Datasheet

15
Chapter 1: Tapping into Formula and Function Fundamentals
If the Formula Bar is not visible, choose the Advanced tab; in the Display sec-
tion in the Excel Options dialog box, choose to make it visible.
A range is usually a group of adjacent cells, although noncontiguous cells can
be included in the same range (but that’s mostly for rocket scientists and
those obsessed with calculus). For your purposes, assume a range is a group
of continuous cells. Make a range right now! Here’s how:
1. Position the mouse pointer over the first cell where you wish to define
a range.
2. Press and hold the left mouse button down.
3. Move the pointer to the last cell of your desired area.
4. Release the mouse button.
Figure 1-8 shows what happened when we did this. We selected a range of
cells. The address of this range is A3:D21.
A range address looks like two cell addresses put together, with a colon (:) in
the middle. And that’s what it is! A range address starts with the address of
the cell in the upper left of the range, then has a colon, and then ends with the
address of the cell in the lower right.
Figure 1-8:
Selecting a
range
of cells.
One more detail about ranges — you can give them a name. This is a great
feature because you can think about a range in terms of what it is used for,
instead of what its address is. Also, if we did not take the extra step to assign
a name, the range would be gone as soon as we clicked anywhere on the
worksheet. When a range is given a name, you can repeatedly use the range
by using its name.
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