Introduction to Excel Yitzchak Rosenthal

The SUM function

• Examples Function Result

=SUM(1,2,3,4,5) 15

=SUM(a1,b1,c1) a1+b1+c1

=SUM(9,a1,b2,5,c1) 9+a1+b2+5+c1

Terminology

SUM(1,2,3,4,5)

• The name of the function is "SUM"
• The parameters or arguments to this function are 1,2,3,4 and 5
• The entire thing, i.e. SUM(1,2,3,4,5), is a function call
• The value of this function call is 15. Another way to say this is that this function call returns 15.

Ranges (e.g. a1:c3)

Ranges

• A rectangular box of cells is called a “range”.
• The name of a range is
• the name of the upper left cell of the range
• Followed by a colon :
• Followed by the lower right cell of the range
• Example: A1:B2 is shorthand for A1,A2,B1,B2
• See next slide for more examples

A1:B2

Examples of Range Names

• Examples

C3:E10

B2:B5

B3:E3

Using a range as a parameter

• Ranges can be specified as a parameters to a function call.
• Both of the following function calls produce the same result as =a1+b1+c1+a2+b2+c2+a3+b3+c3+a4+b4+c4 however the 2nd version uses a range and is much shorter. without a range =SUM(a1,b1,c1,a2,b2,c2,a3,b3,c3,a4,b4,c4) with a range =SUM(a1:c4)

Function calls with multiple parameters

• You can include multiple ranges and cells as parameters
• Example: the following function call has 3 parameters. There are two ranges (a1:b2 and c4:c7), one number (100) and one cell reference (d3) =SUM(a1:b2,100,c4:c7,d3) Is the same as: =SUM(a1,a2,b1,b2,100,c4,c5,c6,c7,d3)

Interesting, right?

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