Microsoft Excel is an extremely powerful spreadsheet program with multiple uses, and proficiency in this program is one of most desired traits of employees. By learning these 10 Excel functions, you will be able to fly through spreadsheet work quickly and painlessly.
1. =SUM
The SUM function allows you to quickly add all of the values in a row or column. Simply type =SUM( into the function bar and then highlight the column or row you wish to sum. A faster way to sum a row or column is by selecting the cell that follows what you wish to sum and holding the Alt key while pressing the = key.
2. =LEN
LEN returns the number of characters in a text string. LEN can help you quickly count and sort cells by the number of characters they have.
3. =TRIM
When a cell has a space at the beginning and/or end of its text, TRIM automatically removes these spaces. This is helpful for when you import or paste data into an Excel spreadsheet: often, the data has added spaces at its beginning or end as a result of the import or paste.
4. =VLOOKUP or =HLOOKUP
VLOOKUP is one of the most helpful, time-saving functions in Excel. VLOOKUP offers an easy way to search through a huge table. VLOOKUP begins by searching through the cells in the 1st column of the table for a value or text that you designate. It then returns a value in that same row, but in a different column that you also designate. HLOOKUP works the same way, but it searches through the cells in the first row and returns a value in the same column, but different row.
5. =GETPIVOTDATA (and Pivot Tables!)
Pivot Tables are another useful component of Excel. A Pivot Table consolidates a huge amount of information into a smaller, easier to understand table. This can be done quickly by highlighting all of the cells that you want in the Pivot Table and then using the keystroke Alt N V. GETPIVOTDATA is a function that will quickly display the value of a specified cell designated in a Pivot Table.
6. =IF
IF tests whether a certain cell meets or fails to meet requirements specified by you. It then returns a designated value or text based on whether it meets or does not meet the requirements. IF is often used with other functions, where if the certain cell meets the condition, Excel performs one function, but if the cell fails to meet the condition, Excel performs a different function.
7. =CONCATENATE
CONCATENATE simply combines multiple cells into one cell. This can be useful to quickly combine First Names and Last Names that are different columns, for example.
8. =NOW
NOW returns the exact date and time. It changes automatically and can be used for calendars or IF tests within Excel.
9. =MIN
MIN returns the smallest value within a set of highlighted cells. MIN can be used as a quick test to ensure that no values are too small, for example.
10. =MAX
MAX returns the largest value within a set of highlighted cells. MAX can be used as a quick way to determine if any values are too large.
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