CHAPTER 9Introducing Formulas and Functions
Excel is, at its core, a calculation engine. Like a calculator, Excel accepts questions in the form of a formula (such as =2+2) and returns an answer. Formulas allow you to perform not only mathematical operations, but also a myriad of other complex actions. With formulas, you can parse textual values, look up data based on specific criteria, and perform conditional analysis. If it weren't for formulas, a spreadsheet would simply be a fancy word processing document that has great support for tabular information.
If you want to leverage the full power of Excel, it's important to understand how formulas work. This chapter introduces formulas and functions and helps you to get up to speed with writing your own formulas and functions.
Understanding Formula Basics
Each cell in a worksheet is given a name based on its position. The top-leftmost cell is called A1. It's located in column A, row 1. When you enter a value in cell A1 (for example, the number 5), that cell's value becomes 5. Entering the number 10 in cell B1 will make that cell's value 10. You can then use these values in a formula.
For instance, you can click in cell C1, and begin ...
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