.51

=SUM(B3:B4,B8:B9) – Result $21.27

If you have an questions, please feel free to comment below.

SUMIF Function in Excel

Excelbud — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:28:14 +0000

The SUMIF function adds cells specified in range by a certain condition or criteria.

The Syntax for SumIF Function:

=sumif(range,criteria,[sum_range])

Range: A range is a range of cells you want to apply a specific criteria against.

Criteria: The criteria determines which cells to add.

Sum_range: Cells to sum.

Example:

The following example shows how to properly use the SumIf Function. Basically, we are using the SumIf function in Cell D3 to determine how many runs the Tigers scored in Home. The example uses the range A3:A12. The SumIf function matches the word “Home” in the range A3:A12 then adds the runs in the Sum_range B3:B12. Since our criteria is “Home,” the SumIf function ignores all of the away games.

Other Examples:

=SUMIF(A3:A12,C3,B3:B12) —– The SumIf Function returns: 20

=SUMIF(A3:A12,”Home”,B3:B12) —– The SumIf Function returns: 20

=SUMIF(A3:A12,”Away”,B3:B12) —– The SumIf Function returns: 13

Follow Up:

If you have any questions or need something explained further, please comment below.

Excel: SumIf Function

In Excel, the SumIf function adds all numbers in a range of cells, based on a given criteria.

The syntax for the SumIf function is:

SumIf( range, criteria, sum_range )

range is the range of cells that you want to apply the criteria against.

criteria is used to determine which cells to add.

sum_range are the cells to sum.

Applies To:

Excel 2007, Excel 2003, Excel XP, Excel 2000

For example:

Let’s take a look at an example:

Based on the Excel spreadsheet above:

=SumIf(A2:A6, D2, C2:C6) would return 218.6

=SumIf(A:A, D2, C:C) would return 218.6

=SumIf(A2:A6, 2003, C2:C6) would return 7.2

=SumIf(A2:A6, “>=2001″, C2:C6) would return 12.6

Using Named Ranges

You can also use a named range in the SumIf function. For example, we’ve created a named range called family that refers to column A in Sheet 1.

Then we’ve entered the following data in Excel:

Based on the Excel spreadsheet above:

=SumIf(family, C2, B:B) would return 218.6

=SumIf(family, “>=2001″, B:B) would return 12.6

To view named ranges: Under the Insert menu, select Name > Define.

HLOOKUP Function in Excel

Excelbud — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 12:00:24 +0000

HLOOKUP stands for horizontal lookup. The difference between HLOOKUP and VLOOKUP is that HLOOKUP searches for data in rows instead of columns.

Syntax

To start off, lets take a look at the HLOOKUP syntax.

=HLOOKUP(lookup_value,table_array,row_index_num,range_lookup)

lookup _value:
This is the value you want to match. The lookup _value can be a text, a logical value (TRUE or FALSE only), a number, or a cell that references a value.

table_array:

This is the range of data range that our function uses to perform our search. The array used in HLOOKUP must contain at least two rows. The first row of data contains the lookup_values.

* It is best to use an absolute cell reference for the table_array. By using “$” in the range, this keeps a cell reference fixed on a certain cell, or cells.

row_index_num:
Enter the row number of the table_array from which you want data returned from. For example:

if the row_index_num is 1, it returns a value from the first row in the table_array;
if the row_index_num is 2, it returns a value from the second row in the table_array.

range_lookup:
True or False. The range_lookup must be a logical value.

If TRUE or if this argument is omitted, HLOOKUP will use an approximate match if it cannot find an exact match to the lookup_value. If an exact match is not found, HLOOKUP uses the next largest lookup_value.
If FALSE, HLOOKUP will only use an exact match to the hookup_value. If there are two or more values in the first column of table_array that match the lookup_value, the first value found is used. If an exact match is not found, an #N/A error is returned.

HLOOKUP Example

In the image below, we are telling Excel in Cell B1 to look at the range B3:E4 and find to Ty Cobb. Once Ty Cobb is found, we want HLOOKUP to show Ty’s batting average.

Concatenate Function

Excelbud — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:15:07 +0000

Excel’s concatenate function is used to combine character strings from multiple cells. This function can be extremely useful if you need to perform a manual task on a large list of data.

The example is this tutorial will demonstrate how to combine an area code in column “A” with a phone number in column “B.” We will also be including the dash mark

To begin, start with a list like shown below. As you can see, in column “A” we have the area code and in column “B” we have the phone number.
Instead of manually copying or retyping each number, we can use the Concatenate formula. In Cell C2, type the following forumula. =CONCATENATE(A2,”-”,B2) You can change the dash mark “-” to any other character, however, it must be in quotations marks.
Once you hit enter, the phone number will be displayed properly. Simply drag the formula down using the Auto Fill function.

Error Message Fix

If you decide you want to delete columns “A” and “B” from the sheet, you may notice you receive an #REF! error. Since destination cells, in this case “C2″ only contain formulas, we need columns “A” and “B” to grab our value. However, here is a simple trick to bypass this annoying error.

Highlight and select your list of numbers in column “C.”
Once selected, right click and hit “Copy.”
Once copied, hit “Paste Special.”
Select the “Values” radio box and hit “OK”

Now you can delete columns “A” and “B” without losing your data.

If you have any questions, please comment below or use the contact page.

Excel VLOOKUP

Excelbud — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:27:04 +0000

VLOOKUP in excel stands for vertical lookup. This simple function is extremely useful if you have large lists of data. With this function, you can easily search through a list of data and match specific criteria. In the example below, we will use this function to match a batting average with a specific player.

Syntax

To start off, lets take a look at the VLOOKUP syntax.

=VLOOKUP(lookup_value,table_array,col_index_num,range_lookup)

lookup _value:
This is the value you want to match. The lookup _value can be a text, a logical value (TRUE or FALSE only), a number, or a cell that references a value.

table_array:

This is the range of data range that our function uses to perform our search. The array used in VLOOKUP must contain at least two columns. The first column of data contains the lookup_values.

* It is best to use an absolute cell reference for the table_array. By using “$” in the range, this keeps a cell reference fixed on a certain cell, or cells.

col_index_num:
Enter the column number of the table_array from which you want data returned from. For example:

if the col_index_num is 1, it returns a value from the first column in the table_array;
if the col_index_num is 2, it returns a value from the second column in the table_array.

range_lookup:
True or False. The range_lookup must be a logical value.

If TRUE or if this argument is omitted, VLOOKUP will use an approximate match if it cannot find an exact match to the lookup_value. If an exact match is not found, VLOOKUP uses the next largest lookup_value.
If FALSE, VLOOKUP will only use an exact match to the lookup_value. If there are two or more values in the first column of table_array that match the lookup_value, the first value found is used. If an exact match is not found, an #N/A error is returned.

VLOOKUP Example

In the image below, we are telling Excel in Cell D1 to look at the range E2:F6 and find Ty Cobb. Once Ty Cobb is found, we want VLOOKUP to show Ty’s batting average listed in cell D1

Sources:

Microsoft.com
About.com

COUNTIF Function – Cell Counting Tips

Excelbud — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:21:31 +0000

There are various methods used to count cells in Excel. We will be utilizing the COUNT function.

The COUNTIF function is used to count cells in a range given a certain criteria.

The examples listed below show how to properly use the COUNT function in Excel. In every example, the data range that will need to be changed is titled “range.”

Use of the COUNT function Examples

To count the number of cells that contain the word “buddy”:

=COUNTIF(range,"criteria")

=COUNTIF(range,"buddy")

The asterisk “*” is your friend

To count the number of cells that contain any text:

=COUNTIF(range,"*")

To count the number of cells that contain text that begins with the letter “b”:

=COUNTIF(range,"b*")

To count the number of cells that contain the letter “b”:

=COUNTIF(range,"*b*")

Count Functions with exact criteria

To count the number of rows where the cell is greater than or equal to a given number:

=COUNTIF(B1:B10,”>=10″)

To count the number of cells that contain either “yes” or “no”:

=COUNTIF(range,"yes")+COUNTIF(range,"no")

To count the number of cells that contain a value between 1 and 10:

=COUNTIF(range,">=1")-COUNTIF(range,">10")

Using the IF statement

Excelbud — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:50:32 +0000

The IF statement is excel is very useful, but can become a little complicated. The following explanation will explain how to easily and properly use this function.

Overview

The IF function answers the question, “Is this true or false. There a three basic arguments used in the function.

Logical Test – Does Batter “A” or Batter “B” have a higher average.
Value if true – What is displayed if the value is true.
Value if false – What is displayed if the value is false.

Execution

The following example will show you how to determine which baseball player has a higher batting average.

Start by using the following fuction.

=IF(B3>C3,”John”,”Andrew”)

You can copy/drag the formula down to display the results. I’m going to assume you know how to copy a formula. If you don’t, click and hold the little fill handle that appears in the bottom right corner of the cell. You are then able to drag the formula down. You can also refer to the Auto-Fill Tutorial.

There are numerous variations to using IF statements. If you have any difficulties with any statement or function, please feel free to ask.

Data Validation – Dependent Lists

Excelbud — Sun, 10 May 2009 23:54:28 +0000

This tutorial will show you how to create a dependent list on Excel. This technique is extremely useful when categorizing data. In the example below, the user will select the State in cell A3. Cell B3 (City) will pull a city based off of the users selection.

Start with a list of categories. I chose to use State and cities for this demonstration.
In order to set up our validation list, we need to define names for each series. To begin, select cells D3-D5. Right above column A, type “State” and hit enter.
Continue to define names for Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois. Highlight cells E3-E5 and type “Ohio” about column “A.”
Once the columns are defined, we can now create our dependent validation list. Click on Cell A3.
Click Data -> Data Validation ->Data Validation…
Once the Data Validation box is displayed, click the down arrow and select “List.”
Now it’s time to select the source data. The source data selected here will show “=State” but will be cells D3-D5.
Now we have a state list generated. Make sure your list is working correctly before moving to the next step.
Now comes the good stuff! Click on cell B3.
Just like before, Click Data -> Data Validation ->Data Validation…
Once the Data Validation box is displayed, click the down arrow and select “List.”
Instead of clicking on the source button, type =INDIRECT(A3)
The INDIRECT function will take the selection in A3 and compare the names we defined earlier in B3.
If you receive an error message stating “The Source currently evaluates do an error.” Click YES.
Please feel free to comment if you have any questions.

Tutorials Files:

data_validation

data_validation_97-2003

Updated Tutorial – 11/24/2009

Creating a Dependent List for two-word items

The question has been asked how to make a dependent list when the primary choice is more than one word.

In the example below, “Buckeye Nation” is the two letter state. I realize this is not a State, but name a US State that has two words.

Next, create the supporting list using a one word title. Instead of writing “Buckeye Nation” use “BuckeyeNation.” This is shown in Column G

Now, follow Step 2 above to Define the list for cells G3-G4. Make sure you use a one word title eg. “BuckeyeNation”

In order to remove the space, we must utilize the formula below. Before this question was asked by visitors of Excelbuddy.com, I was unfamiliar myself on how this could be done. However, I did a Google search and was able to find a solution.

=INDIRECT(SUBSTITUTE(A2,” “,”"))

The files are available for download.

Dowload file for Excel 97-2003

Download file for Excel 2007