Excel 2016 - Functions

Introduction
• A function is a predefined formula that performs calculations using
specific values in a particular order. Excel includes many common
functions that can be used to quickly find
the sum, average, count, maximum value, and minimum value for a range of
cells. In order to use functions correctly, you'll need to understand the
different parts of a function and how to create arguments to calculate
values and cell references.
The parts of a function
• In order to work correctly, a function must be
written a specific way, which is called
the syntax. The basic syntax for a function is
the equals sign (=), the function name (SUM,
for example), and one or more arguments.
Arguments contain the information you want
to calculate. The function in the example
below would add the values of the cell range
A1:A20
Working with arguments
• Arguments can refer to both individual cells and cell ranges and must be enclosed
within parentheses. You can include one argument or multiple arguments, depending on
the syntax required for the function.
• For example, the function =AVERAGE(B1:B9) would calculate the average of the values
in the cell range B1:B9. This function contains only one argument.
Working with arguments
• Multiple arguments must be separated by a comma. For example, the
function =SUM(A1:A3, C1:C2, E1) will add the values of all of the cells in
the three arguments.
Creating a function
• There are a variety of functions available in Excel. Here are some of the
most common functions you'll use:
• SUM: This function adds all of the values of the cells in the argument.
• AVERAGE: This function determines the average of the values included in
the argument. It calculates the sum of the cells and then divides that
value by the number of cells in the argument.
• COUNT: This function counts the number of cells with numerical data in
the argument. This function is useful for quickly counting items in a cell
range.
• MAX: This function determines the highest cell value included in the
argument.
• MIN: This function determines the lowest cell value included in the
argument.
To create a function using the AutoSum
command:
• The AutoSum command allows you to automatically insert the most
common functions into your formula, including SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, MIN,
and MAX. In the example below, we'll use the SUM function to calculate
the total cost for a list of recently ordered items.
To create a function using the AutoSum
command:
1. Select the cell that will contain the function. In our example, we'll select
cell D13.
To create a function using the AutoSum
command:
• In the Editing group on the Home tab, click the arrow next to
the AutoSum command. Next, choose the desired function from the
drop-down menu. In our example, we'll select Sum.
To create a function using the AutoSum
command:
3. Excel will place
the function in the cell
and automatically
select a cell range for
the argument. In our
example,
cells D3:D12 were
selected automatically;
their values will
be added to calculate
the total cost. If Excel
selects the wrong cell
range, you can manually
enter the desired cells
into the argument.
To create a function using the AutoSum
command:
4. Press Enter on your
keyboard. The function will
be calculated, and
the result will appear in the
cell. In our example, the sum
of D3:D12 is $765.29.
To create a function using the AutoSum
command:
• The AutoSum command can also be accessed from the Formulas tab on
the Ribbon.

You can also use the Alt+= keyboard shortcut instead of the AutoSum command. To use this shortcut,
hold down the Alt key and then press the equals sign.
To enter a function manually:
• If you already know the function name, you can easily type it yourself. In
the example below (a tally of cookie sales), we'll use
the AVERAGE function to calculate the average number of units sold by
each troop.
To enter a function manually:
1. Select the cell that will contain the function. In our example, we'll select
cell C10.
To enter a function manually:
2. Type the equals sign (=), and enter
the desired function name. You can
also select the desired function from
the list of suggested functions that
appears below the cell as you type. In
our example, we'll type =AVERAGE.
To enter a function manually:
3.Enter the cell range for the
argument inside parentheses.
In our example, we'll
type (C3:C9). This formula
will add the values of cells
C3:C9, then divide that value
by the total number of values
in the range.
To enter a function manually:
• Press Enter on your keyboard. The function will be calculated, and
the result will appear in the cell. In our example, the average number of
units sold by each troop is 849.
The Function Library
• While there are hundreds of functions in Excel, the ones you'll use
the most will depend on the type of data your workbooks contain.
There's no need to learn every single function, but exploring some of
the different types of functions will help you as you create new
projects. You can even use the Function Library on the Formulas tab
to browse functions by category, such as Financial, Logical, Text,
and Date & Time.
• To access the Function Library, select the Formulas tab on
the Ribbon. Look for the Function Library group.
The Function Library
• Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about the different
types of functions in Excel
To insert a function from the Function
Library:
• In the example below, we'll use the COUNTA function to count the total
number of items in the Items column. Unlike COUNT, COUNTA can be used
to tally cells that contain data of any kind, not just numerical data.
To insert a function from the Function
Library:
1. Select the cell that will
contain the function. In our
example, we'll select cell B17.
To insert a function from the Function
Library:
2. Click the Formulas tab on
the Ribbon to access the Function
Library.
3. From the Function Library group,
select the desired function category.
In our example, we'll choose More
Functions, then hover the mouse
over Statistical.
To insert a function from the Function
Library:
4. Select the desired
function from the drop-down
menu. In our example, we'll
select the COUNTA function,
which will count the number of
cells in the Items column that
are not empty.
To insert a function from the Function
Library:
5. The Function Arguments dialog box
will appear. Select the Value1 field, then
enter or select the desired cells. In our
example, we'll enter the cell
range A3:A12. You may continue to add
arguments in the Value2 field, but in
this case we only want to count the
number of cells in the cell range A3:A12.
6. When you're satisfied, click OK.
To insert a function from the Function
Library:
7. The function will be calculated,
and the result will appear in the cell.
In our example, the result shows
that a total of 10 items were
ordered.
The Insert Function command
• While the Function Library is a great place to browse for functions,
sometimes you may prefer to search for one instead. You can do so using
the Insert Function command. It may take some trial and error depending
on the type of function you're looking for; however, with practice, the Insert
Function command can be a powerful way to find a function quickly.
To use the Insert Function command:
• In the example below, we
want to find a function that
will calculate the number of
business days it took to
receive items after they were
ordered. We'll use the dates
in columns E and F to
calculate the delivery time in
column G.
1. Select the cell that will
contain the function. In our
example, we'll select cell G3.
To use the Insert Function command:
2. Click the Formulas tab on the Ribbon, then click the Insert
Function command.
To use the Insert Function command:
3. The Insert Function dialog box will
appear.
4. Type a few keywords describing the
calculation you want the function to
perform, then click Go. In our example,
we'll type count days, but you can also
search by selecting a category from the
drop-down list.
To use the Insert Function command:
5. Review the results to find the desired function, then click OK. In our
example, we'll choose NETWORKDAYS, which will count the number of
business days between the ordered date and received date.
To use the Insert Function command:
6. The Function Arguments dialog box will appear. From here, you'll be able to
enter or select the cells that will make up the arguments in the function. In
our example, we'll enter E3 in the Start_date field and F3 in
the End_date field.
7. When you're satisfied, click OK.
To use the Insert Function command:
8. The function will be calculated, and the result will appear in the cell. In our
example, the result shows that it took four business days to receive the
order.
To use the Insert Function command:
• Like formulas, functions can be
copied to adjacent cells. Simply
select the cell that contains the
function, then click and drag the fill
handle over the cells you want to
fill. The function will be copied, and
values for those cells will be
calculated relative to their rows or
columns.