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Entering Formulas With The AutoSum Tool
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Excel's AutoSum tool is used to automatically create formulas. It is located in two places on the Excel ribbon: firstly in the Editing group of the Home Tab; and, secondly in the Function Library group of the Formulas Tab.
The AutoSum tool has a variety of uses. Its principal function use it to generate the total or SUM of a series of numbers. To do this, you highlight a row of cells and click once on the AutoSum tool. Excel will then place the total of the highlighted cells in the first available empty cell to the right of the selected range. You can then copy the formula using the Autofill handle. As you drag down, Excel copies the formula making the necessary changes to return the correct total for each row.
You can also use the AutoSum tool to calculate the total of several columns simultaneously. To do this, highlight all the data in all columns that you wish to total and then click on the AutoSum tool. Excel creates a SUM formula at the bottom of each column in the first blank cell.
Clicking on the AutoSum tool always generates a formula containing the SUM function which returns the total of a given range of cells. However the AutoSum tool can also be used to generate other functions, such as AVERAGE. To access the other functions, click on the drop-down menu to the right of the AutoSum tool, choose a function and then make sure that Excel has correctly guessed the range of cells you wish to apply the function to.
If Excel has not guessed the cells you wish to analyse, you can correct it: either by keying in the correct reference or by resizing the range-selection rectangle until it encloses the correct cells. The formula can then be copied using the AutoFill handle.
The AVERAGE function is notorious for returning too many decimal places. If you want a consistent number of decimals, click on the Launch button in the Number section of the Home Tab, choose "Number" as the category and then specify the number of decimal places you like.
The other functions available on the AutoSum tool are COUNT ( the number of cells in the highlighted range containing numbers); MAX (the highest value in the range); and MIN (the lowest value). The final option in the AutoSum tool drop-down menu says "Other Functions". This gives you access to Excel's complete range of functions.
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Author is a developer and trainer with Macresource Computer Solutions, a UK IT training company offering Microsoft Excel Classes in London and all over the UK.
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