Microsoft Office

Introducing Formulas and Functions 11
If a function uses more than one argument, you must separate each argument with a comma. The examples
at the beginning of the chapter used cell references for arguments. Excel is quite flexible when it comes to
function arguments, however. An argument can consist of a cell reference, literal values, literal text strings,
expressions, and even other functions.
A comma is the list-separator character for the U.S. version of Excel. Some other versions
may use a semicolon. The list separator is a Windows setting, which can be adjusted in the
Windows Control Panel (the Regional and Language Options dialog box).
NOTE
More about functions
All told, Excel includes 340 functions. And if that’s not enough, you can purchase additional specialized
functions from third-party suppliers — and even create your own custom functions (by using VBA) if you’re
so inclined.
Some users feel a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of functions, but you’ll probably find that you use
only a dozen or so on a regular basis. And as you’ll see, Excel’s Insert Function dialog box (described later
in this chapter) makes it easy to locate and insert a function, even if it’s not one that you use frequently.
You’ll find many examples of Excel’s built-in functions in Chapters 12 through 18. Appendix A
contains a complete listing of Excel’s worksheet functions, with a brief description of each.
Chapter 40 covers the basics of creating custom functions with VBA.
CROSS-REF
Entering Formulas into Your Worksheets
As I mentioned earlier, a formula must begin with an equal sign to inform Excel that the cell contains a formula
rather than text. Excel provides two ways to enter a formula into a cell: manually or by pointing to cell
references. The following sections discuss each way in detail.
Excel 2007 provides additional assistance when you create formulas by displaying a dropdown
list that contains function names and range names. The items displayed in the list are
determined by what you’ve already typed. For example, if you’re entering a formula and type the letter T,
you’ll see the drop-down list shown in Figure 11.2. If you type an additional letter, the list is shortened to
show only the matching functions. To have Excel autocomplete an entry in that list, use the arrow keys to
highlight the entry, and then press Tab. Notice that highlighting a function in the list also displays a brief
description of the function. See the sidebar “Using Formula Autocomplete” for an example of how this new
feature works.
NEW FEATURE
FIGURE 11.2
Excel 2007 displays a drop-down list when you enter a formula.
181