Microsoft Office

Introducing Array Formulas 17
Worksheet Functions That Return an Array
S
everal of the Excel worksheet functions use arrays; you must enter a formula that uses one of these functions
into multiple cells as an array formula. These functions are FORECAST, FREQUENCY, GROWTH,
LINEST, LOGEST, MINVERSE, MMULT, and TREND. Consult Excel’s Help system for more information.
FIGURE 17.13
Using an array formula to generate consecutive integers.
Using Single-Cell Array Formulas
The examples in the preceding section all used a multicell array formula — a single array formula that’s
entered into a range of cells. The real power of using arrays becomes apparent when you use single-cell
array formulas. This section contains examples of array formulas that occupy a single cell.
Counting characters in a range
Suppose that you have a range of cells that contains text entries (see Figure 17.14). If you need to get a
count of the total number of characters in that range, the “traditional” method involves creating a formula
like the one that follows and copying it down the column:
=LEN(A1)
Then you use a SUM formula to calculate the sum of the values returned by these intermediate formulas.
The following array formula does the job without using any intermediate formulas:
{=SUM(LEN(A1:A14))}
327