Excel 2016 Functions

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1 Flash Fill New in Office 2013 is a feature called Flash fill. Flash fill will help you fill in empty cells within a spreadsheet based on patterns that already exist. You may need to provide a couple of examples before Excel picks up on the pattern of what you are doing, but it typically works really well and will save you a lot of time. In order for Flash Fill to work, you must stay within the same column, so you must hit Enter (or the down arrow) after you start typing your data to go to the cell below. If you hit Tab or navigate into another row, Flash Fill will not work. Flash fill is turned on by default and there isn t any formula to remember, all you have to do is start typing. Flash fill can also be used to separate words from a single column into two separate columns. If you have a First and Last name in the same column and you want them in two separate columns, go to the first blank cell and start typing the first name, hit enter and start typing the second first name. Flash Fill doesn t always pick up on the pattern, so you may need to go to a third row in some instances. When flash fill picks up the pattern, you will see a preview of the remaining cells contents. If this is correct, hit Enter to fill in the remaining cells. Excel will fill in the remaining cells based on what it believes is the best pattern. Depending on the type of data, this could be accurate and be what you are looking for. When you use Flash Fill this way, you will have a Flash Fill options icon that appears to the right of the active cell. Click on this icon and either Accept the Flash fill or undo the Flash Fill. Combining Columns using Flash Fill In the first empty cell, let s combine the city and the state into a single cell. Hit Enter when you have finished. Now in the second empty cell, start typing the city name, and Excel will see that pattern you are trying to duplicate. Flash fill will give you a preview of what will happen to each corresponding cell. If the pattern looks correct, hit the Enter or tab key and the column is filled in for you. If you do notice a mistake, you can always correct it by going into a single cell to make the necessary changes. You can also undo the flash fill if you don t want to use it by either clicking on the undo icon, or using the undo shortcut, Ctrl-Z.

2 What is a function A function is a preset formula in Excel that is intended to carry out a specific calculation, format, etc. in the cell in which it is located. All functions begin with an equal sign ( = ) followed by the function's name and its arguments which are contained inside round brackets. Some functions will only contain one argument, whereas others will contain multiple arguments, each separated by a comma. Function Examples =UPPER(text) =SUM(number1, number2, ) =CONVERT(number,from_unit,to_unit) Functions can be entered into Excel by typing directly into a cell or formula bar, or by navigating to the Formulas bar to select a function from one of the function categories, or by searching for a function. If you are entering a function into a cell or the formula, you must start the function with the = sign. As you start typing the name of the function, Excel will give you options based on what you are typing. If you navigate your mouse over the functions listed, you will see what that function will do for you. To choose a function from the list, either use your arrows to highlight the function and hit the tab key, or double click on the function. On the Formulas bar, functions are separated into different categories. If you are looking for a Text function, click on the Text icon. To see the options for each category, click on the category dropdown. If you aren t sure which function you want to use, click on the Insert Function icon from the Formulas tab. The Insert Function option will allow you to search for a function based on what you would like it to do by entering your search in the Search text box and then clicking Go. Excel will populate functions based on what you searched for. Technology Training Center 2

3 After choosing your function, Excel will step you through the arguments of the function within a window, versus in a cell or in the formula bar. As you click into each text box, you will see a description of what each argument is looking for. Here is the CONVERT function as an example. Cell reference A cell reference is used to refer to a cell on a worksheet and are commonly used in functions. The cell reference consists of the intersection of a column letter and the row number. For example, A1 refers to the top, leftmost cell in a worksheet. Another way to find a cell s cell reference is to click on a cell, and then look at the Name Box, which is located under the ribbon, on the left side of the screen. Using Functions to Format Text In Excel, there are multiple functions that can help clean up text. The syntax for these functions is very similar, it is the function name, remember, all functions must start with an equals (=) sign, followed by (text). (text) is the text to be converted that is located in an individual cell. To use any of the text format functions, follow these steps; 1. Start typing in an equals sign (=), followed by the function name. 2. As the function name is being typed, either double click on the function name that populates below the cell, or use the arrow keys to highlight the correct function, and then hit the tab key to enter into the function. 3. When the function has been selected, Excel will be asking for the arguments within the function. The arguments will populate under the cell containing the function. 4. Click on the cell containing the text to be converted. Technology Training Center 3

4 5. Click Enter to complete the function. a. Note: All functions end with a closed bracket ). If this bracket is not entered into the function, Excel will automatically populate the closed bracket at the end of a function. 6. If the function is being copied to other, adjacent cells, use auto fill to copy the formula to other cells Upper Converts all characters within a string of text to Upper case The syntax for upper is: =Upper(text) Lower Changes all characters in a string of text to lower case. The syntax for lower is; =Lower(text) Proper Changes the first letter in a string of characters to Upper, while the remaining characters will be converted to lower case. The syntax for proper is: =Proper(text) Trim Removes all extra characters from a string of text leaving only a single space between words. The syntax for trip is: =Trim(text) Copying a Formula Once the user has entered a formula into a cell, the formula may be copied to adjacent cells which will repeat the formula in the new location. There are two methods for copying formulas, AutoFill and copy & paste. AutoFill Autofill only works when copying to adjacent cells. To copy a formula to an adjacent cell, click on the cell that contains the formula. Navigate to the lower right side of the cell until the cursor turns into a Solid Plus icon. When the solid plus cursor appears, click, hold and drag to all adjacent cells. When all cells have been selected, let go of the mouse key and Excel will show the results. Copy & Paste a Formula The copy & paste option works well if the formula is being copied to another location, that is not adjacent to the original formula. When using the copy and paste option, the data that is being added together must consist of the same amount of data, meaning if the original formula is adding four cells together and producing the result in the cell to the right, the new location must have the same amount of cells. Technology Training Center 4

5 To copy & paste a formula, select the cell that contains the formula. When the cell is selected, copy the formula by using the copy shortcut of Ctrl-C, or the copy icon located on the Home tab. Navigate to the new location to place the copied formula and paste the formula in the new location by using the Paste shortcut, Ctrl-V, or by clicking on the Paste button on the Home tab. Copying and Pasting cells with Formulas Before being able to paste cells that contain formulas, users need to know how Excel sees formulas. Here is an example for a reference; Excel reads the formula in cell C2 as take the number located two cells to the left and add that to the number in the cell located one column to the left. Therefore, when the user copies this formula (which appears as =A2+B2) to the cell below, it performs the calculation using the same pattern, but updates the formula to reflect the appropriate cell addresses. If a cell with a formula is copied, the formula itself is copied, not the values that are produced by the formula. If a cell with a formula is copied and pasted in a new location, Excel may produce an error saying there is an invalid cell reference, meaning the formula is looking for a specific number of cells to produce a result and those cells don t exist. When copying and pasting cells that contain a formula, Excel makes the assumption that the user wants to copy the formula, and not the end result. To paste the end result of a formula into a new location, one will have to use the Paste Special option. To do this, copy the cells that contain the formula which one wants to paste in a new location. Make the selection of the cells, and then use the keystroke Ctrl-C, to copy the values. Navigate to the new location and then right click in the location to paste the data, and then select Paste Special. Under Paste Options, the user is able to click on the Values icon which will paste the values of the formula in the new location. The user may also click on the Paste Special option to get more options as how the values will appear. With live preview, when one highlights over the Icons, Excel will display how the data will be displayed. Values Pastes the values of the copied data. Values & Number Formatting Pastes formulas and number formats from the copied cells. Values & Source Formatting Pastes the values and the formatting from the copied cells. Technology Training Center 5

6 The user may also perform this Paste by copying the data, navigating to the Home tab, clicking on the Paste dropdown icon in the ribbon and then selecting Paste Special. On the Paste Special Window, select the Values radio button, and then click OK. The copied data will not be the values created from the formula, and not the formula s that were typed into the cells. Calculating Functions Excel can be used to easily and quickly perform calculations on the data within a worksheet such as sum, average, max, min. These functions can perform a calculation on a range of adjacent cells, or on cells that are spread throughout a worksheet, or an entire workbook. When using the following calculating functions, the arguments will contain (number1,number2, ). The argument can either consist of individual cells, separated by a comma, that are selected by the user, or a range of cells. To use these functions, follow these steps; 1. Start by typing in the function, starting with an equals sign. 2. When the function appears, either double click on the function to select it, or use the arrow keys to highlight the function name and then click on the Tab key. a. Note: When the function is selected, the text in the cell will be all capital letters with an open bracket. Below the cell the arguments of the function will appear. Technology Training Center 6

7 3. To enter in individual cells, navigate to the first cell and click on it, the function will now show the cell reference of the cell that was clicked on. Under the cell containing the function, Excel will highlight the argument that is being edited. 4. When the first argument has been completed, type in a comma to get to the second portion of the argument, in this case, number2. After the comma has been entered, the argument under the function will update, showing the user which portion of the argument is being edited. 5. To enter in a range of cells, move the cursor to the first cell in the range, then click, hold, and drag the mouse while depressing the left mouse button until all cells are selected. The function will now show the range of cells which is indicated by tow cell references, separated by a colon. 6. When all cells have been entered, hit the Enter button to complete the function. Sum Sum adds all of the numbers in a range of cells. The syntax for sum is: =SUM(number1,number2, ) Average Returns the average of the numbers contained within multiple cells, or a range of cells. The syntax for sum is: =AVERAGE(number1,number2, ) Min Returns the smallest number within a set of numbers. The syntax for min is: =MIN(number1,number2 ) Technology Training Center 7

8 Max Returns the largest number within a set of numbers. The syntax for min is: =MAX(number1,number2 ) Naming a cell Assign a descriptive name to a cell in Excel can help make formulas in your worksheets much easier to understand and maintain. Cell names make it easier for you to remember the purpose of a formula, rather than using obscure cell references. Cell Names must be unique, meaning you can t have the same name in the same workbook. They can be used throughout the entire workbook as long as you remember the Cell Name. Cell Names can be used to new formulas without having to navigate back to a different worksheet. To name a Cell, click on the cell that you want to name. Once you have made your selection, type in the name you want to use for the cell in the Name Box. Once you have your cell named, you can use the cell reference to refer back to the value in the cell, or it can be used in a function. To refer to the value in your named cell, type an = sign and then start typing in the cell name. As you start typing, Excel will populate any function, or cell name that fits the text that is being typed. When you see the named cell, click on it to select it. To use a named cell in a function, start by typing an = sign to choose the function you would like to use, or the named cell(s) within a formula. In this example, we are subtracting Expenses from Sales. You are also to name cell ranges instead of individual cells. To do this, select the range, and then type a name within the Name Box, just as you would when naming a cell When naming a cell range, you are able to sum the range to create a total, versus referencing a total within your worksheet. Technology Training Center 8

9 Another way of naming a cell or range is to select the cell or range, click on the Formulas tab, and then click on the Define Name icon. From the New Name Window, you are able to specify where this cell or range can be used, either for the entire workbook, or specific worksheets in the workbook. The default is for the Name to be used in the entire workbook. To see what cell names are located within the workbook, navigate to the Formulas tab and click on the Name Manager icon. Within the Name Manager window, you will see all named cell(s) and range(s). From the Name Manager window, you can also create new, edit or delete your cell names. Technology Training Center 9

10 Rounding Functions Excel has a few different rounding formulas that will give you options on how you want to round your data. Round Rounds a number to a specified number of digits which are specified by the user. The syntax is: =Round(number, num_digits) Num_digits - the number of digits to round from the decimal place. A Positive Num_digits number - will round to the right of the decimal place o =ROUND(A16,2) would round the number is A16 to 2 decimal places A Negative num_digits number - will round to the left of the decimal place o =ROUND(A17,-2) would return the number in A17 to the 100 th place To determine which number to round to, enter in a number into the num_digits portion of the round function arguments. RoundUp Rounds a number up, away from zero. The syntax is: =RoundUp(number, num_digits) Num_digits - the number of digits to round from the decimal place. RoundDown Rounds a number down, closer to zero The syntax is: =RoundDown(number, num_digits) Num_digits - the number of digits to round from the decimal place. Technology Training Center 10

11 MRound Returns a number rounded to a desired multiple The syntax is: =MRound(number, multiple) Multiple - the multiple to which to round the number o To round to a multiple of 5 (a number divisible by 5), enter in a 5 for the multiple. =MROUND(L3, 5) Counting Formulas Excel has a couple different counting functions that will give various results based upon the data in the cells. When using the following calculating functions, the arguments will contain (value1,value2, ). The argument can either consist of individual cells, separated by a comma, that are selected by the user, or a range of cells. Count The Count Formula will return the number of cells within a range that contain a Number. If the range contains cells that have text, Excel will not include those cells in the Formula. The syntax is: =COUNT(value1,value2, ) CountA The CountA Formula will return the number of cells within a range that are not blank. It will count both numbers and text. The syntax is: =COUNTA(value1,value2, ) CountBlank The CountBlank Formula will return the number of cells within a range that are blank. If there is a space in a cell, this is considered text and that cell will not be included in the Formula. The syntax is: =COUNTBLANK(value1,value2, ) Technology Training Center 11

12 CountIf, SumIf, AverageIf CountIf, SumIf, & AverageIf will perform calculations, only if certain criteria are met. CountIf The CountIf Formula will count a range of cells if the cells meet specific criteria. The syntax is: =COUNTIF(range,criteria) Range: The range of cells that contain the specific value, text string you are wanting. Criteria: the specific number or text you are looking for. o Note: If this is text, it must be inside Quotes. Text is not case sensitive. SumIf The SumIf Formula will add the values within a range only if specific criteria are met. The syntax is: =SUMIF(range, criteria, [sum_range]) Range: The range of cells that contain the specific value, text string you are wanting. Criteria: the specific number or text you are looking for. o Note: If this is text, it must be inside Quotes. Text is not case sensitive. Sum_Range: This is the range of cells that you want to be added together if your criteria are met. AverageIf The AverageIf Formula will average the values within a range only if specific criteria are met. The syntax is: =AVERAGEIF(range, criteria, [average_range]) Range: The range of cells that contain the specific value, text string you are wanting. Criteria: the specific number or text you are looking for. o Note: If this is text, it must be inside Quotes. Text is not case sensitive. Average_Range: This is the range of cells that you want to be added together if your criteria are met. Technology Training Center 12

13 Convert The Convert function will convert a number from one measurement to another. For example, temperature in Fahrenheit can be converted to Celsius, or weight in pounds can be converted to kilograms. The syntax for convert is: =CONVERT(number,from_unit,to_unit) Number - the value to be converted From_unit the units for number To_unit the unit to be converted to When using the convert function, users have to know the specific codes that Excel uses for each unit. A complete list can be found here, Here are some common unit codes; Miles = mi Kilometers = km Foot = ft Yard = yd Meter = m Degree Fahrenheit = F Degree Celsius = C The unit codes are case sensitive, so verify the correct case when entering in a unit code and make sure the quotation marks are around the unit codes. To use the convert function, follow these steps; 1. Start by typing in an equals sign, followed by Convert 2. When the function appears below the cell, double click the function to select it, or use the arrow keys to highlight the correct function and then hit tab. 3. For the number portion of the argument, click on the cell that contains the number to be converted and then type in a comma to get to the from_unit portion of the argument. Technology Training Center 13

14 4. When the from_unit portion of the argument is selected, Excel will populate a list of unit codes. Users can search through this list by using the scroll bar to find the correct code, or they may manually enter the unit code, making sure the code is in quotes and is the correct case (upper or lower case). Type in a comma to get to the to_unit. 5. The to_unit will also populate a list of the unit codes. Users may search from the list for the code, or manually enter the code. 6. When all arguments have been completed, hit the Enter key. Using the Substitute Function The substitute function can be used to replace a character, or set of characters, within a string of text. The syntax for substitute is: =Substitute(text, old_text, new_text, instance_num) Text: The text where the substitution is going to take place Old_text: The existing text that is being replaced. o The letter(s) must be in quotes. a Aa o The letters are case sensitive New_text: The new text that will replace the old_text o The letter(s) must be in quotes. a Aa o The letters are case sensitive Instance_num: Optional. Specifies which occurrence of old_text to be replaced with new_text. If an instance_num is entered, only that instance of old_text is replaced. Otherwise, every occurrence of old_text in text is changed to new_text. o If the second occurrence of a letter is to be replaced, enter in a 2 for instance_num. Technology Training Center 14

15 To use the substitute function, follow these steps 1. Start by typing in an equals sign, followed by substitute 2. When the function appears below the cell, double click the function to select it, or use the arrow keys to highlight the correct function and then hit tab. 3. For the text portion of the argument, click on the cell containing the text where the substitution is taking place, then type in a comma. 4. For the old_text portion, type in the text that is being replace in quotes, followed by a comma. a. Make sure the correct case is used, upper or lower. 5. For the new_text portion, type in the text that will replace old_text in quotes, followed by a comma. 6. In the instance_num portion of the argument, enter in the instance of the text to be replaced. a. If every instance of the text is to be replaced, the instance_num may be left blank. b. If only the second instance of the text is to be replaced, enter in a When all arguments have been met, hit the Enter key. Technology Training Center 15