Question

How do we sum over a variable amount of cells in Excel

Asked by: ResourcefulDB

Experts,

Here is an Excel question. How do we sum over a flexible range of cells in Excel. For example, if we need to sum over the numbers appeared from cell D2 to cell E7, we can just use the formula sum(D2:E7).

However, if we only know that the range begin at D2, but will go right X cells and go down Y cells, where X and Y are variables. In another word, we want to the end cell in the range to be flexible, how do we do it?

Thanks,
RDB

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Asked On
2007-10-26 at 08:37:10ID22920489
Tags

excel

,

sum

,

variable

Topic

Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Software

Participating Experts
3
Points
500
Comments
6

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Answers

 

by: roryaPosted on 2007-10-26 at 08:40:08ID: 20156524

You could use OFFSET:
=SUM(OFFSET($D$2,0,0,6,2))

Regards,
Rory

 

by: exciter_grPosted on 2007-10-28 at 15:27:46ID: 20166547

RDB,
unless you change Rory's formula to something like
=SUM(OFFSET(D2;0;0;COUNTA(D:D);COUNTA(D2:IV2))), i dont know of any other way to do this with a formula. In the above formula, replace IV2 with XFD if you are using Excel 2007.

If you are familiar with VBA macros, i would suggest a coding like the following:

Sub FlexSum()
Dim SumCell As String
Dim SumCellRow, SumCellCol, LastRow, LastCol As Integer
SumCell = "A1"
SumCellRow = Range(SumCell).Row
SumCellCol = Range(SumCell).Column
LastRow = Range("d" & ActiveSheet.Rows.Count).End(xlUp).Row
LastCol = Cells(2, ActiveSheet.Columns.Count).End(xlToLeft).Column
Range(SumCell).FormulaR1C1 = "=SUM(R2C4:R[" & LastRow - SumCellRow & "]C[" & LastCol - SumCellCol & "])"
End Sub

This code will find the last non-empty cell of column D, then find the last non-empty cell in row 2 and insert a Sum formula into a specified cell. To specify this cell, just replace the "A1" in the 4th line of my code to your prefered cell.

Best,
Exciter

 

by: exciter_grPosted on 2007-10-28 at 15:31:17ID: 20166554

Correction:
the correct formula is
=SUM(OFFSET(D2,0,0,COUNTA(D:D),COUNTA(D2:IV2)))

I am using greek version of excel, which uses semicolons instead of commas to devide the formula's parameters.

 

by: roryaPosted on 2007-10-28 at 16:12:30ID: 20166659

If you know the range extends X rows and Y columns, then you just replace the 6 and 2 in my formula with X and Y. If you want to use a dynamically extending range, then use COUNTA, as long as you don't have blank cells in your data.

 

by: Computer101Posted on 2007-11-25 at 09:10:27ID: 20346006

Forced accept.

Computer101
EE Admin

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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