- •About the Author
- •About the Technical Editor
- •Credits
- •Is This Book for You?
- •Software Versions
- •Conventions This Book Uses
- •What the Icons Mean
- •How This Book Is Organized
- •How to Use This Book
- •What’s on the Companion CD
- •What Is Excel Good For?
- •What’s New in Excel 2010?
- •Moving around a Worksheet
- •Introducing the Ribbon
- •Using Shortcut Menus
- •Customizing Your Quick Access Toolbar
- •Working with Dialog Boxes
- •Using the Task Pane
- •Creating Your First Excel Worksheet
- •Entering Text and Values into Your Worksheets
- •Entering Dates and Times into Your Worksheets
- •Modifying Cell Contents
- •Applying Number Formatting
- •Controlling the Worksheet View
- •Working with Rows and Columns
- •Understanding Cells and Ranges
- •Copying or Moving Ranges
- •Using Names to Work with Ranges
- •Adding Comments to Cells
- •What Is a Table?
- •Creating a Table
- •Changing the Look of a Table
- •Working with Tables
- •Getting to Know the Formatting Tools
- •Changing Text Alignment
- •Using Colors and Shading
- •Adding Borders and Lines
- •Adding a Background Image to a Worksheet
- •Using Named Styles for Easier Formatting
- •Understanding Document Themes
- •Creating a New Workbook
- •Opening an Existing Workbook
- •Saving a Workbook
- •Using AutoRecover
- •Specifying a Password
- •Organizing Your Files
- •Other Workbook Info Options
- •Closing Workbooks
- •Safeguarding Your Work
- •Excel File Compatibility
- •Exploring Excel Templates
- •Understanding Custom Excel Templates
- •Printing with One Click
- •Changing Your Page View
- •Adjusting Common Page Setup Settings
- •Adding a Header or Footer to Your Reports
- •Copying Page Setup Settings across Sheets
- •Preventing Certain Cells from Being Printed
- •Preventing Objects from Being Printed
- •Creating Custom Views of Your Worksheet
- •Understanding Formula Basics
- •Entering Formulas into Your Worksheets
- •Editing Formulas
- •Using Cell References in Formulas
- •Using Formulas in Tables
- •Correcting Common Formula Errors
- •Using Advanced Naming Techniques
- •Tips for Working with Formulas
- •A Few Words about Text
- •Text Functions
- •Advanced Text Formulas
- •Date-Related Worksheet Functions
- •Time-Related Functions
- •Basic Counting Formulas
- •Advanced Counting Formulas
- •Summing Formulas
- •Conditional Sums Using a Single Criterion
- •Conditional Sums Using Multiple Criteria
- •Introducing Lookup Formulas
- •Functions Relevant to Lookups
- •Basic Lookup Formulas
- •Specialized Lookup Formulas
- •The Time Value of Money
- •Loan Calculations
- •Investment Calculations
- •Depreciation Calculations
- •Understanding Array Formulas
- •Understanding the Dimensions of an Array
- •Naming Array Constants
- •Working with Array Formulas
- •Using Multicell Array Formulas
- •Using Single-Cell Array Formulas
- •Working with Multicell Array Formulas
- •What Is a Chart?
- •Understanding How Excel Handles Charts
- •Creating a Chart
- •Working with Charts
- •Understanding Chart Types
- •Learning More
- •Selecting Chart Elements
- •User Interface Choices for Modifying Chart Elements
- •Modifying the Chart Area
- •Modifying the Plot Area
- •Working with Chart Titles
- •Working with a Legend
- •Working with Gridlines
- •Modifying the Axes
- •Working with Data Series
- •Creating Chart Templates
- •Learning Some Chart-Making Tricks
- •About Conditional Formatting
- •Specifying Conditional Formatting
- •Conditional Formats That Use Graphics
- •Creating Formula-Based Rules
- •Working with Conditional Formats
- •Sparkline Types
- •Creating Sparklines
- •Customizing Sparklines
- •Specifying a Date Axis
- •Auto-Updating Sparklines
- •Displaying a Sparkline for a Dynamic Range
- •Using Shapes
- •Using SmartArt
- •Using WordArt
- •Working with Other Graphic Types
- •Using the Equation Editor
- •Customizing the Ribbon
- •About Number Formatting
- •Creating a Custom Number Format
- •Custom Number Format Examples
- •About Data Validation
- •Specifying Validation Criteria
- •Types of Validation Criteria You Can Apply
- •Creating a Drop-Down List
- •Using Formulas for Data Validation Rules
- •Understanding Cell References
- •Data Validation Formula Examples
- •Introducing Worksheet Outlines
- •Creating an Outline
- •Working with Outlines
- •Linking Workbooks
- •Creating External Reference Formulas
- •Working with External Reference Formulas
- •Consolidating Worksheets
- •Understanding the Different Web Formats
- •Opening an HTML File
- •Working with Hyperlinks
- •Using Web Queries
- •Other Internet-Related Features
- •Copying and Pasting
- •Copying from Excel to Word
- •Embedding Objects in a Worksheet
- •Using Excel on a Network
- •Understanding File Reservations
- •Sharing Workbooks
- •Tracking Workbook Changes
- •Types of Protection
- •Protecting a Worksheet
- •Protecting a Workbook
- •VB Project Protection
- •Related Topics
- •Using Excel Auditing Tools
- •Searching and Replacing
- •Spell Checking Your Worksheets
- •Using AutoCorrect
- •Understanding External Database Files
- •Importing Access Tables
- •Retrieving Data with Query: An Example
- •Working with Data Returned by Query
- •Using Query without the Wizard
- •Learning More about Query
- •About Pivot Tables
- •Creating a Pivot Table
- •More Pivot Table Examples
- •Learning More
- •Working with Non-Numeric Data
- •Grouping Pivot Table Items
- •Creating a Frequency Distribution
- •Filtering Pivot Tables with Slicers
- •Referencing Cells within a Pivot Table
- •Creating Pivot Charts
- •Another Pivot Table Example
- •Producing a Report with a Pivot Table
- •A What-If Example
- •Types of What-If Analyses
- •Manual What-If Analysis
- •Creating Data Tables
- •Using Scenario Manager
- •What-If Analysis, in Reverse
- •Single-Cell Goal Seeking
- •Introducing Solver
- •Solver Examples
- •Installing the Analysis ToolPak Add-in
- •Using the Analysis Tools
- •Introducing the Analysis ToolPak Tools
- •Introducing VBA Macros
- •Displaying the Developer Tab
- •About Macro Security
- •Saving Workbooks That Contain Macros
- •Two Types of VBA Macros
- •Creating VBA Macros
- •Learning More
- •Overview of VBA Functions
- •An Introductory Example
- •About Function Procedures
- •Executing Function Procedures
- •Function Procedure Arguments
- •Debugging Custom Functions
- •Inserting Custom Functions
- •Learning More
- •Why Create UserForms?
- •UserForm Alternatives
- •Creating UserForms: An Overview
- •A UserForm Example
- •Another UserForm Example
- •More on Creating UserForms
- •Learning More
- •Why Use Controls on a Worksheet?
- •Using Controls
- •Reviewing the Available ActiveX Controls
- •Understanding Events
- •Entering Event-Handler VBA Code
- •Using Workbook-Level Events
- •Working with Worksheet Events
- •Using Non-Object Events
- •Working with Ranges
- •Working with Workbooks
- •Working with Charts
- •VBA Speed Tips
- •What Is an Add-In?
- •Working with Add-Ins
- •Why Create Add-Ins?
- •Creating Add-Ins
- •An Add-In Example
- •System Requirements
- •Using the CD
- •What’s on the CD
- •Troubleshooting
- •The Excel Help System
- •Microsoft Technical Support
- •Internet Newsgroups
- •Internet Web sites
- •End-User License Agreement
Part II: Working with Formulas and Functions
Cross-Reference
See Chapter 27 for more information about linking workbooks. n
Tip
To create formulas that refer to cells not in the current worksheet, point to the cells rather than entering their references manually. Excel takes care of the details regarding the workbook and worksheet references. The workbook you’re referencing in your formula must be open if you’re going to use the pointing method. n
Note
If you point to a different worksheet or workbook when creating a formula, you’ll notice that Excel always inserts absolute cell references. Therefore, if you plan to copy the formula to other cells, make sure that you change the cell references to relative before you copy. n
Using Formulas in Tables
A table is a specially designated range of cells, set up with column headers. In this section, I describe how formulas work with tables.
Cross-Reference
See Chapter 5 for an introduction to the Excel table features. n
Summarizing data in a table
Figure 10.10 shows a simple table with three columns. I entered the data, and then converted the range to a table by choosing Insert Tables Table. Note that I didn’t define any names, but the table is named Table1 by default.
FIGURE 10.10
A simple table with three columns of information.
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On the CD
This workbook is available on the companion CD-ROM. It is named table formulas.xlsx.
If you’d like to calculate the total projected and total actual sales, you don’t even need to write a formula. Simply click a button to add a row of summary formulas to the table:
1.Activate any cell in the table.
2.Place a check mark next to Table Tools Design Table Style Options Total
Row.
3.Activate a cell in the Total Row and use the drop-down list to select the type of summary formula to use (see Figure 10.11). For example, to calculate the sum of the Actual column, select SUM from the drop-down list in cell D15. Excel creates this formula:
=SUBTOTAL(109,[Actual])
For the SUBTOTAL function, 109 is an enumerated argument that represents SUM. The second argument for the SUBTOTAL function is the column name, in square brackets. Using the column name within brackets creates “structured” references within a table. (I discuss this further in the upcoming section, “Referencing data in a table.”)
FIGURE 10.11
A drop-down list enables you to select a summary formula for a table column.
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Part II: Working with Formulas and Functions
Note
You can toggle the Total Row display via Table Tools Design Table Style Options Total Row. If you turn it off, the summary options you selected will be displayed again when you turn it back on. n
Using formulas within a table
In many cases, you’ll want to use formulas within a table to perform calculations that use other columns. For example, in the table shown in Figure 10.11, you may want a column that shows the difference between the Actual and Projected amounts. To add this formula:
1.Activate cell E2 and type Difference for the column header. Excel automatically expands the table for you to include the new column.
2.Move to cell E3 and type an equal sign to signify the beginning of a formula.
3.Press the left arrow key. Excel displays [@Actual], which is the column heading, in the Formula bar.
4.Type a minus sign and then press left arrow twice. Excel displays [@Projected] in your formula.
5.Press Enter to end the formula. Excel copies the formula to all rows in the table.
Figure 10.12 shows the table with the new column.
FIGURE 10.12
The Difference column contains a formula.
Examine the table, and you find this formula for all cells in the Difference column:
=[@Actual]-[@Projected]
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Chapter 10: Introducing Formulas and Functions
Although the formula was entered into the first row of the table, that’s not necessary. Any time a formula is entered into an empty table column, it will automatically fill all the cells in that column. And if you need to edit the formula, Excel will automatically copy the edited formula to the other cells in the column.
Note
The “at” (@) symbol that precedes the column header represents “this row.” n
These steps use the pointing technique to create the formula. Alternatively, you could have entered the formula manually using standard cell references rather than column headers. For example, you could have entered the following formula in cell E3:
=D3-C3
If you type the cell references, Excel will still copy the formula to the other cells automatically.
One thing should be clear, however, about formulas that use the column headers instead of cell references: They are much easier to understand.
Tip
When you add a formula to a column in a table, Excel displays a SmartTag. To override the automatic column formulas, click the SmartTag and choose Stop Automatically Creating Calculated Columns. Use this option if you need different formulas for different rows within the table. n
Referencing data in a table
Excel offers some other ways to refer to data that’s contained in a table by using the table name and column headers.
Note
Remember that you don’t need to create names for tables and columns. The table itself has a range name, which is provided when you create the table (for example, Table1), and you can refer to data within the table by using the column headers — which are not range names. n
You can, of course, use standard cell references to refer to data in a table, but using the table name and column headers has a distinct advantage: The names adjust automatically if the table size changes by adding or deleting rows. In addition, formulas the use table names and column headers will adjust automatically if you change the name of the table or give a new name to a column.
Refer to the table (Table1) shown in Figure 10.11. To calculate the sum of all the data in the table, use this formula:
=SUM(Table1)
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